Keeping OBTs semi-arboreally

[MissHarlen]

Does anyone on here keep their OBTs semi-arboreally? I'm curious to see what the enclosures look like.

Disclaimer: I don't own an OBT and don't plan on getting one for a hot second, but I have read they can do well semi-arboreally and was wondering if I could keep a younger one in a 32oz deli cup with cork bark and plants for anchoring, and enough substrate to burrow.

 

[GreyPsyche]

I'm going to try and make an enclosure that'll allow me to house my OBT as a fossorial/arboreal so I can see what she prefers, once she gets bigger of course...

I've seen her burrow a lot, I've seen her climbing the lid of her enclosure and I've seen her sit all over her web so I'm pretty sure she won't have a care.

 

[Jones0911]

There's a whole post about semi aboreal OBTs just search OBT in the search option and file through the pages.

Enjoy!!!

 

[Formerphobe]

IME, slings will frequently, but not always, web higher if given the space. As they grow, they web and hang out closer to the substrate.
Given a cube style enclosure, they will ultimately web over the entire thing.

 

[mconnachan]

Does anyone on here keep their OBTs semi-arboreally? I'm curious to see what the enclosures look like.

Disclaimer: I don't own an OBT and don't plan on getting one for a hot second, but I have read they can do well semi-arboreally and was wondering if I could keep a younger one in a 32oz deli cup with cork bark and plants for anchoring, and enough substrate to burrow.

In response to your question, I'm not aware of anyone who keeps their OBT in an arboreal set up, it would be interesting to see which it prefers, although they are already known to be a terrestrial sp. with a burrowing tendency, IMO they should be kept terrestrially, as they have been kept successfully this way for years, without any difficulties.
Are you planning on getting an OBT in the future - your post seems to support this presumption - if so you'll get all the advice needed here on AB of course.

 

[Ellenantula]

My OBT was in an acrylic juvie enclosure that had more vertical height. He burrowed, but he also webbed upwards. So that meant he was sorta 'right there' when I opened lid for feedings -- he would sorta lunge upwards as I hand-dropped his feeder in (his prey never touched ground). I tended to just crack open one side of lid to shove a feeder in. And one time, I am convinced, his leg (or pedapalp) 'touched' me when I was dropping prey in. A bit too close for comfort for me. lol
(That said -- he had no interest in escaping -- once he got his feeder he was a happy boy to settle down and eat!)

So.... his adult enclosure was absolutely terrestrial with a bit less substrate to make more distance from the top. If yours runs into his burrow at least disturbance -- vertical would work. But if yours is always out and 'on the ready' every time you feed.... might want more distance than an arboreal enclosure would offer (mine liked to build his webbing upwards!).

In my profile pix (taken in juvie enclosure right before I rehoused him).... his left legs are literally touching the lid. Just so you know.... lol

 

[Venom1080]

Mine never cared to be a tree dweller. I've always just kept it as half fossorial.

 

[KezyGLA]

Pterinochilus murinus are a semi arboreal species. They will pretty much adapt to anything though.

 

[kooky]

i have a sling in semi arboreal set up. It pretty much webbed everywhere and does what it wants lol.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes, you can, and as KezyGLA said, they will adapt. They are, actually, masters when it comes to adapt... they will work with what they have, with what "you" offered". A thing obviously you can't do with a Pelinobius muticus, on that sense.

I don't recommend, however, such a set up. I can guarantee you that, given the opportunity, what they prefer is to burrow... even better if a piece of cork bark is offered.

Remember: altough they are (IMO) somewhat shy Theraphosidae that prefer to bolt in the hide instead of "fight", they are no matter always insanely fast, defensive, and loaded with brutal venom T's. I do prefer to work with an 'OBT' in her 'safe haven burrow' under the cork bark, rather than a 'Tarzan' one

 

[KezyGLA]

I don't recommend, however, such a set up. I can guarantee you that, given the opportunity, what they prefer is to burrow... even better if a piece of cork bark is offered.

If OCF/RCF then this is correct however variants from Kenya and Botswana think the floor is lava

 

[cold blood]

Pterinochilus murinus are a semi arboreal species. They will pretty much adapt to anything though.

theyre adaptable....the ability to adapt to arboreal conditions does not make one arboreal.

I climbed trees a lot as a youngster, that didnt mean i was arboreal.

OBT is fossorial.

 

[KezyGLA]

theyre adaptable....the ability to adapt to arboreal conditions does not make one arboreal.

I climbed trees a lot as a youngster, that didnt mean i was arboreal.

OBT is fossorial.

Yes. I agree but with the species as a whole it varies

 

[Chris LXXIX]

If OCF/RCF then this is correct however variants from Kenya and Botswana think the floor is lava

I don't know my man... despite the heavy load of African citizens that arrive on a regular basis here, we in poor Italy (Eye-taly) doesn't have the access to such marvellous and utter amazing 'OBT' assortment. Oh poor Chris :-/

 

[EulersK]

theyre adaptable....the ability to adapt to arboreal conditions does not make one arboreal.

I climbed trees a lot as a youngster, that didnt mean i was arboreal.

OBT is fossorial.

This is about right. Out of curiosity, I decided to give a juvenile P. murinus the gambit of enclosures. I got a large enclosure and gave it all possible styles - deep substrate for burrowing, webbing anchor points, and a cork slab. I now have a pet hole in a giant wasted enclosure.

 

[cold blood]

This is about right. Out of curiosity, I decided to give a juvenile P. murinus the gambit of enclosures. I got a large enclosure and gave it all possible styles - deep substrate for burrowing, webbing anchor points, and a cork slab. I now have a pet hole in a giant wasted enclosure.

same here...total pet holes

 

[Ellenantula]

I found terrestrial set up encouraged lower webbing: it offered a lot more horizontal space for my OBT to spread out his webbing. So his webbing stayed lower since he had so much horizontal space to fill up.

With taller enclosure, there was less lower horizontal space -- so upwards was pretty much all mine had to work with. Mine excavated until the substrate height was doubled (nearly tripled). That combination of built-up of webbing + substrate went straight up - close to the very top.

Basically, the more vertical enclosure gave me a jack-in-the-box effect.