OBT behavior

[Kendricks]

Greetings, fellow friends of Orange Bitey Things!

I wanted to create this thread to exchange observations/experiences regarding the (general) behavior of this captivating species.

I have a ~4cm (BL) specimen, unknown sex, and she (for now) only stays between the glass and a tree bark, never ever leaving her hide or rather: Never when I would notice.

Now, her enclosure is very large (45cmx30xcm30cm), I put her in her final enclosure as soon as possible so I won't ever have to re-house her again - although I do consider re-housing her after finding something more adequate, as this will be too big for her either way, I guess.

So, whenever I drop a cricket in, it wanders around and so far I thought my OBT just waits until it passes by and then grabs it (that I observed a few times).
However, in the last weeks during feeding, I noticed three occasions now where, to my surprise, the orange speed demon would actually leave her hide after all and actively hunt her prey down.

I just heard the sound of *something* hitting the glass, and when I checked I saw her racing over the ground, grabbing the cricket and returning to her hide quickly, like she's being chased by Langoliers or something.

It was surprising as I thought she never risks going out to hunt, and also very entertaining, as if she got pissed off of all the vibrations coming from the other side of her enclosure, so she went out to put an end to these shenanigans to have some peace again... by crushing the cricket in half.
Next time I'll feed her, I might observe her tank until it happens again, hoping to catch that on camera. She hides all the time, naturally, so seeing her every once in a while is quite a treat!


So, how is your OBT behaving?
Living like an arboreal or fossorial, hides all the time or almost never?
Does it hunt actively after prey or does it wait until it runs into her?
Does it also curse your name and threatens to kill you in your sleep?

No pics no clicks:
(The light is usually off, of course)

 

[Nightstalker47]

Greetings, fellow friends of Orange Bitey Things!

I wanted to create this thread to exchange observations/experiences regarding the (general) behavior of this captivating species.

I have a ~4cm (BL) specimen, unknown sex, and she (for now) only stays between the glass and a tree bark, never ever leaving her hide or rather: Never when I would notice.

Now, her enclosure is very large (45cmx30xcm30cm), I put her in her final enclosure as soon as possible so I won't ever have to re-house her again - although I do consider re-housing her after finding something more adequate, as this will be too big for her either way, I guess.

So, whenever I drop a cricket in, it wanders around and so far I thought my OBT just waits until it passes by and then grabs it (that I observed a few times).
However, in the last weeks during feeding, I noticed three occasions now where, to my surprise, the orange speed demon would actually leave her hide after all and actively hunt her prey down.

I just heard the sound of *something* hitting the glass, and when I checked I saw her racing over the ground, grabbing the cricket and returning to her hide quickly, like she's being chased by Langoliers or something.

It was surprising as I thought she never risks going out to hunt, and also very entertaining, as if she got pissed off of all the vibrations coming from the other side of her enclosure, so she went out to put an end to these shenanigans to have some peace again... by crushing the cricket in half.
Next time I'll feed her, I might observe her tank until it happens again, hoping to catch that on camera. She hides all the time, naturally, so seeing her every once in a while is quite a treat!


So, how is your OBT behaving?
Living like an arboreal or fossorial, hides all the time or almost never?
Does it hunt actively after prey or does it wait until it runs into her?
Does it also curse your name and threatens to kill you in your sleep?

No pics no clicks:
(The light is usually off, of course)

Add more cover and you should see it out more. They are quite skittish though, generally speaking.

 

[Venom1080]

Not enough cover or sub. These will burrow given the opportunity.

That sub looks dripping wet.. or is it just the lighting?

 

[Devin B]

I noticed my OBT (about 2.75 inches) stays in its burrow during the day and expands its webbing at night. I have been leaving prekilled superworms by the enterence if its burrow so the worms dont dig to saftey but I have seen it hunt as you described a few times.

What i find interesting is when I first rehoused my OBT it ignored the hide at first, made a web tunnel from part of the decor, and made an undergound tunnel to the hide.

 

[Devin B]

I also have my OBT a big enclosure for its size as I like to do few rehousing with a T as notorious as this. The picture is of the enclosure its in now with a few more changes. Ive added a hide and let the substrate dry out.

 

[Kendricks]

Not enough cover or sub. These will burrow given the opportunity.

