My tarantula is hiding behind her legs. Should i be concerned?

[jabspeach]

So I moved my tarantula into a new enclosure last night, I've had to Remove some moss as the humidity was a little too high and I had to remove a cricket that she has refused and that seems to have spooked her alot. I know tarantulas can hide behind their legs our of fear that I'm a large predator invading their tank but she's been sitting like this for a few hours and I am worried. I will post a picture of her postion and her enclosure as any advice would be useful.

Another question I have is that my enclosure has different levels of soil as I read online that if you add too many inches of soil above where the heat matt is located (under the enclosure floor), it can reduce heat and it is currently snowing where I live and my room gets cold at night so I put 3 inches of soil on one side of her enclosure and less soil around the middle where the heat matt is under as my heat matt is relatively low watt anyway as I worry about overheating my tarantula. There is so many conflicting opinions online it's rather misleading and I want to make my tarantula "happy" in her new home but also don't want to disturb her and stress her out further. For reference my tank is just under 5 gallons as she is still fairly small at 3 inches and I want her to feel safe and to catch prey easily. She also usually has a water dish in there but i removed it to clean. Thanks yall

 

[ladyratri]

Never put a heat mat UNDER a T enclosure. (I too learned this after I had already done it, and thankfully corrected it before any arachnids were harmed.) This is an excellent way to cook your T.

When you say your room "gets cold at night" can you give us a general ambient temperature? It might not be cold enough to be problematic.

A space heater to warm the room is best, if you can. If you can't do that, a bigger bin or a closet you can heat and place your T enclosure in is next best.

If you can't do THAT and you really just have the heat mat, put it on the wall like an inch away from the side of the enclosure, not directly on the enclosure, and always to a side not underneath. T's burrow to get away from the heat when it gets too hot, so they have the potential to dig themselves into a little oven. Also even if it's properly on the wall/side, only use it with a thermostat

Also it looks like you may need more substrate in there. It's not a matter of how deep the sub is, the critical part is the distance from the lid of the enclosure to the top of the substrate. That should be less than 1.5 times the DLS of the T -- to minimize the chances of your T being injured if it climbs up to the ceiling and then falls.

Also, you may want to bury the hide at an angle so it's got dirt over the top, and room to dig a burrow underneath if it wants? Others will probably know better about that as almost all my experience so far is with arboreals

All that said, yes it's normal for a T to sit with their knees scronched up over them for hours. Sometimes even days As long as its toes are still on the ground, not curled underneath it, it's fine. Especially when it has been disturbed a few times, and with the recent rehouse. I'd go ahead and make any changes like the above or other things people suggest ASAP and let it settle in once everything is done, rather than waiting and then disturbing it again. It can take a couple weeks to settle into the new enclosure after a rehouse.

 

[jabspeach]

Never put a heat mat UNDER a T enclosure. (I too learned this after I had already done it, and thankfully corrected it before any arachnids were harmed.) This is an excellent way to cook your T.

When you say your room "gets cold at night" can you give us a general ambient temperature? It might not be cold enough to be problematic.

A space heater to warm the room is best, if you can. If you can't do that, a bigger bin or a closet you can heat and place your T enclosure in is next best.

If you can't do THAT and you really just have the heat mat, put it on the wall like an inch away from the side of the enclosure, not directly on the enclosure, and always to a side not underneath. T's burrow to get away from the heat when it gets too hot, so they have the potential to dig themselves into a little oven. Also even if it's properly on the wall/side, only use it with a thermostat

Also it looks like you may need more substrate in there. It's not a matter of how deep the sub is, the critical part is the distance from the lid of the enclosure to the top of the substrate. That should be less than 1.5 times the DLS of the T -- to minimize the chances of your T being injured if it climbs up to the ceiling and then falls.

Also, you may want to bury the hide at an angle so it's got dirt over the top, and room to dig a burrow underneath if it wants? Others will probably know better about that as almost all my experience so far is with arboreals

All that said, yes it's normal for a T to sit with their knees scronched up over them for hours. Sometimes even days As long as its toes are still on the ground, not curled underneath it, it's fine. Especially when it has been disturbed a few times, and with the recent rehouse. I'd go ahead and make any changes like the above or other things people suggest ASAP and let it settle in once everything is done, rather than waiting and then disturbing it again. It can take a couple weeks to settle into the new enclosure after a rehouse.

I cannot explain how useful this is to me thankyou so very much! I will follow you're instructions I had absolutely no idea they could die from the heat matt so much misinformation out there! I bave a thermometer that is currently reading at 19.8 Celsius (my apologies as It doesn't read in Fahrenheit). It does tend to drop more at night though, if I could estimate I would say 16 Celsius at its coldest. I will make sure to place the hide at an angle with dirt on top and add lots more soil, I'll have to scoop her up in a plastic container for a few minutes which I hope won't stress her out too much. I have removed the heating matt and won't be using that again, if in emergencies I need the heat I will put it against the wall behind the tank like you suggested. Do you think the temperature drop could kill her? If so I will get a portable heater as unfortunately the price of heating all night is very expensive these days. Thanks again!

