Obligate burrowers and trapdoors

CarbonBasedLifeform

Arachnosquire
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My collection is all terrestrials and arboreals, except for one burrower: C potoricae sling. With the expo coming up this weekend I wanted to add some more burrowers and trapdoor Ts to the collection. I definitely have the I mira on the list after seeing some feeding videos, that pop out of the trapdoor is just about the coolest thing I have ever seen. What other species do you think I should look into?

Also, what differences in care should I be aware of for obligate burrowers? I know lots of substrate. A few concerns are how to get the T out of the burrow for rehousing, I have seen people using a piece of straw to get them out or slowly flooding it... what methods do you use? How do you recognize premolt, molt, death curl, uneaten food, etc on a T that never comes out of the burrow?
 

CarbonBasedLifeform

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Also looking into dwarf Ts so I can have a larger collection in a smaller space. So any dwarf recommendations are good too, especially dwarf burrowers :)
 

EulersK

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Definitely look into C. darlingi. One of the easiest OW's to take care of in my opinion, and they're often out. They'll go through periods of being pet holes, sure, but this is not the norm. Also look into anything from the Chilobrachys genus, that's my personal favorite. With them, offer lots of substrate if you want a burrower or lots of anchor points if you want a webber. They'll happily do either.

As for your questions, burrowers will be much more hands off than you're used to. You often won't see premolt, death curls, or anything of the sort. You kind of just have to trust that everything is alright. About the only signs you'll get is closing off a burrow, which you're familiar with. For rehousing, I suggest tickling your tarantula! Get a long blade of dead grass and tickle the entrance to their burrow. It'll trigger a feeding response and they'll come out if they're hungry. You might have to try again another day if they're not receptive to that. With smaller burrowers, you can often just slowly shovel out the substrate until you can pour out the spider, but that doesn't really work when you've got a large adult burrower.

For small burrowers, look into what I've already brought up - Chilobrachys and Ceratogyrus. Neither are dwarves, but they're not large either.

Honorable mentions:
M. robustum (my favorite burrower)
H. gigas
P. muticus
C. marshalli
 

Venom1080

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For rehousing, I suggest tickling your tarantula! Get a long blade of dead grass and tickle the entrance to their burrow. It'll trigger a feeding response and they'll come out if they're hungry. You might have to try again another day if they're not receptive to that. With smaller burrowers, you can often just slowly shovel out the substrate until you can pour out the spider, but that doesn't really work when you've got a large adult burrower.
i
:banghead::banghead:
never thought of that, i always dug them out.
 

EulersK

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:banghead::banghead:
never thought of that, i always dug them out.
It can be nerve wracking, because then you're dealing with an angry tarantula that was expecting a meal. But it's less traumatizing to them than being dug out, I'm sure.
 

CarbonBasedLifeform

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Definitely look into C. darlingi. One of the easiest OW's to take care of in my opinion, and they're often out. They'll go through periods of being pet holes, sure, but this is not the norm. Also look into anything from the Chilobrachys genus, that's my personal favorite. With them, offer lots of substrate if you want a burrower or lots of anchor points if you want a webber. They'll happily do either.

As for your questions, burrowers will be much more hands off than you're used to. You often won't see premolt, death curls, or anything of the sort. You kind of just have to trust that everything is alright. About the only signs you'll get is closing off a burrow, which you're familiar with. For rehousing, I suggest tickling your tarantula! Get a long blade of dead grass and tickle the entrance to their burrow. It'll trigger a feeding response and they'll come out if they're hungry. You might have to try again another day if they're not receptive to that. With smaller burrowers, you can often just slowly shovel out the substrate until you can pour out the spider, but that doesn't really work when you've got a large adult burrower.

For small burrowers, look into what I've already brought up - Chilobrachys and Ceratogyrus. Neither are dwarves, but they're not large either.

