P. ornata has taken up residence in a catch cup

[boina]

Last week I got a P. ornata that turned out a lot smaller than I thought (a little less than 4"). I only had a 12x12x20" enclosure prepared and so it had to go in there. The first few days it just sat on the ground. Then it toured the bark and cork round I had provided, but it obviously didn't like it because it squeezed beween the cork round and the glass. It didn't web, it didn't eat.
So, I decided the problem was not the size of the enclosure, but the size of the cork bark furniture: the cork round was much too big and I don't think my poor small P. ornata felt safe in there. Therefore I got a new, smaller enclosure (8x8x16") and most of all a much smaller, tighter cork round and some sticks and a spider plant. Now rehouse
Well it went without a problem: P. ornata walked slowly into my catch cup after being poked just a little with a small soft brush. Looking very sluggish, too...
I put the whole catch cup with the spider into the new enclosure and waited for it to leave the cup... and waited... and waited...
48 hours later it looks like this:
Can you see the fine strands of silk that are kind of closing off the cup? It really seems the spider is intending to live in there. Now what?
Do I consider this premolt and hope it will molt sometime soon? I dribbled a bit of water on the tissue paper just in case. Or has it just decided this is the way it wants to live?
Has anyone ever seen this before?

 

[Andrea82]

Typically Theraphosidae behaviour...
'here, I got a nice terrarium with plants and a...'
Spider:
'nope. Staying in the catchcup.'
'but it has a cork round and everythi...'
Spider: 'nope. Staying in the catch cup'.


I think I would try to get her out..but then again, if she's preparing to molt that might not be the best idea...

 

[darkness975]

Last week I got a P. ornata that turned out a lot smaller than I thought (a little less than 4"). I only had a 12x12x20" enclosure prepared and so it had to go in there. The first few days it just sat on the ground. Then it toured the bark and cork round I had provided, but it obviously didn't like it because it squeezed beween the cork round and the glass. It didn't web, it didn't eat.
So, I decided the problem was not the size of the enclosure, but the size of the cork bark furniture: the cork round was much too big and I don't think my poor small P. ornata felt safe in there. Therefore I got a new, smaller enclosure (8x8x16") and most of all a much smaller, tighter cork round and some sticks and a spider plant. Now rehouse
Well it went without a problem: P. ornata walked slowly into my catch cup after being poked just a little with a small soft brush. Looking very sluggish, too...
I put the whole catch cup with the spider into the new enclosure and waited for it to leave the cup... and waited... and waited...
48 hours later it looks like this: View attachment 238979
Can you see the fine strands of silk that are kind of closing off the cup? It really seems the spider is intending to live in there. Now what?
Do I consider this premolt and hope it will molt sometime soon? I dribbled a bit of water on the tissue paper just in case. Or has it just decided this is the way it wants to live?
Has anyone ever seen this before?

It is early enough that I would get her out of there so that she starts to set up residence in the Enclosure itself.

 

[14pokies]

Gently remove her with a straw or paintbrush. If she is in premolt you don't want her molting on those paper towels.

 

[boina]

Ok, I chased her out with a brush. She can actually move rather fast if she feels the need

 

[user 666]

Last week I got a P. ornata that turned out a lot smaller than I thought (a little less than 4"). I only had a 12x12x20" enclosure prepared and so it had to go in there. The first few days it just sat on the ground. Then it toured the bark and cork round I had provided, but it obviously didn't like it because it squeezed beween the cork round and the glass. It didn't web, it didn't eat.

That's actually fairly normal behavior.; I have sene it several times And that enclosure is about the right size for a 4" T/

 

[boina]

P. ornata is still sitting on the ground, now between the leaves of the spider plant in it's new enclosure.

And to make things worse: I got a P. subfusca lowland yesterday (I'm never happy with only one of a good thing...) and that one needed less than 12 hours to discover her cork bark and get busy on a new web. This morning she was hardly visible anymore behind all the silk. The two Pokies have practically identical setups.
P. ornata: not a strand of silk in sight anywhere.
P. subfusca: sitting stretched out in her web.
P. ornata: sitting hunched on the floor.

What is wrong with her??

@14pokies - you are the expert here. Can you tell me what to do? Believe me I've got all general parameters (water, humidity, temps, etc.) taken care of.

 

[Nightstalker47]

P. ornata is still sitting on the ground, now between the leaves of the spider plant in it's new enclosure.

And to make things worse: I got a P. subfusca lowland yesterday (I'm never happy with only one of a good thing...) and that one needed less than 12 hours to discover her cork bark and get busy on a new web. This morning she was hardly visible anymore behind all the silk. The two Pokies have practically identical setups.
P. ornata: not a strand of silk in sight anywhere.
P. subfusca: sitting stretched out in her web.
P. ornata: sitting hunched on the floor.

What is wrong with her??

@14pokies - you are the expert here. Can you tell me what to do? Believe me I've got all general parameters (water, humidity, temps, etc.) taken care of.

Out of all my pokies P.ornata web the least, they seem content without it, and all are very active and eat regularly. Nothing to worry about, only time I see mine web heavily is before they molt. Awesome new addition! I love the lowland subfusca, they do seem to web more but mine are still young, enjoy

 

[boina]

Out of all my pokies P.ornata web the least, they seem content without it, and all are very active and eat regularly. Nothing to worry about, only time I see mine web heavily is before they molt. Awesome new addition! I love the lowland subfusca, they do seem to web more but mine are still young, enjoy

Oh thank you, I feel so relieved!

 

[Ellenantula]

I've had 2 new arrivals that refused to leave their paper towels after I unpacked them from their vials/deli cups. One was my OBT sling. I literally tore off all the excess paper towel, leaving the new T on their paper towel makeshift raft of sorts in the bottom of new home. But anyway, each did eventually walk off their paper towel hours later so I could remove it. I guess after shipment, that paper towel must feel safe. Dunno.

Drawing a blank but I think my other papertoweler was my A seemanni (adult female) but I could be remembering wrong -- I do know the other one was an adult T.