I think more T's are burrowers than people think.

[jebbewocky]

I see "obligate burrower" and "terrestrial" thrown around all the time.
I haven't kept any T's commonly designated as "obligate burrower," like a KB, a Haplo, or something like that just yet.
But, my L.parahybana definently burrows, and spends most of her time in her burrow, as does my P.murinus. My B.vagans slings both burrow (they are still slings yet though, and supposedly that makes a difference).

Most of the pics I've seen of people keeping terrestrials give them just enough substrate to walk around on, and maybe one or two body lengths, and instead prevent harm by using a shorter enclosure. Which is perfectly fine as long as the spider "feels safe," (I use the term "feels" understanding they don't really have emotions or think, but there isn't another good word I can think of using).

But, my LP I rehoused into a 20 gallon around 3-4" because I didn't want to keep rehousing her incrementally when I had a 20 gallon just sitting around. So I loaded it up on substrate to prevent her hurting herself from a fall. She burrows like a Haplo now.

 

[galeogirl]

I give my terrestrials several inches of substrate in case they're inclined to burrow. Most do, but some don't. My G. pulchripes hangs out under the cork bark hide but has never burrowed.

 

[flamesbane]

Most of my terrestrials burrow if they are given something to create their burrow under (like a cork slab on top of the substrate). However they normally don't stay in, and only go in it if disturbed. Some also sit at the mouth of it.

That being said their use of these burrows is nothing like a fossorial species (like any Haplopelma) who create deep chambered burrows and use them often.

 

[jebbewocky]

Most of my terrestrials burrow if they are given something to create their burrow under (like a cork slab on top of the substrate). However they normally don't stay in, and only go in it if disturbed. Some also sit at the mouth of it.

That being said their use of these burrows is nothing like a fossorial species (like any Haplopelma) who create deep chambered burrows and use them often.

This behavior is precisely what my LP, my B.vagans, and OBT have done.
The burrow for my LP is as big as my arm, and she's usually just in there, with maybe her legs (or butt) sticking out.

 

[flamesbane]

This behavior is precisely what my LP, my B.vagans, and OBT have done.
The burrow for my LP is as big as my arm, and she's usually just in there, with maybe her legs (or butt) sticking out.

My female LP burrowed until she hit 5-6" or so, and now just uses a hide despite still having the option to burrow. Most terrestrial slings create proportionally deep burrow (B. vagans), but IME they quit once they hit a certain size. OBT's are really terrestrial anyway...I have some 2-3" juveniles in relatively large inclosures with lots of substrate, but any burrow they have just runs parallel to the surface and is small compared to the large webs they create.

Added by edit:

My large N. chromatus female has a deep burrow 12"+, but she only really uses it as a hide and normally is out and about unless disturbed.

 

[curiousme]

We give all our terrestrials plenty of substrate to burrow in, and most do. Our G. pulchra did when they were spiderlings, but now don't. N. chromatus, P. murinus, B. vagans, B. smithi, G. rosea R(ed)C(olor)F(orm), A. hentzi and A. sp.Guatemala all do. Our G. rosea must have some ant cousins, because she has multiple levels of intersecting tunnels. They aren't always hidden in the burrow, but they have dug one for themselves. It makes sense if you stop to think about it, because in the wild they aren't going to just be sitting out in the open, they dig. That's why we give them the option to, should they feel inclined.

We only have one 'obligate' burrower, a H. sp.Vietnam and she only comes out when she's hungry! Even then she is only at the top of her burrow. The P. murinus and N. chromatus are essentially obligate currently, we hope it is just a phase.

 

[Pociemon]

Many T´s burrow, especially as slings, i had 2 poecilotheria ornata as slings, both made burrows the first year i had them, i saw my haplos more than them.

 

[Stan Schultz]

I see "obligate burrower" and "terrestrial" thrown around all the time.
I haven't kept any T's commonly designated as "obligate burrower," like a KB, a Haplo, or something like that just yet. ...

An "obligate burrower" is not necessarily any tarantula that burrows in the wild or in captivity. An obligate burrower is a tarantula that, by the majority of anecdotal reports, seems to require the ability to live in a burrow to survive in captivity.

