OBT Sling

Lindt J

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2017
Messages
15
Hello, I'm actually new here so...hello again ;)

My OBT sling always stays on top of its enclosure, just below the lid of the enclosure itself. Is it normal? Or would it be the start of its webbing? I'm just curious because I couldn't feed it.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
Hi! This can be the number of reasons. One of the most common one would be too moist substrate. OBT's like it dry, so how exactly do you keep it?
 

Lindt J

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2017
Messages
15
Hi! This can be the number of reasons. One of the most common one would be too moist substrate. OBT's like it dry, so how exactly do you keep it?
Oh alright, maybe that's one of the reasons why. Yeah as of now it's slightly moist. But other than that, what could be the other reasons why?
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
Oh alright, maybe that's one of the reasons why. Yeah as of now it's slightly moist. But other than that, what could be the other reasons why?
Well slightly moist should be fine, but really only a tiny bit. Is it big enough for a water dish? Well if the T was recently rehoused in a new enclosure, this is sometimes a normal behaviour, as they have to adapt.

Another one would be the heating element. Is there any heating under the enclosure? because it really shouldn't be any. This might be the reason why your T is sticking to the top.

And this one - rather a shot in the dark but anyway; I've learned that if it gets chilly in my room and if my radiator is on at the time, my slings would press themselves to the side closest to the radiator. At that time I would crank my room temp up.
 

Lindt J

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2017
Messages
15
Well slightly moist should be fine, but really only a tiny bit. Is it big enough for a water dish? Well if the T was recently rehoused in a new enclosure, this is sometimes a normal behaviour, as they have to adapt.

Another one would be the heating element. Is there any heating under the enclosure? because it really shouldn't be any. This might be the reason why your T is sticking to the top.

And this one - rather a shot in the dark but anyway; I've learned that if it gets chilly in my room and if my radiator is on at the time, my slings would press themselves to the side closest to the radiator. At that time I would crank my room temp up.
Would it take some time for it to adjust? I couldn't feed the sling since he's always below the lid.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
Would it take some time for it to adjust? I couldn't feed the sling since he's always below the lid.
Well that depends when you put it inside.. Its normal for a few days to a week, but not for a month or so
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
P. murinus is one of the very few slings that thrive on bone dry substrate. Anything past 3i doesn't really need any supplemental humidity. I mist my OBT slings about once per week - not for humidity, but for drinking water. A single spritz on the webbing is all that's needed.

The behavior you're describing is the same behavior that an adult of any species would exhibit. Constantly climbing and hanging out near the top is a great indicator that it's too humid. Conversely, hanging out by the water dish 24/7 is a sign that it's too dry.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Would it take some time for it to adjust? I couldn't feed the sling since he's always below the lid.
When you get the humidity down in there and it goes back to being a terrestrial, feed it like mad. This is a very fast growing species, and it needs the nutrients to keep up with that.

That being said, don't let the price of this spider fool you. They are an advanced species. Males can reach maturity within a year, and a females well within two years. A bite will hurt enough to send you to the hospital, and they're not afraid to bite. After all, OBT stands for Orange Bitey Thing. Just be careful. This species is very meek and mild when small, but a switch goes off after a molt one day at 3" and it will become a hellion.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
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Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Oh alright, maybe that's one of the reasons why. Yeah as of now it's slightly moist. But other than that, what could be the other reasons why?
Other reasons? Dampness is plenty good reason and almost certainly the reason here. I hope you have good ventilation.
 
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