Chlorogoth
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2025
- Messages
- 4
Enclosure pictures:
(In order from left to right; C. versicolor, T. albopilosus, G. pulchra enclosures). Edit: the darker part of the terrestrial substrate is fern bark, not moisture.
Background: I'm new to keeping tarantulas and slings, but not to keeping invertebrates or plants that are far more finicky. I'm starting with a grammostola pulchra (3/4 inch), tliltocatl albopilosus (3/4 inch), and I got an unexpected caribena versicolor (1/4 inch). I picked them up from a local, reputable source 3.5 weeks ago. All spiders stay at 70-75 degrees F with diffused light.
The terrestrials have 3x4 inch tarantula crib enclosures filled 2/3rds with coconut coir/tree fern substrate, a cork bark hide, and little fake moss & leaves. I keep one corner of the terrestrial enclosures slightly moist & mist a small amount of water on the sides of that same corner 2-3 times a week. The g. pulchra and curly hair promptly started excavating a burrow in their hides, each took a good size cricket meal, and then both sealed themselves in at 9 & 11 days from arrival, presumably to molt. The g. pulchra looked premolt, I could not tell with the curly hair. I'm not feeding until I notice any opening in their burrows or see the spiders, but I'm providing the same amount of water.
The c. versicolor has a smaller 2x3 inch, locally made, bottom opening arboreal enclosure with cross vents. It has cork bark glued to the top, and 3/4 in of substrate with fake leaves and a bottle cap for water. I keep the arboreal enclosure dry, but the bottle cap filled with water. I tried to very lightly mist the side to provide another source of water, but after reading up on care & seeing him/her drink from the cap I discontinued misting. The c. versicolor was calm and docile from what I read the slings to be, and easily transferred into their new enclosure. They started webbing 2 days later, and are fairly active but not at all bolty, not even a little bit. They made a pretty decent set of web tunnels around his enclosure over the next 2 weeks They have sort of a top floor that goes around most of the enclosure. They spend most of their time on the top floor. They are fairly active; webbing and exploring, but I haven't seem them run, jump, or anything quick like that.The cute little thing takes a pre-killed cricket every 2-3 days, and retreats calmly to the top floor to eat. They took their first live pinhead cricket yesterday.
Questions: Is there anything that stands out as incorrect or omitted for the care of these guys?
Is the following behavior weird for a caribena versicolor sling?
Calling them "he" for now. I come up to the tarantula enclosures about 6-10 times a day to look, and I pass them more than that. For the last 2 weeks if I get very close to the c. versicolor enclosure he will meander to the closest part of the enclosure to me, keeps me in the general direction of his eyes/top of his face, and sort of feels the plastic with his 2 front legs and pedipalps that is closest to where I am. If I don't get too close, but stand near and start talking, he will do the same thing. Yesterday I went to open his enclosure to refill water, and I touched the vent. He came over, reach his front legs through, and start feeling my finger with his front legs. I froze and was curious, so just waited. He came closer, reached his front legs and pedipalps through, and sort of felt my finger all over. I spoke, kind of hoping to get him to back off, and he couldn't care less. He took 5-6 minutes feeling my finger up before retreating slightly, and then walking to the side of the enclosure closest to me. He never brought his abdomen close to the vent or touched his abdomen, so I'm assuming even if he has urticating hairs at this age he was not trying to use them.
So far, he is always calm with I open his enclosure, and if he moves it's only a couple steps or to meander toward me. From what I read, I would expect a c. versicolor sling to exhibit fear responses, and also not to respond like this to visual stimuli. Any insight?
(In order from left to right; C. versicolor, T. albopilosus, G. pulchra enclosures). Edit: the darker part of the terrestrial substrate is fern bark, not moisture.
Background: I'm new to keeping tarantulas and slings, but not to keeping invertebrates or plants that are far more finicky. I'm starting with a grammostola pulchra (3/4 inch), tliltocatl albopilosus (3/4 inch), and I got an unexpected caribena versicolor (1/4 inch). I picked them up from a local, reputable source 3.5 weeks ago. All spiders stay at 70-75 degrees F with diffused light.
The terrestrials have 3x4 inch tarantula crib enclosures filled 2/3rds with coconut coir/tree fern substrate, a cork bark hide, and little fake moss & leaves. I keep one corner of the terrestrial enclosures slightly moist & mist a small amount of water on the sides of that same corner 2-3 times a week. The g. pulchra and curly hair promptly started excavating a burrow in their hides, each took a good size cricket meal, and then both sealed themselves in at 9 & 11 days from arrival, presumably to molt. The g. pulchra looked premolt, I could not tell with the curly hair. I'm not feeding until I notice any opening in their burrows or see the spiders, but I'm providing the same amount of water.
The c. versicolor has a smaller 2x3 inch, locally made, bottom opening arboreal enclosure with cross vents. It has cork bark glued to the top, and 3/4 in of substrate with fake leaves and a bottle cap for water. I keep the arboreal enclosure dry, but the bottle cap filled with water. I tried to very lightly mist the side to provide another source of water, but after reading up on care & seeing him/her drink from the cap I discontinued misting. The c. versicolor was calm and docile from what I read the slings to be, and easily transferred into their new enclosure. They started webbing 2 days later, and are fairly active but not at all bolty, not even a little bit. They made a pretty decent set of web tunnels around his enclosure over the next 2 weeks They have sort of a top floor that goes around most of the enclosure. They spend most of their time on the top floor. They are fairly active; webbing and exploring, but I haven't seem them run, jump, or anything quick like that.The cute little thing takes a pre-killed cricket every 2-3 days, and retreats calmly to the top floor to eat. They took their first live pinhead cricket yesterday.
Questions: Is there anything that stands out as incorrect or omitted for the care of these guys?
Is the following behavior weird for a caribena versicolor sling?
Calling them "he" for now. I come up to the tarantula enclosures about 6-10 times a day to look, and I pass them more than that. For the last 2 weeks if I get very close to the c. versicolor enclosure he will meander to the closest part of the enclosure to me, keeps me in the general direction of his eyes/top of his face, and sort of feels the plastic with his 2 front legs and pedipalps that is closest to where I am. If I don't get too close, but stand near and start talking, he will do the same thing. Yesterday I went to open his enclosure to refill water, and I touched the vent. He came over, reach his front legs through, and start feeling my finger with his front legs. I froze and was curious, so just waited. He came closer, reached his front legs and pedipalps through, and sort of felt my finger all over. I spoke, kind of hoping to get him to back off, and he couldn't care less. He took 5-6 minutes feeling my finger up before retreating slightly, and then walking to the side of the enclosure closest to me. He never brought his abdomen close to the vent or touched his abdomen, so I'm assuming even if he has urticating hairs at this age he was not trying to use them.
So far, he is always calm with I open his enclosure, and if he moves it's only a couple steps or to meander toward me. From what I read, I would expect a c. versicolor sling to exhibit fear responses, and also not to respond like this to visual stimuli. Any insight?