Pelinobius muticus (aka, Citharischius crawshayi), the king baboon, and Haplopelma lividum, the cobalt blue tarantula, are the only two I'm aware of. Some enthusiasts say that all species of Haplopelma are obligate burrowers, but we have kept dozens of H. minax and quite a few H. albostriatum in cages that did not allow burrowing for quite extended periods of time (i.e., a year or more) with no problems, so I'm not convinced.

A "terrestrial tarantula" is any tarantula that lives on or in the ground. The opposite condition is the so-called arboreal tarantula that spends all or nearly all its time living at altitude, not in the ground.

But these terms really describe the ends of a more or less continuous range of living patterns, and there are many tarantulas that fall somewhere in between the two extremes. However, if we start splitting hairs about whether a given species, (e.g., Heteroscodra maculata, the Togo starburst tarantula, or even some of the Hysterocrates) are terrestrial or arboreal, we will, in fact, only get involved in lengthy, heated flame wars. Nothing else will be gained.

The picture is muddied even further by the fact that many kinds of tarantulas live as "terrestrial" while young, then migrate up into the trees as adults to live as "arboreals." The Poecilotheria are good examples of these.

Lastly, many enthusiasts are also laboring under the opinion that a terrestrial tarantula is one that lives at ground level, but seldom if ever lives in a burrow. In TKG2 and TKG3 we call them "vagabonds," but if you read carefully, you will notice that we never really mention any actual species as a vagabond, although we state that wandering males fit that description. Also, a vagabond lifestyle is not one of the five classifications that we propound in the care section.

To our best knowledge, no one who has seriously studied tarantulas in the wild has ever reported finding a species that almost exclusively wanders from bivouac to bivouac instead of occupying a long term burrow or nest.

The other term often thrown around is "fossorial." "Fossorial" is most often used to describe burrowing mammals, but has been borrowed by arachnologists to describe those arachnids that burrow nearly all the time in the wild to distinguish them from "vagabonds" (i.e., terrestrial in the most limiting sense), or "arboreals."

The one most important message that you must get is that tarantula life in a cage is vastly different from tarantula life in the wild. And, caged tarantulas commonly do not follow their wild habit patterns in a cage. Hence, we often have "arboreal" tarantulas building tube-like shelters at substrate level, and "terrestrial" tarantulas living high in their plastic plants. And fossorial tarantulas that never bother digging a burrow.

So, assuming that I haven't completely confused you, if you hear or read of someone making any firm designations about an arboreal, terrestrial, or fossorial tarantula, just smile benignly, throw a lot of grains of salt in their direction, and carry on with your life.

Now you know better!

 

[Lorum]

The picture is muddied even further by the fact that many kinds of tarantulas live as "terrestrial" while young, then migrate up into the trees as adults to live as "arboreals." The Poecilotheria are good examples of these.

Or viceversa, they tend to be arboreal (well, they live in vegetation, not in the ground) when young and migrate to the ground ("fossorial" habits) when they are adults or almost. I don't think it is so common as the opposite condition, the only example I know for sure (and I think, the only one documented) is Ephebopus murinus.

 

[Bill S]

All too often people label tarantulas as terrestrial or arboreal or some other designation (such as obligate burrowers) is based on what a specimen does in captivity within the 8" or 10" (often less) of caged vertical space it is allowed. This is radically different than observing which strata a species may utilize in the wild. Wild "terrestrial" species, including those known to burrow, can sometimes be found ten feet above the surface of the ground under normal natural circumstances. The notion that a spider must conform strictly to one of our subjectively attached over-simplified labels shows either a lack of knowledge or a lack of imagination on our part.

 

[bloodred1889]

the way i see it is i have made great effort to let my cobolt blue tarantulas and when i had one my king babbon to burrow, i dont mind not seeing them because i like watching them create a burrow and knowing they are happy, with my other tarantulas that arnt aborial they all have enough substrate to burrow if they wanted to and i normally create a hide which is half a burrow half a hide and they seem happy enough like that.

i will say though that my OBTs and GBBs have always puzzled me as to which thay actually prefure, semi aborial is a name i dont quite understand.
so i set up my P.marinus as a teresstrial and see what she does, (at the moment all my tarantulas are in small tubs as they are being rehoused and re arranged, which is fun, but has taken longer then i wanted)

my p.marinus when she was in her tank she webbed in the top corner and on the lid, so im going to giver her a hide on the floor level and a peice of cork bark so she can webb upwards if she wishes. really i just go with what seems to please them, i do get abit obsessed with making sure my tarantulas are happy and if they arnt doing somthing thats in the book (tarantulas keepers guide hello pikia) .. i freak out abit.

