Mostly Buried Skull (Desert Theme)

joossa

Arachnobaron
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Nov 21, 2020
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I have a 4.5 inch B. hamorii in a 10 gallon tank. She has quite a bit of leg room in there and I wanted to add a piece of decor. She is my only T, so I have the ability to spend a little extra time and effort doing things keepers with larger T collections would want to minimize spending time on or just keep simple, like making sure she gets her prey despite having a little more room.

I was thinking of adding the ExoTerra primate skull to her enclosure. See pics below. I do not want her to use it as a hide since she already has one that she uses on one side her tank and that's worked well. Her current hide is a resin U-shaped cork looking hide (common at Petsmart).

Anyway, for the skull, I was thinking of completely filling up the inside of the skill with substrate (so she or prey can't get in) and then burying it at an angle with about 75% of it into/under her substrate within the enclosure, leaving only about 25% of it exposed above the substrate. I would make sure to completely bury the rear of the skull, which has the sharp and pointy bits around the hole it has. I want it to look like a partially exposed fossil to fit in with a desert theme. This would make it easy for her to walk on if she ever decides to walk on it (it would be the equivalent of a low profile rock).

I was wondering what you all thought about this and if you can see any issue with it? She does not climb (I know that does not mean she can't) and has 6-7in of dry packed down substrate with about 5.5-6in of space between the substrate and the top of the enclosure.

Maybe placing the skull off-center to the right and rear of the tank?









 

BoyFromLA

Spoon feeder
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Oct 26, 2017
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First of all, it’s your call.

Second of all, the enclosure looks fine as is. Aesthetic is important, and I am not against it. However, keep that in mind, what looks good to human eyes, might not so, to tarantula eyes.

I don’t see any reasons not to do it though.

But if you ask me, I wouldn’t.
 
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Sterls

Arachnobaron
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Jan 1, 2018
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449
Sounds like a plan. Skulls make a good addition to most T enclosures imo, especially if you only have the one.
 

aprilmayjunebugs

Fiery but Mostly Peaceful
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Nov 7, 2019
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I say most definitely do it, sounds like you thought it through and can make it safe. It sure will make for some amazing pictures! And if any issues arise you can always take it out. Sometimes we want to "spoil" the special ones, and sometimes things don't go the way we planned. I think it sounds awesome and it doesn't hurt to try.
 

Matt Man

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Jul 4, 2017
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I'd remove the dish on the left and build the dirt up and over the hide. Make it so the hide becomes a second level deck. The skull IMO would take up too much floor space and probably not be used. Your call
 

liquidfluidity

Arachnoknight
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Aug 12, 2020
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No one thinks she'll find the exposed area opening and dig it out? I have a skull that one of my N. chromatus came with. She was an adult when I rescued her. When I recently rehoused her, I sloped the terrain over top of the skull with a small exposed area. She dug the skull "blow out" hole out and then, to my amazement, went through an eye socket to create a den. It's all underground except for the entrance. Coolest thing I've seen!

Skulls can be done tastefully. Try it out and see what happens ;) Inquiring minds want to know. Seriously though, I'm interested.
 

joossa

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
333
No one thinks she'll find the exposed area opening and dig it out? I have a skull that one of my N. chromatus came with. She was an adult when I rescued her. When I recently rehoused her, I sloped the terrain over top of the skull with a small exposed area. She dug the skull "blow out" hole out and then, to my amazement, went through an eye socket to create a den. It's all underground except for the entrance. Coolest thing I've seen!

Skulls can be done tastefully. Try it out and see what happens ;) Inquiring minds want to know. Seriously though, I'm interested.
Oh! Didn't think of that. Now, I'm a little more hesitant to go through with it. Don't want her to get stuck in there! Haha. Even though, I haven't had her for long, the original enclosure she was in for over 2 years with under her previous owner did not have any burrows and she has not shown any signs of burrowing for me in her new enclosure. Just a little bit of substrate remodeling on the surface. I am hoping since she is bigger now, she may have gotten passed any digging phase.
 

liquidfluidity

Arachnoknight
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Aug 12, 2020
Messages
193
Not trying to scare you from trying it. The Chromatus skull was originally on the surface....
Something else you could do is fill it full of spray foam if you don't want her inside.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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Sep 14, 2013
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5,893
First of all well done putting enough sub in your enclosure.

I personally find skulls tacky but I also baby talk my tarantulas/spiders etcetera. Baby talk them and know they can't understand me. So take that as you will.

You tarantula certainly won't take offence to having something else to web up or even move into though. So if you'd like to see a skull in the enclosure do it.

Another thing to think about though is that the more decorations you have the more chance you're giving prey a chance to get and hide away.
 
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