Ping pong balls?

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
498
I added a ping pong ball to one of my subadult T's enclosures once, because people were doing it and it seemed interesting. What I noticed was she moved it around a lot. I think it just happened to be in her way, and it rolled when she interacted with it instead of being flipped over, so she moved toward it, and that was just a cycle that went on and on.

I personally found it amusing at first, but I began to think about how much more active she was with the ball in her enclosure. I don't think tarantulas are usually that active - at least not her. I know her metabolism would need to increase to maintain that level of physical activity, and began to consider that increased metabolism might shorten her life span. I'm not sure if that conclusion is reasonable, but I took the ball out anyway.
 

mcmitch92

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
20
I added a ping pong ball to one of my subadult T's enclosures once, because people were doing it and it seemed interesting. What I noticed was she moved it around a lot. I think it just happened to be in her way, and it rolled when she interacted with it instead of being flipped over, so she moved toward it, and that was just a cycle that went on and on.

I personally found it amusing at first, but I began to think about how much more active she was with the ball in her enclosure. I don't think tarantulas are usually that active - at least not her. I know her metabolism would need to increase to maintain that level of physical activity, and began to consider that increased metabolism might shorten her life span. I'm not sure if that conclusion is reasonable, but I took the ball out anyway.
True it's like with ppl the more we exercise the more we eat but we can work ourselves to an early end if we push too much
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
498
True it's like with ppl the more we exercise the more we eat but we can work ourselves to an early end if we push too much
I don't think humans work the same as spiders, but I'd rather keep my spiders from expending their valuable energy on anything that isn't living, tbh. I don't think they get enrichment from ball time like dogs and cats do.
 

mcmitch92

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
20
I don't think humans work the same as spiders, but I'd rather keep my spiders from expending their valuable energy on anything that isn't living, tbh. I don't think they get enrichment from ball time like dogs and cats do.
Yea like there's no point causing the T unnecessary exhaustion
 
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