like i got two custom tall tanks made for my two cobolt blues.
there very tall and naroow kinda like a tarantularium but square, and at the moment they havnt burrowed i mixed peat with garden soil, but im worried its not right for them to burrow.. woudnt mind some help with that maybe a PM or opinion from someone who keeps burrowing species and really sets them up as burrowing pet holes.
because again i just want them to be happy, its great seeing them as they are beautifull and stunning blue but if they arnt happy i aint happy...

sorry long ramble.
basically i actually kinda love pet holes more then many other tarantulas.
i know i miss my king baboon and her amazing back legs

 

[Pociemon]

An "obligate burrower" is not necessarily any tarantula that burrows in the wild or in captivity. An obligate burrower is a tarantula that, by the majority of anecdotal reports, seems to require the ability to live in a burrow to survive in captivity.

Pelinobius muticus (aka, Citharischius crawshayi), the king baboon, and Haplopelma lividum, the cobalt blue tarantula, are the only two I'm aware of. Some enthusiasts say that all species of Haplopelma are obligate burrowers, but we have kept dozens of H. minax and quite a few H. albostriatum in cages that did not allow burrowing for quite extended periods of time (i.e., a year or more) with no problems, so I'm not convinced.

A "terrestrial tarantula" is any tarantula that lives on or in the ground. The opposite condition is the so-called arboreal tarantula that spends all or nearly all its time living at altitude, not in the ground.

But these terms really describe the ends of a more or less continuous range of living patterns, and there are many tarantulas that fall somewhere in between the two extremes. However, if we start splitting hairs about whether a given species, (e.g., Heteroscodra maculata, the Togo starburst tarantula, or even some of the Hysterocrates) are terrestrial or arboreal, we will, in fact, only get involved in lengthy, heated flame wars. Nothing else will be gained.

The picture is muddied even further by the fact that many kinds of tarantulas live as "terrestrial" while young, then migrate up into the trees as adults to live as "arboreals." The Poecilotheria are good examples of these.

Lastly, many enthusiasts are also laboring under the opinion that a terrestrial tarantula is one that lives at ground level, but seldom if ever lives in a burrow. In TKG2 and TKG3 we call them "vagabonds," but if you read carefully, you will notice that we never really mention any actual species as a vagabond, although we state that wandering males fit that description. Also, a vagabond lifestyle is not one of the five classifications that we propound in the care section.

To our best knowledge, no one who has seriously studied tarantulas in the wild has ever reported finding a species that almost exclusively wanders from bivouac to bivouac instead of occupying a long term burrow or nest.

The other term often thrown around is "fossorial." "Fossorial" is most often used to describe burrowing mammals, but has been borrowed by arachnologists to describe those arachnids that burrow nearly all the time in the wild to distinguish them from "vagabonds" (i.e., terrestrial in the most limiting sense), or "arboreals."

The one most important message that you must get is that tarantula life in a cage is vastly different from tarantula life in the wild. And, caged tarantulas commonly do not follow their wild habit patterns in a cage. Hence, we often have "arboreal" tarantulas building tube-like shelters at substrate level, and "terrestrial" tarantulas living high in their plastic plants. And fossorial tarantulas that never bother digging a burrow.

So, assuming that I haven't completely confused you, if you hear or read of someone making any firm designations about an arboreal, terrestrial, or fossorial tarantula, just smile benignly, throw a lot of grains of salt in their direction, and carry on with your life.

Now you know better!

I do keep most of my chinese haplopelma as terrestrials, just with a deeper burrow to make sure they do have darkness, and they thrive there. I have even gotten sacks from them. I have been in asia and see how they live in the wild, but there it is in looong and deep burrows though.

 

[ZergFront]

My Lampropelma slings kind of do all the above. They have a web tunnel leading out from under the fake plant and one has a burrow that goes right from there to the side of the cube.

Some I guess just do whatever makes them comfortable no matter what placement we give them. The placements do give you a good generalization though.