Kicking hairs for "no reason" ?

infinitebohr

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
61
Hello all!

My N.Chromatus started to build a burrow yesterday under it's hide, it was pretty interesting watching it carry out mouthfuls of soil and deposit them. Then I noticed that he/she was rubbing it's abdomen with it's back legs while it was going back and forth into the burrow. It now has two little rows of bald down it's abdomen from where it has rubbed it's back legs. I know that hair kicking is a defensive stress reaction, but this spider wasn't being stressed. I was just watching it go back and forth into the burrow it was making and every now and then it would just rub itself. After reading some old threads I found some people saying that they will line their den with the hairs...I would assume this is what my T is doing?? Its over 2 inches and eats extremely well. It's set up is a 5 gal with 3-4 inches of Ecoearth. There is a Golden Pothos planted in the tank. The room is kept at a steady 80 degrees with a space heater, and I keep the humidity between 70-80%.

I have always held that bald patches meant a stressed T, and I am both curious (and relieved) to find that mine probably isn't stressed but doing something natural. I can't really find much info on why they line the burrow with hairs. It's exoskeleton is not black under the patches either, mine is what I've heard called a "light colorform" and the patch under the hairs is light as well so I don't think it's going to molt.

Anyhow, just wanted to see if there was any detailed info available about hair kicking for non-stress reasons, and to make sure that it's nothing to worry about. I just enjoy her beautiful red hairs so much!!
 
Last edited:

Earth Tiger

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 9, 2003
Messages
274
As a golden rule of thumb in the animal kingdom, an organism may be too late to defend when it is being threatened. So your T is just leaving some warnings to potential intruders. Nothing to worry about.
 

High_Rolling_T

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
140
Also your tarantula may be preparing for a molt. Some species, particularly Therphosa spp., will rub hairs all over as defense(like Earth Tiger said) specifically for a molt though. Even to the point where they are literally covered with a heavy blanket of hairs. Being that you have a Nhandu spp., I have never seen my N. coloratovillosus lay down hairs for molting, however, she did turn into quite the bulldozer a few weeks before she molted.
 

Hobo

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Staff member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
2,208
My N. chromatus does this when she digs her hide out as well. During molting time, her hide will be blanketed with the U-hairs.
 

infinitebohr

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
61
Now just make sure to wear gloves next time you change your sub...
Geez, no kidding!! What's kind of funny/scary is that when I rehoused her I just scooped the old stuff out with my bare hands, however she hadn't really begun a burrow in that enclosure. I'm glad I was able to learn this via a forum and not a handful of misery LOL!
 

SBeekman

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
43
Geez, no kidding!! What's kind of funny/scary is that when I rehoused her I just scooped the old stuff out with my bare hands, however she hadn't really begun a burrow in that enclosure. I'm glad I was able to learn this via a forum and not a handful of misery LOL!
I'm glad I found out before cleaning the entire enclosure. My T. Stirmi would leave urticating hairs everywhere, including the waterdish I have for her. Whenever I picked it up to throw away the old water and refresh it, my hands would itch for days, haha. Strangely I've had hairs kicked at me before that, and I didn't really feel anything.
 
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