Pre-made Burrows

[mcluskyisms]

Just finished rehousing my two female Harpactira sp. Robertson into bigger enclosures. The main reason I rehoused them is so I can hopefully see what they're getting up to more, the jars I kept them in previously were rubbish and I could never see what they were doing. Hopefully once they have settled in the MM will be able to pay them both a visit...

I decided to use two small HoS arboreal enclosures as I had a few kicking about empty and make some pre-made burrows in the corners of them. Hopefully the tarantulas will use these and adapt them into what they want (although I wouldn't put it past them to just decided to start digging elsewhere). I have used this technique before when housing my old Haplopelma lividum and she seemed to adapt to it soon enough.

Firstly, I decided to fill up the enclosures with loads of recycled substrate (and some vermiculite I had kicking about). Once I got the first couple of layers down I popped tall empty sling vials in each corner (by making the burrows in the corner then you have more chance of seeing the tarantula one it adapts its burrow the way it wants it).

After that you need to use a layer of moist substrate, even though this species likes it dry you'll find if you try doing this with completely dry substrate, the burrow will just collapse once you remove the vial. Once you have a couple of layers of moist substrate then you can start using the dry substrate again. When you're happy with the depth of the burrow then you need to pack down the substrate as tight as you can around the vial (keep turning the vial as you do it so it can slide out easier).

Now comes the moment of truth!!!

Slowly (whilst still twisting), remove the vial. If you've packed it down tight enough then once the vial is removed you will have a nice little burrow, if not then it will all collapse in and you will have to hope the tarantula decides to burrow there regardless.

Then all you have to do is add your tarantula and pray it uses the fancy burrow you've spent an hour making it.

That little cow wasn't so grateful...

 

[Saf]

Very nice work, and a great presentation.

 

[mcluskyisms]

Very nice work, and a great presentation.

Thanks, hopefully they make use of the burrows hah

 

[pnshmntMMA]

great thread and pics. this type of thing is so helpful to new people looking to get a burrower, or whatever the relevant thread would be about. A+ for you sir! cheers

 

[killy]

Cool and groovy! Great idea and thanks for passing this along to us - I wonder if this concept can be expanded upon for bigger Ts with such cylindrical things as bottles or drinking glasses ... and would the substrate be rendered more burrow-friendly if mixed with dry peat moss? I guess there's really only one good way to find out!

 

[mcluskyisms]

Cheers peeps

 

[Shrike]

Nice looking project. This may be a dumb question, but out of curiosity, why did you use distinct layers of different substrate? Purely aesthetic? Thanks.

 

[mcluskyisms]

Nice looking project. This may be a dumb question, but out of curiosity, why did you use distinct layers of different substrate? Purely aesthetic? Thanks.

Aesthetics did come into it, although the main reasons I used different substrates was down to the fact I was recycling dry substrates from old enclosures, due to not having any fresh substrate already dried out previously. That's why certain layers of the coco coir look different colours, I used vermiculite also to hopefully draw some of the moistness out of the fresh damp layers of coco coir, well that and the fact I have plenty of it about also.