rose hair climbing walls for no good reason help.

[whamslam3]

my rose hair keeps climbing walls. she hasnt done this since the first day i go her. i have had her for prob almost a year now and she started doin it again. i moved the log in her cage to make it point a different way, other then that i didnt rly do anything different, so why would she all of a sudden start climbing the walls. she has been doing this for like 3 days. i have seen her fall twice and yet she still does it. her floor is not wet either so its not that.

 

[grayzone]

Assuming you already know that moist sub is the usual cause, id like to know how the TEMPS in your area are?
I ask this because HERE IN MY AREA its rather warm (for WA state at least), and inside is no cooler... I have a female rosie that is doing it too, as well as a B. albo (they share a PROPERLY BUILT divided enclosure) .. Both are bone dry inside with only their water dishes..
They NEVER (especially my albo) climb the walls until lately .. im assuming the heat has somethin to do with it..
I have turned on 2 fans in the main section of my house, to provide a cross breeze and lower the temps a bit. My rosie has stopped climbing, but the albo is hanging like a poeci near a heat lamp

---------- Post added 08-03-2012 at 08:58 PM ----------

lol.. im sorry..
I read your entire post, yet still talked to you like you JUST got the thing (too many rosie threads all the time i guess)

Anyways, how big of a risk are the falls shes taking? does she have a lot of falling distance till she hits sub? Is she super fat?

 

[whamslam3]

she falls kinda far if she falls from the top. she fell kinda hard a few mins ago but she landed the right way at least, almost hit the log tho. it is rly hot in CA right now but still its been rly hot be4 and she didnt do it. it only started happening after i moved the log around in her cage. maybe i should get a hiding place for her, maybe she doesnt like that i moved her log haha no shes not super fat. she has been on a hibernation for the past few months she just starting eating again recently. she is prob the size of the palm of a regular size hand i guess hehe (not counting her legs fully spread out).

 

[coldvaper]

Got any pics? What substrate you using? Where in Ca are you, I am located on the SF penn. It hasn't really been that hot. Are you sure your Rosea is a female?

 

[whamslam3]

when i got her the guy told me it was a girl since he saw her molt. the guy aslo set up the tank for me when i got her so it should be fine. im in whittier ca. although i would like a little more substrate in mine

 

[Stan Schultz]

my rose hair keeps climbing walls. ...

For some reason I get the sense that this rose may be your first tarantula, or that you haven't had tarantulas for very long. In any case, to make sure that you're starting out on the right foot and have been introduced to all the basic issues, I'm going to begin with my soon-to-be-world-notorious NEWBIE INTRODUCTION. If I'm mistaken, I apologize. But, even if you aren’t a newbie I suggest that you read through it for review. (I just LUVS doing this!) Please stand by while I load the canned message.

[size=+1]HEY PEOPLE! WE'VE GOT ANOTHER NEWBIE HERE![/SIZE]​

Cue the mariachis, the confetti, and the clowns. Let's start the party!

Whamslam3, please don't be offended! I've been messing with tarantulas longer than most people on this forum have been alive, and I still consider myself a newbie. I'm just having a little fun with you.

:biggrin:

Okay, let's get down to business. First, the pleasantries:

[SIZE=+1]"Welcome to the hobby!"

"Welcome to these forums!"[/size]


Now, to get you started on the right foot I urge you to read the following webpages.

Stan's Rant - A little initial boost in the right direction.
BE SURE TO READ AND HEED THE WARNINGS! They'll save you a bundle of cash and maybe a few dead tarantulas!
BE SURE TO READ THE BOOKS! The books will not only answer all your questions, but will also answer all the questions you hadn't thought to ask!

Myths, Misconceptions, and Mistakes Perpetuated by Tarantula Enthusiasts - A growing list of bad information in the hobby. Be sure to explore all the links.

And since you already have a Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea) you definitely should also read Care and Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula - How NOT to let your Chilean rose tarantula drive you to the funny farm!

Lastly, you should read Substrate to get to the bottom of the situation.

Additional Thoughts:

The Search Function:
Don't take this as a criticism, but if you don't already know about it, please learn to use the Search function at the top of the page. It'll save us all a lot of time and effort. Most novices and even many seasoned enthusiasts fail to appreciate that 95+% of all tarantula issues have already been addressed, sometimes ad nauseam, on these forums. All you need do is look for the discussions.

A Basic Operating Principle:
If you can't find an answer to your concern using the Search function (after all, search engines are far from perfect), by all means ask us. Remember,

"The only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask."
"And, dumb questions are always easier to deal with than dumb mistakes!"


Fire away!

"We aims to please."


Lastly, has no one told you?

[size=+2]THE TARANTULA KEEPER'S LAMENT

Like those potato chips,

you can't have just one!