That sub looks dripping wet.. or is it just the lighting?

She did burrow in her old enclosure with roughly the same amount of sub.
When I placed her in this one, she immediately bolted behind the bark, as if she lived there all her life and just waited to return to it.
Substrate is dry - why would I keep an OBT on soaking wet sub?

The picture is of the enclosure its in now with a few more changes. Ive added a hide and let the substrate dry out.

Mh, that reminds me of getting some fake plants actually.

 

[Nightstalker47]

She did burrow in her old enclosure with roughly the same amount of sub.
When I placed her in this one, she immediately bolted behind the bark, as if she lived there all her life and just waited to return to it.
Substrate is dry - why would I keep an OBT on soaking wet sub?


Mh, that reminds me of getting some fake plants actually.

What kind of sub are you using? Looks like coco fiber or peat...but the overall dark color does indicate that it's moist. Unless that's just a trick of the lighting, like venom mentioned.

 

[Devin B]

Mh, that reminds me of getting some fake plants actually.

I think the fake plants look really nice. It makes the enclosure look more "natural"

 

[Kendricks]

What kind of sub are you using? Looks like coco fiber or peat...but the overall dark color does indicate that it's moist. Unless that's just a trick of the lighting, like venom mentioned.

It's a mixture of topsoil and some I bought at a store which also has coco fiber, yes.
And no, again, the earth is dry.

I think the fake plants look really nice. It makes the enclosure look more "natural"

Yes, mine looks a little barren without any. Also nice anchor points, just in case.

 

[KezyGLA]

Who on earth likes P. murinus

 

[boina]

Here's mine sitting at the mouth of her burrow:

Clementine, my OBT

• boina
• Oct 6, 2017
• 5

Still a juvenile and very skittish - had to take the pic from outside the enclosure.

That pic was taken a few months ago, by now she has webbed a lot more. Since she's on dry substrate and there's no danger of them rotting I used only sticks as anchor points. She's very skittish though, I rarely see her.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Being you I will offer to the spider a glass water dish. Aesthetic is important, meine bruder. Yes, aesthetic. I'm that kind of weirdo.

I've also noticed that you played a bit the 'Substrate Scrooge' card but I forgive you. I forgive you. It's ok. Really.

What I wish to suggest is, throw inside the 'home' a couple of fake leaves (Exo cheap crap are always perfectly ok) if you want.
Give something to your 'orange lovely' to play, when he - she - "are you assuming gender? You are part of the problem!" is out in the open, maybe at night, or maybe not, or whenever the spider feel that need.

For the rest it's ok. Even the "big" enclosure.

Before you will say that, I will: 'oh screw you, spaghetti '.

 

[Ellenantula]

Sorta spartan.
Mine webbed the mess out of his digs -- but mostly built a high hammock over burrow and spent all day sitting in the middle waiting for food drops. I had to punch a hole through to refill water dish on bottom level. Mine also had a hide -- but that couldn't been seen due to thick webbing.
When mine disappeared under webbing into elaborate multi-tunneled burrow -- I knew it was moult time. Sorta the same as my GBB actually.

 

[ZHESSWA]

I love my OBT so much, she's always out and about day or night! She's about 3inches and housed in a 1 gallon food storage container from Walmart. I've had her in it ever since she hit 1.75inches and she's loved it from day one. Filled the container with 3.5 inches of substrate and put in a nice slab or cork bark with a couple other pieces for anchor points and she webbed the entire enclosure just like I wanted . She also has a burrow that she'll retreat to when she's scared (which is only if I flash her too many times with the camera or if I moved her enclosure around too much). Feeding response has been insane, though I feel like the webs definitely cause this. If I throw a cricket in and it doesn't land by her at all, once I close the lid she'll wait and as soon as vibrations start happening she tracks it down and pounces with a fury! Idc that they'll the basic cheap OW freebie they'll always be a favorite of mine! Definitely recommend going semi-arboreal with the set up, give soil so they can still construct a burrow if they choose, but rest assured with anchor points they'll web!

 

[Shampain88]

I've came up with this, stays in the tube thus not giving me the evil eye from her web like "yeah idiot, don't come near me, I owned you last time"... I shouldn't need to rehouse her again though