Rehousing Mature Males?

[quackzilla]

I have two mature males I picked up from someone who was moving. They are in kinda small enclosures. One is a Brazilian Blue Dwarf Beauty, and the other an Orange Baboon.

The Brazilian Blue Dwarf Beauty I rehoused from a 6x8x4 into a bit larger enclosure with more natural debris and it went from looking stressed to seeming more at ease. Not constantly running. the

Orange Baboon is in 6x12x6 with a kind of shallow substrate layer, about an inch and a half but with a mount and cork bark where he made a burrow big enough I can't see him.

He does not come out at all, I've literally only seen legs a few times. I have a beautiful planted and bioactive semi arboreal 12x12x18 that previously housed mourning geckos. I think it would ideally be the better enclosure. But I'm concerned about digging him out and moving him. He's a mature male, I think he's been in this final molt for a while, and I'm kinda worried about the stress that a rehouse would cause. Maybe it would be better to keep him in the smaller enclosure?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[viper69]

No rehouse is more stressful than being out in the wild

 

[Kada]

No rehouse is more stressful than being out in the wild

If facebook type websites teach us anything it's that many animal keepers are far more intrusive and abusive than even predatory wasps, birds, frogs or lizards

 

[TheraMygale]

If they were mature and made a sperm web already, no point in rehousing. More room to roam means more energy spent, less potential eating: quicker life span.

that doesnt mean its wrong. Many keepers keep them in big enclosures.

my approach would be what i said. I keep them in the minimum space.

i keep all my tarantulas, in general, in the minimum required space. Going large never gave the same feeding and behavior responses.

 

[cold blood]

No rehouse is more stressful than being out in the wild

That's probably true

 

[Mike41793]

No rehouse is more stressful than being out in the wild

But the wild has ladies so it's all worth it

OP, try to find someone who could use them if you don't have females for them. Make more spiders and get a few slings for the effort, win win!

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I have two mature males I picked up from someone who was moving. They are in kinda small enclosures. One is a Brazilian Blue Dwarf Beauty, and the other an Orange Baboon.

The Brazilian Blue Dwarf Beauty I rehoused from a 6x8x4 into a bit larger enclosure with more natural debris and it went from looking stressed to seeming more at ease. Not constantly running. the

Orange Baboon is in 6x12x6 with a kind of shallow substrate layer, about an inch and a half but with a mount and cork bark where he made a burrow big enough I can't see him.

He does not come out at all, I've literally only seen legs a few times. I have a beautiful planted and bioactive semi arboreal 12x12x18 that previously housed mourning geckos. I think it would ideally be the better enclosure. But I'm concerned about digging him out and moving him. He's a mature male, I think he's been in this final molt for a while, and I'm kinda worried about the stress that a rehouse would cause. Maybe it would be better to keep him in the smaller enclosure?

Thanks for any advice!

Wouldn't have bothered. Find someone who has mature females you can send them to. It's a waste just giving them a comfortable life. They exist to breed

 

[fcat]

I’ve read a theory I think from L4nsky that they live longer if kept in the enclosure they matured in.

No matter what they are going to wander to find a female. I try to keep mine in smaller enclosures so it’s easier to find the water dish.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

If you aren’t breeding, I’d add some sub around the OBT’s lair. I currently have 5 MM and rehoused one of them whose enclosure wasn’t appropriate for him anymore (fossorial to terrestrial) and he did lay a layer of web. Not as extensive as previously, but visible. Other than the one I bred, my guys have 2-3x their dls in space, but with plants and hides to limit wandering area some. Be sure to keep at least a corner moist to slow dehydration as they eat less and less.