My desert blonde tarantula won't leave his borrow.

felixsu123

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 13, 2023
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2
He/She has not left their borrow for over a month. He/She might be molting, any advice.
 

loxoscelesfear

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
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Feb 13, 2006
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1,097
I have never seen my hentzi drink. They fill the water dish with cocoa fiber every time I offer fresh water. Both are spawns of Satan and will not tolerate handling. I have had them since 2008. Different species I know, but no need to panic when Ts do not drink or eat for extended periods of time. You're not alone :spiderweb::spiderweb:
 

NMTs

Theraphosidae Rancher
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Jan 22, 2022
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He/She has not left their borrow for over a month. He/She might be molting, any advice.
How big is it? If it's just a little sling you might want to change things up. If it's a juvenile or adult, it's nothing to be concerned about - my Aphonopelma moderatum have been in their burrows consistently since late August. The US species of the genus tend to be very inactive this time of year, even in captivity.
 

NMTs

Theraphosidae Rancher
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it is a 1" sling
You should post a pic of the enclosure. A 1" sling shouldn't be able to bury itself completely for just this reason - they can get dehydrated and desiccated much more easily than larger specimens, so while you don't need to worry about larger ones disappearing for a while, small slings should be housed in such a way as to prevent that... For example:
20231129_000016.jpg

That's a 1" sling in a 5oz condiment cup. Even smaller slings get 2oz condiment cups or small dram vials.

Once they molt a couple times, you can rehouse into a larger enclosure and/or increase the amount of substrate you give them, but keeping them as shown above allows you to monitor their feeding, watering, and growth much more easily while they're in the delicate sling stage.
 

fcat

Arachnoangel
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Jan 1, 2023
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it is a 1" sling
This might change things a little, I am glad @NMT asked but I agree pictures are necessary, and then I'd probably echo @Ultum4Spiderz advice.... But pictures are imperative. Example, your sling could be buried in already too damp substrate, and then we'd be giving bad suggestions. Another example, you're doing everything perfect but the enclosure is too big.

If you give these guys too much substrate, they may dig to the bottom and clear out a basement. It's usually harmless until you come home one day and the whole mass of dirt has sunken and the basement is now the first floor. If they just choose some interior space to dig you'll have no visibility.

The smaller the enclosure, the more it will make them think it's their burrow and they won't dig. Instead they sit there and eat and grow. It's almost like they expect bugs to come to them in their burrows in the wild...

I have a few Aphonopelma slings that I've had for several months and are still under an inch obviously. They are all so fascinating. I've got one hentzi that eats about one time a molt. That's an average, because it went a whole molt without eating, or at least without disturbing it's prey. I probably worry less about this genus than anyone else in my collection, but that one in particular I don't worry about.

My moderatums have also gone AWOL, as has one of my Chalcodes who is normally out. The other Chalcodes tank was designed the exact same way and instead she has webbed up every inch of horizontal space. Just a 10x15 white floor. No visible decorations or structures. I assume she thinks it's her burrow.

I have two steindachneri slings that are best measured in millimeters. They came in deli cups and I downgraded them to 1" vials and I think it's too big still. There was a huge size disparity when I got them, I grabbed a runt for science, but I am expecting slower growth out of that one because it's 1" home is that much bigger. You can find many mentions by a guy named Cold Blood about his experiment putting slings in deli cups and growing faster. Works 100% of the time.

Someone named AphonopelmaTx speaks of Aphonopelma disappearing because it got too dry. Search "rainy" and put his name on the by who field. He also has a tank setup for aphonos to get them to burrow, but I don't give them anything at your size. It will give you some insight as to what natural behaviors look like, and as yours gets older you can illicit it with a hide. You'll probably find your sling gravitating to burrowing under the water dish though. I recommend gluing a magnet to the dish and then using the magnet to affix the dish to the wall of the enclosure. It simulates a hide and makes sure it won't collapse on them. And if they bury it you still know where to water.

I am not experienced by any means, but what I love about this genus is that they hold their own by adapting to the harsh elements of the desert (it even snows in their ranges). They are the latchkey kids of my collection. Speaking of kids...anyone here raising the next generation of keepers? I need to leave these guys to someone in a will.
 

Smotzer

ArachnoGod
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Jan 17, 2020
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5,451
Outside of the above mentioned enclosure suggestions:
Tarantula's are naturally very reclusive, and hiding in a burrow where they are more protected is just part of their nature. Welcome to tarantula keeping!!
 
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