I have a striped knee tarantula and I was wondering if someone could tell me if it’s going to shed in the near future

The Grym Reaper

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Time to get myself some negative reactions.

The mesh isn't woven wire, it's expanded metal so it's fine because there are no overlapping wires for the tarantula to get its tarsal claws stuck in. Not sure why people on this site throw a fit about every single type of mesh ventilation when only one specific type of mesh (woven wire) is unsafe and you can usually see which type it is by zooming in on the photo. It's the same bloody thing with heat mats, people (mostly Americans) parrot the same "hurr durr, heat mats are satanic technology that will melt your spiders if you even think about using them" nonsense and then those of us who actually know how to use them properly have to explain that they're actually very safe if used correctly and that they've been used in the UK/Europe successfully for decades.

I have followed a youtuber by the name of trantula collective
Tom Moran is basically the only tarantula channel outside of the documentary or in-situ footage channels worth watching.
 

QuinnStarr

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Time to get myself some negative reactions.

The mesh isn't woven wire, it's expanded metal so it's fine because there are no overlapping wires for the tarantula to get its tarsal claws stuck in. Not sure why people on this site throw a fit about every single type of mesh ventilation when only one specific type of mesh (woven wire) is unsafe and you can usually see which type it is by zooming in on the photo. It's the same bloody thing with heat mats, people (mostly Americans) parrot the same "hurr durr, heat mats are satanic technology that will melt your spiders if you even think about using them" nonsense and then those of us who actually know how to use them properly have to explain that they're actually very safe if used correctly and that they've been used in the UK/Europe successfully for decades.
I’m not even remotely close to being an expert on mesh tops, so I left that bit alone in my original comment. I don’t have any for my T’s and, if I did, I’d likely change it out for acrylic just for my own peace of mind. I would like to better educate myself on the subject though.

I thought part of the issue with the mesh tops was the tarsal claw getting hooked over the thin wire and the T not being able to unhook it?

getting caught between the overlapping wires also makes sense, I’m not doubting that at all.In the same fashion that my dogs get stuff hooked to their claws if they aren’t clipped regularly and can’t get the stuff unhooked because they don’t have the knowledge (or coordination, maybe) to understand how to move their paw in the curled movement to unhook it. Is that not an issue with T’s and any thin wire?

Edit: I don’t know how else to explain that but I can certainly try if it doesn’t make sense. 😂
 

Wolfram1

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As an European myself i am also more ambivalent about it than most the only real downside i can see is that it wont be able to get down easily if it climbes onto the lid, thus creating a fall risk. Weather the spider ever does is another matter.

The main concern is that the less information we are given the easier it is to interpret the "red flags" as a sign of inexperience rather than having considered the risks and made an informed decision.

I do wish people showed more of their own setups like you do @The Grym Reaper than just saying "do that", "change this". But to be fair i dont always have the energy to do it myself.

The mesh isn't woven wire, it's expanded metal so it's fine because there are no overlapping wires for the tarantula to get its tarsal claws stuck in.
that is also a gross oversimplification, because not every mesh is the same most are made of soft aluminium and fairly wide 1mm+ those i would avoid at all costs, others have not been tested snd are just lumped into the same category...
 
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pongdict

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Time to get myself some negative reactions.

The mesh isn't woven wire, it's expanded metal so it's fine because there are no overlapping wires for the tarantula to get its tarsal claws stuck in. Not sure why people on this site throw a fit about every single type of mesh ventilation when only one specific type of mesh (woven wire) is unsafe and you can usually see which type it is by zooming in on the photo. It's the same bloody thing with heat mats, people (mostly Americans) parrot the same "hurr durr, heat mats are satanic technology that will melt your spiders if you even think about using them" nonsense and then those of us who actually know how to use them properly have to explain that they're actually very safe if used correctly and that they've been used in the UK/Europe successfully for decades.



Tom Moran is basically the only tarantula channel outside of the documentary or in-situ footage channels worth watching.
Isn't the OPs the same mesh lid as this one?

Peraonally I have never used one, I have seen pictures of Ts stuck. For me if there is a thin wire separating the holes I would not used it, Id rather be safe than sorry.
 

The Grym Reaper

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I thought part of the issue with the mesh tops was the tarsal claw getting hooked over the thin wire and the T not being able to unhook it?
Is that not an issue with T’s and any thin wire?
Nope, it's only wire weaves that cause the 'getting stuck' problem because the overlapping wires shift and flex, the spider grips one wire (possibly shifting another in the process) and if the overlapping wire shifts back over the top of the tarsal claw then the tarantula ends up trapped and cannot free itself without assistance or resorting to autotomy. If there are no overlapping wires then the mesh is safe for the tarantula to walk on.

A lot of manufacturers are moving away from woven wire mesh and using safer alternatives like expanded metal (below right), coated mesh (eliminates the movement of the wires), and perforated sheet metal (below left) instead.

PSM vs EM.jpg

Edit: I don’t know how else to explain that but I can certainly try if it doesn’t make sense. 😂
Made sense to me, we had a cat when I was younger.

Isn't the OPs the same mesh lid as this one?
No, the OPs in both threads are using different types of mesh, the one in the thread you linked is woven wire mesh (if you zoom in on the pic you can just about make out the overlapping wires though the pic quality isn't great) which is the problem type. The OP in this thread is using a different type of mesh which doesn't have the same issue.
 

pongdict

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No, the OPs in both threads are using different types of mesh, the one in the thread you linked is woven wire mesh (if you zoom in on the pic you can just about make out the overlapping wires though the pic quality isn't great) which is the problem type. The OP in this thread is using a different type of mesh which doesn't have the same issue.
Alright, thats good to know.
 

Wolfram1

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Alright, thats good to know.
Truth be told to me it looks like expanded mesh as well.

If you have ever seen a terrestrial newworld upside down on the lid you will notice they have great trouble getting back on the glass-sides. It doesnt matterwhat type of material it is!

The only real solution to that is raising the substrate level enough that the spider can reach it safely.

That however means that 1,5x times the spanwidth in hight is too much!
 
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QuinnStarr

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Nope, it's only wire weaves that cause the 'getting stuck' problem because the overlapping wires shift and flex, the spider grips one wire (possibly shifting another in the process) and if the overlapping wire shifts back over the top of the tarsal claw then the tarantula ends up trapped and cannot free itself without assistance or resorting to autotomy. If there are no overlapping wires then the mesh is safe for the tarantula to walk on.

A lot of manufacturers are moving away from woven wire mesh and using safer alternatives like expanded metal (below right), coated mesh (eliminates the movement of the wires), and perforated sheet metal (below left) instead.

View attachment 408721



Made sense to me, we had a cat when I was younger.
Thank you! This was super informative.
 

Arachnophobphile

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U.S. - Have evolved in enclosures and proper heating/caring conditions and still evolving.

U.K. - Still using redundant practices for decades on end just because the thinking process 'it still works'.

U.S. - Driving 21st century vehicles

U.K. - Still driving Model T's
 

Arachnophobphile

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Keep telling yourself that ;)
Sorry....🤣

It's a light jest no harm intended.

I'm half English myself having relatives migrate from England here so wasn't being serious.

To each their own, if a system has been proven to work in the care for tarantulas then it's a good system.
 
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Smokncatfood

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My B-emilia likes to fake me out with her molting behavior. She doesn't really kick hairs, so no bald spot to turn dark. But she will plump up and stop eating. (I still offer food, then remove it if she doesn't eat.) She may fast for a month or two, and behave as if she's in pre-molt. Then suddenly she'll start eating again! It's like, "Ha Ha! Just kidding." And then out of the blue she will molt!
 
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