P. irminia excavation

[MichiganReptiles]

I fed the slings last night. One at a time I popped the tops, threw a small cricket in, closed 'em up good. Didn't feed the regalis because he wouldn't leave the lid for anything. I watched a movie and went back to check on them and my irminia had not come out to eat. It dawned on me that I hadn't seen the little bugger in a few days. Normally he would come out at night, but I hadn't even caught a glimpse of him.

I decided it was time to dig through the tunnel web and see if I could find him. After having to destroy the entire thing with a pair of toothpicks and not finding him, I thought he was dead somewhere in there. The thought of escape crossed my mind, but I don't see how that would even happen. I double check the lids about 5 times before I walk away - even when I haven't opened them. Finally, I saw movement! I have no idea where he was that I couldn't see him after tearing apart his web, but he is alive and well. Not happy with me, I'm sure. He probably thought, "You just wait until I get big enough to tag you, lady."

I checked on him this morning - still hasn't eaten the cricket. Perhaps he is in pre-molt. I don't know. He's so stinking small (3/4") and fast that I can't really tell what's going on with him.

 

[belljar77]

Glad he's safe and sound, if a little vexed at you. They build some crazy stuff, mine's tunnel/turrent thing looks like an Escher drawing.

 

[Redneck]

Phew! I almost got a little worried that you lost him there at first..
Glad you didnt..

If its .75" been eating good & then suddenly stoped eating.. Its in premolt..

All 3 of my irminia are very good eaters.. Very good eaters.. When they stop eating they are in premolt..

 

[MichiganReptiles]

I took the cricket out because I figured it was in premolt. Don't want to take any chances. If it was hungry, it would have eaten it by now.

I also took the cricket out of my C. fasciatum enclosure too because it hadn't touched it.

I'm pretty sure my GBB is in premolt too.

Oh, and I finally had a chance to throw in a good size cricket with the regalis this morning since it moved down to the bottom.

The funny thing is.. my hubby is bit skittish when it comes to my irminia. He's not afraid of any of my other Ts, not even the pokies. When I said I had to get the cricket out of the irminia's enclosure, he said, "good luck with that."

 

[Redneck]

The funny thing is.. my hubby is bit skittish when it comes to my irminia. He's not afraid of any of my other Ts, not even the pokies. When I said I had to get the cricket out of the irminia's enclosure, he said, "good luck with that."

LoL! That is funny.. When I got my first irminia it scared the crap out of me..

I still get nervous when it comes to them.. The little ones dont bother me none.. Its my bigger female that gets me once in a while.. She aint scared of nothing!

The P. reduncus is next in line.. Its only 3".. But its pure evil..

 

[jbm150]

Yeah, probably in premolt. Glad the little one is ok, I'm not sure I would recommend what you did. It could have been in the middle of molting when you went in there. Probably not but you just never know. Even if its been a week or more, I'd still wait for it to start smelling. I know it gets tough and nervewracking when they disappear but you gotta have patience

 

[MichiganReptiles]

Yeah, probably in premolt. Glad the little one is ok, I'm not sure I would recommend what you did. It could have been in the middle of molting when you went in there. Probably not but you just never know. Even if its been a week or more, I'd still wait for it to start smelling. I know it gets tough and nervewracking when they disappear but you gotta have patience

True. I didn't think of that. Lesson learned.

 

[curiousme]

We have gone 4+ months without seeing some of our Ts. Patience is hard sometimes, but it is best to leave the T alone to do its T stuff and not disrespect their personal space!

 

[Terry D]

Take the cricket out.

Toni, You might have already done this although I didn't see it mentioned in the train of posts. This is how I lost my tiny P irminia from a crick not much bigger than a pinhead. Having only kept slower-growing terrestrials up to that point, I wasn't used to the quick molt sequences of P. irminia and paid dearly. I had seen the spider out and about at edge of tube burrow only two days before.

Happy 4th,

Terry

 

[Terry D]

Oops, I noticed now you'd already taken it out. My bad!

Terry

 

[ZergFront]

Phew! I almost got a little worried that you lost him there at first..
Glad you didnt..

If its .75" been eating good & then suddenly stoped eating.. Its in premolt..

All 3 of my irminia are very good eaters.. Very good eaters.. When they stop eating they are in premolt..

+1. Psalmopoeus are PIGS! Wouldn't surprise me one bit if he/she is getting the lair ready for a molt. Keep on the moist side but not wet.

 

[bdprice1968]

Toni,
Good, im glad its still alive. Ive lost some of my Ts during molts. I almost gave up on the Ts. I hate losing my Ts.

 

[Midknight xrs]

T's are definately a patience pet and I am learning to have it. I just had my Aphonopelma Chalcodes just emerge from it's burrow yesterday. I had not seen it emerge from the substrate since around june 10th or so. So nearly a month in premolt and he showed up, a good .75" from the half inch when i got it around a month ago. Now it's just about waiting on my B. Smithi. That one luckily decided to burrow towards the wall, ate last about a week ago and then decided to not come out. it's shiny black for about 4 days now and luckily i have enough T's to distract me that it's ok.

Just gotta be patient.