 

[ladyratri]

I bave a thermometer that is currently reading at 19.8 Celsius (my apologies as It doesn't read in Fahrenheit). It does tend to drop more at night though, if I could estimate I would say 16 Celsius at its coldest.

19.8 C is totally fine. 16 C is...colder than you want it probably, but I don't think will be a problem for tonight / a couple nights if it's back up to ~20C during the day. Best to find some way to keep the space immediately around the enclosure a little warmer, but no need to panic. So yeah, with the heat mat you want something like attaching it to the wall right next to the enclosure, or the side of a shelf or something like that. For a while last winter, I actually left mine just sitting flat on the desk next to my sling's bin, and it kept the ambient temperature right near there a couple degrees higher than the room in general, you could do something like that even. You really just need to take the chill off, probably even 18 C is good given it's not a sling.

 

[jabspeach]

19.8 C is totally fine. 16 C is...colder than you want it probably, but I don't think will be a problem for tonight / a couple nights if it's back up to ~20C during the day. Best to find some way to keep the space immediately around the enclosure a little warmer, but no need to panic. So yeah, with the heat mat you want something like attaching it to the wall right next to the enclosure, or the side of a shelf or something like that. For a while last winter, I actually left mine just sitting flat on the desk next to my sling's bin, and it kept the ambient temperature right near there a couple degrees higher than the room in general, you could do something like that even. You really just need to take the chill off, probably even 18 C is good given it's not a sling.

Yes I agree 16 is Colder then needed I will make sure the temperature stays where I need it. However for now I have removed my tarantula, added more substrate, I was going to cover the top of her hide but she didn't want to move off it so i ended up removing her while on the coconut (gently to make sure she doesn't fall of course) and put the whole thing in a plastic container, when she moves away from the hide ill cover it then but for now I'll attach some pictures, I hope I haven't added too much soil now aha, thankyou for all your help!!

Yes I agree 16 is Colder then needed I will make sure the temperature stays where I need it. However for now I have removed my tarantula, added more substrate, I was going to cover the top of her hide but she didn't want to move off it so i ended up removing her while on the coconut (gently to make sure she doesn't fall of course) and put the whole thing in a plastic container, when she moves away from the hide ill cover it then but for now I'll attach some pictures, I hope I haven't added too much soil now aha, thankyou for all your help!!

For some reason it won't let me edit the picture on to my last comment so here is her enclosure noe

 

[ChaniLB520]

Glad to hear you are following ladyatri’s great advice! Your T will appreciate the changes for sure. It looks like you have a curly hair? They definitely like to burrow so the more substrate will probably make her comfortable in the long run though sometimes it takes them a while to get settled enough to start digging.

 

[jabspeach]

Glad to hear you are following ladyatri’s great advice! Your T will appreciate the changes for sure. It looks like you have a curly hair? They definitely like to burrow so the more substrate will probably make her comfortable in the long run though sometimes it takes them a while to get settled enough to start digging.

I'm so grateful for this website and all these knowledgeable people! I'm glad I knew to make the changes now before neglecting her without realising it. I have added lots more soil now so she has plenty of depth to burrow and enjoy and also the gap between the top of the lid is safer too. So that it prevents her falling off the sides and hurting herself. I look forward to seeing her settle and dig a burrow for herself!

 

[ChaniLB520]

I'm so grateful for this website and all these knowledgeable people! I'm glad I knew to make the changes now before neglecting her without realising it. I have added lots more soil now so she has plenty of depth to burrow and enjoy and also the gap between the top of the lid is safer too. So that it prevents her falling off the sides and hurting herself. I look forward to seeing her settle and dig a burrow for herself!

Awesome! The updated setup looks much better. Wishing the best for you and your T!

 

[jabspeach]

Awesome! The updated setup looks much better. Wishing the best for you and your T!

Thankyou!!

Hi all, today I changed my tarantula into a new enclosure, as she outgrew her last one. Unfortunately I've had to move her a few times to make adjustments to her enclosure and now she's hiding behind her legs and hasn't moved for a few hours so my question is, can tarantulas get scared to death? She isnt dead but the non movement and lack of reaction makes me worried. I know that tarantulas don't process emotions the way we do but I do understand that everyime you lift them, they believe you are a predator trying to eat them. She shown no defense poses but she won't move her legs from over her face/ body once she has steadied herself. I guess I'm worried that the enclosure switch and the rare interaction I've had with her has made her so scared she may not eat or drink when needed. I've also hears studies of spiders/ arachnids dying when exposed to "predators" repeatedly from stress. Is there any truth to this? Or is she simply scared for a while before settling in and moving around her new home? I know it can take a few weeks for them to settle but she's usually more reactive then this. I've attached a picture of her pose to see if any of you guys think it's just fear and it will pass, or it's some kind of death/stress pose. Thankyou and my apologies if this question is rather silly

 

[ladyratri]

Or is she simply scared for a while before settling in and moving around her new home?

This. She looks fine.

Death curl is when their legs curl impossibly far under, so that the toes are touching their underside, and they rest on the knees instead.

