Is it normal for a tarantula to be so active?

[StuffedOrange]

Hey,

so i got this Chilean rose RED FORM.. and he is mature i think maybe sub adult idk but he is active the whole time. he is just roaming around his whole enclosure.. going in his hide.. out of his hide... climbing the enclosure's walls.. and basically just running around everywhere most of the time.. well after a while it will eventually stop but 10 minutes later he will start to walk around its enclosure. Btw he rejects food and sometimes tries to avoid it and run away.. pretty sure its not in premolt since it never ate since i got it which was like maybe 1 week ago. and the guy told me to feed it after it arrives and for some of you know that this tarantula survived for 20+ days in a package so yea... i heard this specie fasts alot so i'm not too worried about its food but what im worried about is it is so active.

Thanks!!!
EDIT:
And yes it does have a water dish and it sometimes steps into it and starts making a mess xDD and yes the enclosure is also humid.

 

[IHeartTs]

The enclosure shouldn't be humid which could have something to do with it. If it's a MM itll have tibial hooks and bulbous pedipalps. The behavior would make perfect sense if it's a MM.

 

[scott99]

1+ to IHeartTs

 

[cold blood]

Pics please.

Sounds like a MM, but impossible to say without pics, could just be really irritated with a humid enclosure, that's basically torture for a G. rosea (lol).

Now you say he's mature, and sub-adult...which is confusing, because a male will ONLY mature following its final molt. They mature much sooner than females and tend to be smaller. If he's mature, he's on borrowed time.

 

[Ellenantula]

I agree it could be male needing to wander.
Could be it's just not settled in yet because it's been dumped in a completely new world.
Could hate its substrate.

Pix would help.

 

[Sana]

If it's only been in the enclosure for a week, it could also still be settling in if it isn't mature. My Grammostolas (the genus which your tarantula belongs, most likely it's a Grammosotola rosea by the way) seem to take nearly the longest of any genus to settle in to new accommodations.

 

[StuffedOrange]

Ill post pics today but yes it does have tibial hooks and the pedipalps are Round and thick .

 

[Ellenantula]

Ill post pics today but yes it does have tibial hooks and the pedipalps are Round and thick .

It sounds like your fellow is looking for a date then.

---------- Post added 04-11-2015 at 07:59 AM ----------

Afterthought:
Is this the T you ordered? Had he molted during transit?
It seems wrong for someone to ship any buyer a mature male unless it were for a breeding project. Hope you didn't pay much.

 

[StuffedOrange]

It sounds like your fellow is looking for a date then.

---------- Post added 04-11-2015 at 07:59 AM ----------

Afterthought:
Is this the T you ordered? Had he molted during transit?
It seems wrong for someone to ship any buyer a mature male unless it were for a breeding project. Hope you didn't pay much.

yes this the Tarantula that i ordered.. i dont think it molted but the box was moldy xDDD..

 

[Blueandbluer]

Ill post pics today but yes it does have tibial hooks and the pedipalps are Round and thick .

Ok, then, that is NOT a subadult. That is a mature male. The good news is he'll be active and interesting to watch. The bad news is his clock is ticking. Once they hit maturity their only task is to find as many ladies as possible in the time they have left. This explains the high activity that you've observed.

Since you told Ellenantula you intentionally bought a mature male -- may I ask why? Most people wouldn't unless they're looking to breed, since they have such a short "shelf-life".

ETA: Oh, and I don't know what you mean by "box was moldy" but that doesn't sound good...

 

[StuffedOrange]

well when i ordered this tarantula i did not know that mature males will die soon. and i heard that Mature ones survived in shipping so i was like lets just order a mature one. but i guess i was wrong. and the reason why the box was moldy because this tarantula survived for 20+ days in a shipping box because it was lost in shipping i guess and it arrived 20+ days later and it was alive magically. so basically the container it was shipped in was moldy. it was shipped in a styrofoam container and then wrapped with tons of bubble wrap and paper and tape

 

[Ellenantula]

well when i ordered this tarantula i did not know that mature males will die soon. and i heard that Mature ones survived in shipping so i was like lets just order a mature one. but i guess i was wrong. and the reason why the box was moldy because this tarantula survived for 20+ days in a shipping box because it was lost in shipping i guess and it arrived 20+ days later and it was alive magically. so basically the container it was shipped in was moldy. it was shipped in a styrofoam container and then wrapped with tons of bubble wrap and paper and tape

At the end of the day, all that really matters is if you are pleased with your purchase.

Personally, I don't breed (yet, anyway), so I always look for a sub-adult females -- I always want to have a lot of years ahead to enjoy my Ts.
I also have a few slings, but I am impatient, so I go for young females.

Agree with Bloo re: mold, but I suppose dampness and warm temps coupled with long shipping times....
Glad he seems to be okay!

 

[StuffedOrange]

Thanks!!! the thing I'm really surprised that he is fasting/rejects food xDDDD

 

[Ellenantula]

Thanks!!! the thing I'm really surprised that he is fasting/rejects food xDDDD

Well, I have learned it's not always just one factor at play; but being male, food is lower on his list of priorities than meeting a nice female T.
In fact, males are willing to risk death for that honor.

But other factors re: not eating could include not being comfortable yet in new home & the stress from shipping.

I lean towards a combination of all of the above.
Or, he could be fairly old and at the end of his days.
Or, he could be sick, given the mold in shipping container (I am only guessing at this possible scenario, at least he's dry now!).

He may surprise you and take food later. Don't offer too often, give him a chance to develop an appetite.

 

[StuffedOrange]

Alright.. i dont think he is close to dying since his abdomen looks ok and not shrinky but thanks!!!

 

[cold blood]

The problem is, you have no idea when it matured. If it was just prior to your purchase, you could feasibly have a year with it, but it could have matured a while ago, in which case, it could go at any time. The older a MM gets, the less interest in food it will naturally have.