My A. geniculata responds to me when I walk up to her enclosure...

[CyclingSam]

My A. geniculata seems to greet me every morning when I walk up to her enclosure. She is in an acrylic box inside a microclimate with 16 other tarantulas. Every morning I get up and check on them. When I walk up to the box of spiders, she is always near the back closest to the heater. She will then come walking up to the front of her acrylic box nearest me. Non of the other spiders ever respond. Anyone ever seen behavior like this? I am wondering if she has concluded that when looming mass is near, food sometimes appears making it some sort of feeding response.

 

[Moonohol]

My L. difficilis will often pop out of her hide when I walk in my living room in the mornings and flick on the lights. I have a feeling it is just an instinctual response to whatever stimuli the T is experiencing from the change in lighting/vibration from footsteps, etc. They don't have the ability to recognize us, as much as I wish the opposite were true...

 

[chanda]

Maybe she's just really happy to see you!

Seriously, though - I have had spiders (both tarantulas and black widows) that have developed a distinct feeding response. A freshly wild-caught black widow will flee from me opening her container and retreat to the back of her enclosure, as far from the opening as possible. Once they learn that opening=food, they reverse their behavior and approach the opening whenever I take the lid off. The feeding response I've seen in my tarantulas is not quite as strong, but they do seem to associate the vibration and movement with food because a number of them will emerge from hides (or at least stick their front legs out) when I'm working around the cages, especially if they're due for another feeding. If they've recently eaten, they're more likely to just ignore me and stay put.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Just yesterday, believe me or not, I've dreamed about something weird happened to baby, the Goddess

The first thing I did this morning was check her (spotted part of her ) and send a kiss to her enclosure... I will die if something bad will happen to her.

'A Nightmare on Elm Street' for Goddess? Hell no way

 

[Paiige]

Anyone ever seen behavior like this? I am wondering if she has concluded that when looming mass is near, food sometimes appears making it some sort of feeding response.

This happens often with my porteri, almost every time unless she's sleeping. She will walk towards me if I approach her enclosure and if I'm looking at her from the top she will climb right up her walls. I do believe it is the 'when looming mass is near, I get food' response, though she will do it even if she's fasting so I'm not sure what that's about. Either way, it makes me happy. I know she's not able to recognize me as 'mom' but I will take what I can get.

 

[Blue Jaye]

Tarantulas respond to vibrations. That would be the most likely reason it reacts to your presence.