They can go easily days without water and months without food. Some slower growing species will even fast for a year or two as adults. It's almost never worth worrying about a T not eating. It will eat when it's hungry.

I have seen mine park themselves in a hunting position and remain absolutely motionless for a solid 6-8 hours.

If you have the ability to leave the room quiet and dark for a while, that can help her feel safe.

 

[jabspeach]

Thankyou! I'll make sure it's dark and quiet for her so she settles in better. That makes alot of sense. Hopefully I see some movement soon but I'm much more reassured that it is just because of her new environment. Thankyou for your reply it's much appreciated

 

[ladyratri]

Hopefully I see some movement soon

Just do your best to resist poking and prodding! I'm a worry wart too and it has taken me a while to embrace the "zen" of T keeping. Legit the best and most frequent advice on this forum is:

Wait.

You have a lovely T and made really good adjustments, now give it like a week before you expect anything! They like to sneak around at night. You might find like, some dirt in the clean water or poop somewhere unlikely, and the T seems right back where it was. All normal T stuff.

 

[jabspeach]

Just do your best to resist poking and prodding! I'm a worry wart too and it has taken me a while to embrace the "zen" of T keeping. Legit the best and most frequent advice on this forum is:

Wait.

You have a lovely T and made really good adjustments, now give it like a week before you expect anything! They like to sneak around at night. You might find like, some dirt in the clean water or poop somewhere unlikely, and the T seems right back where it was. All normal T stuff.

I will resist touching her as I'm sure her new enclosure has stressed her out enough, I will definitely give her time and be patient! Thankyou for sharing your knowledge with me!

 

[curtisgiganteus]

For an adult T albo like this you’re gonna want 6”+ of substrate. A little in the drier side. Keep one side of the tank a little more moist than the other so your T has the option to choose the humidity level that works best for it. As for heating, I currently use an 800w space heater that has 3 heat settings and pans 45 degrees. Highest setting during daylight hours and one of the lower two at night depending on time of year. It’s been working fine for all my old world arboreals, so a T albo shouldn’t have a problem with it given their relative hardiness.

 

[jabspeach]

For an adult T albo like this you’re gonna want 6”+ of substrate. A little in the drier side. Keep one side of the tank a little more moist than the other so your T has the option to choose the humidity level that works best for it. As for heating, I currently use an 800w space heater that has 3 heat settings and pans 45 degrees. Highest setting during daylight hours and one of the lower two at night depending on time of year. It’s been working fine for all my old world arboreals, so a T albo shouldn’t have a problem with it given their relative hardiness.

At the moment she is less then a year old and is less then 3 inches so I believe she is a jeuvenile- sub adult. She's still rather small so I've been told 4-5" substrate should be fine at her age, would you agree? Or should I stick with the 6"+ regardless of size? I will be getting a space heater but for tonight I have stuck the heating matt on the wall about 3-4 inches away from her tank and her temperature is about 20 Celsius right now. Also due to her new soil being a little damp, there is some condensation at the bottom of the soil, but the top is fairly dry, would this be considered a humidity gradient? Thankyou for your help

 

[curtisgiganteus]

At the moment she is less then a year old and is less then 3 inches so I believe she is a jeuvenile- sub adult. She's still rather small so I've been told 4-5" substrate should be fine at her age, would you agree? Or should I stick with the 6"+ regardless of size? I will be getting a space heater but for tonight I have stuck the heating matt on the wall about 3-4 inches away from her tank and her temperature is about 20 Celsius right now. Also due to her new soil being a little damp, there is some condensation at the bottom of the soil, but the top is fairly dry, would this be considered a humidity gradient? Thankyou for your help

Burrowing depth aside, you want to make sure the spider doesn’t have enough room to fall if it decides to climb the walls of the enclosure. I have a female B hamorii around the same size I keep on 5-6” of substrate to make sure there is no more than a couple inches between the top of the substrate and the top of the enclosure.

As far as humidity goes T albo doesn’t need a whole lot of moisture. If you keep the water dish full all the time and overflow it once every couple of weeks you should be fine. Just don’t let it dry out completely. They may be from drier regions however the holes and crevices they are found are rarely dry.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

You just rehoused it so a stress curl is normal until it gets settled in to the enclosure.

Heat mats should never be placed underneath enclosures, firstly because tarantulas burrow to escape the heat which can result in them inadvertently burrowing towards the heat source and cooking themselves, secondly because it can cause thermal blocking which can result in enclosure damage/destroyed equipment/electrical fires. If you're going to use a heat mat it needs to be connected to a thermostat (not a thermometer), it should be placed on the side of the enclosure above substrate level and away from the tarantula's hide, and it should be monitored regularly to make sure it is functioning as intended. You can heat the room with a space heater but it's not particularly cost effective for just one tarantula (especially seeing as the UK is in the middle of a cost of living crisis).

Finally, you need to add more substrate to the enclosure, there should be no more than a 1.5X DLS (so 4.5" for your 3" spider) gap between the top of the substrate and the top of the enclosure to prevent injuries/deaths from falls.

 

[viper69]

Heatmat under tank kills

where did you learn this was OK?