Honorable mentions:
M. robustum (my favorite burrower)
H. gigas
P. muticus
C. marshalli
Thanks for the info! I'll look into each one of those species, especially the C darlingi. The expo is on the 27th so I'll update what I end up getting! Hopefully they have slings, I like watching them grow :)
 

EulersK

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Thanks for the info! I'll look into each one of those species, especially the C darlingi. The expo is on the 27th so I'll update what I end up getting! Hopefully they have slings, I like watching them grow :)
C. darlingi is the most hardy tarantula I've kept, even as slings. Anything larger than 2i can be kept on bone dry substrate. My adult female has dug to the bottom of a 20" tea jug, and she's a joy :D
 

cold blood

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If you have the choice between marshalli and darlingi, I love darlingi, but I would take marshalli every time.

A. ezendami is another good one...very beautiful, like a OBT that's been washed out by the sun...plus I believe they have one of the most striking carapaces out there. Slower growers and not the greatest eaters when small, but when they get a little larger, they are out a lot, and become spectacular eaters...like the Ceratogryus.
 

tarantulashack

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I've always found flooding them for hehousing works the best just slowly add water down or around the burrow and in due time the tarantula will slowly emerge. My favorite burrower would deff have to be e. Murinus only downside is very pet hole.
 

EulersK

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Slower growers and not the greatest eaters when small
You can say that again. The three you sent me have only eaten once since I got them, and they're not particularly fat. They haven't burrowed at all yet, though. They just hang out in the starter burrow and have webbed like mad o_O
 

cold blood

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You can say that again. The three you sent me have only eaten once since I got them, and they're not particularly fat. They haven't burrowed at all yet, though. They just hang out in the starter burrow and have webbed like mad o_O
They will drive you nuts, then one day you will look in and just be in awe, and it will all be worth it;)
 

bryverine

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I'd say go for a M. robustum, one of my favorites burrowing or no. They are beautiful and know Kung Fu. :punch: No really, they kick as a defense. :astonished:

I've always found flooding them for hehousing works the best just slowly add water down or around the burrow and in due time the tarantula will slowly emerge. My favorite burrower would deff have to be e. Murinus only downside is very pet hole.
Speaking of robustum, I tried this water method. Turned out that my boy would rather drown than leave his tunnel... :shifty:
 

bryverine

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weird, my big girl peacefully leaves her burrow every time i flood her
I had to completly dig mine out. He (~3-4") did not move from his scrunched up position until I was literally brushing substrate off of him. Maybe he's just super stubborn.
 

TownesVanZandt

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I've always found flooding them for hehousing works the best just slowly add water down or around the burrow and in due time the tarantula will slowly emerge. My favorite burrower would deff have to be e. Murinus only downside is very pet hole.
I use this technique when I rehouse my Asian terrestrials. They will come out for sure, but they won´t come slow and in a ordered manner, so it´s important to have the catch cup ready. The Baboons I just dig out. It´s easier IMO.
 

Bugmom

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For rehousing, I suggest tickling your tarantula! Get a long blade of dead grass and tickle the entrance to their burrow. It'll trigger a feeding response and they'll come out if they're hungry.
This is how I would get Aphonopelma out of their burrow when I lived in the southwest. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but at least with your own tarantulas, you know they are for sure in there and you're not poking at an empty hole :rofl: Or worse, something you didn't expect comes charging out! :wideyed: Or better, depending on if you want whatever came out. :smug:

I've never used the flooding method, I usually try to tickle them out or if that fails, I just start carefully removing substrate. Mostly because I can be impatient and I know that spider has the rest of it's life to wait me out, whereas I'm probably thinking, "Come on, come out, I need to go start dinner and leaning over this bathtub is killing my back."
 

Teal

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I. mira are brilliant! The trapdoor is awesome and they eat like piglets!

Only one of my C. darlingi slings has burrowed... the other two have webbed.

There are some awesome Asian burrowers but finding them CB as slings isn't always easy.

One of my favourites is H. albo. Gorgeous T, awesome burrower, and sometimes can be found as slings or juvies.
 

CarbonBasedLifeform

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So many choices but not enough space! I want them all lol. I have an ongoing list from this thread of species to look into at the expo. Thanks for all the awesome advice!
 
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