You've been warned![/size]

(And, we offer a tip of the ol' hat and our profound thanks to the Frito-Lay Company for institutionalizing the progenitor of this little joke.)​

Visit the webpages. Read the warnings. Read the books. Watch these forums. Do the searches. IGNORE THE !@#$%! CARE SHEETS!

Then get back to us with any concerns you may have. We're here to help.

Again, you need to read, READ, READ!

Lastly, it would help a lot if you would post several photos of your tarantula from several different angles, and several photos of its cage from several different angles. A few cell phones work okay, but most can't focus close enough, and proper focus is very important. If at all possible use a better camera. Maybe borrow one from a family member or friend? A picture is worth 1000 words! Besides, "We LUVS pichers!"


End Canned Message

my rose hair keeps climbing walls. ...

Be sure to read Substrate to make sure you haven't missed something important.

... she hasnt done this since the first day i go her. ...

Has it ever molted for you?

When?

What makes you so sure it's a female?

... i have had her for prob almost a year now and she started doin it again. ...

Which infers that it was doing it before? Do you have any explanation for why it may have been climbing before?

In addition, since you've only had it a little less than a year, it almost certainly hasn't completed it's Hemisphere Shift, it's readjustment from a Southern Hemisphere calendar (where it is now deep winter) to a Northern Hemisphere calendar (mid summer). This is all explained in Care and Husbandry of the Chilean Rose Tarantula, one of the webpages you're supposed to read.

To help it along you should try to make sure that it's a little warmer than normal room temperature now (summer), then next winter allow it to cool off to a little below normal room temperature, and continue that practice for the rest of its life if possible. Temperature..., one of the webpages you're supposed to read, will explain a lot that you need to know about tarantulas and temperature.

At the same time, try to keep it in a place where it sees normal daylight and darkness and a change in day length as the seasons progress instead of the never changing, artificial schedule we impose on it in our homes (i.e., lights always on at 6:30 AM, lights always off at 11:00 PM, 365 days a year).

... i have seen her fall twice and yet she still does it. ...

THIS IS IMPORTANT! For a terrestrial tarantula (as opposed to an arboreal) the distance between the top of the substrate and the top of the cage should not exceed 3 times the diagonal leg span (DLS) for babies and spiderlings up to perhaps 2" (5 cm) DLS. It should not exceed 1.5 X the DLS for larger tarantulas of normal stature. For the really old, the really obese, or the true giants (e.g., Theraphosa blondi, Lasiodora parahybana) that clear distance should not exceed 1 X the DLS. Enthusiasts violate this basic rule all the time, and most manage to get away with it. But, it's not uncommon to hear someone crying because they killed their tarantula by allowing it too much headroom. LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES!

By the way, there's no such thing as a "rosehair" or "rose hair" tarantula. Tarantulas don't have hair. They have "bristles" (the vernacular term) or "setae" (the formal term). And, it's either a "Chilean rose" or more simply a "rose" (common names), or a Grammostola rosea or G. rosea, (scientific name). Also, note the capitalization of the scientific name: Initial letter of the first (genus) name is capitalized. All other letters are lower case. I know that this all sounds pretty nit-picking, but it's all part of the culture of tarantula keeping. If you'd like to look like you know what you're doing, this is where you start.

There! I've done enough damage. I'll leave you now to do your homework. :laugh:

 

[grayzone]

. Are you sure your Rosea is a female?

+1 .. MM rosie (even the hormone raged PU males) tend to climb and wander, however there is NO DOUBT mine is female, and she has started up with climbing lately as well.. Something shes NEVER done. She only makes it up a bit , then chills, but it has me curious. (especially seeing how another t in the same vicinity is doing it..very out of character for BOTH these ts)

she falls kinda far if she falls from the top.

sounds like its cage needs some improvements.. not trying to diss your husbandry, but if your ts life is important id think it over.. read Stan's (Pikaia's) post thoroughly and go from there
He knows what hes talkin about

 

[Kayti]

Mine is doing this too. What are some of the causes, besides wet substrate and hot temps?

 

[Kayti]

Here's a pic!! She never does this, but sometimes I spray water to make it more humid.

Mine is doing this too. What are some of the causes, besides wet substrate and hot temps?

 

[cold blood]

Here's a pic!! She never does this, but sometimes I spray water to make it more humid.

NEVER spray water or worry about humidity...doing so often basically shuts them down or send them scrambling...sometimes for months.

There's away too much distance from the top to the substrate, and with all the obstacles to fall on, its actually a fairly dangerous set up.

Get that light off the top ASAP!!

 

[Kayti]

Thanks for the help. I took the light off. how much substrate should I have in there? Should I take out the log?

NEVER spray water or worry about humidity...doing so often basically shuts them down or send them scrambling...sometimes for months.

There's away too much distance from the top to the substrate, and with all the obstacles to fall on, its actually a fairly dangerous set up.

Get that light off the top ASAP!!

NEVER spray water or worry about humidity...doing so often basically shuts them down or send them scrambling...sometimes for months.

There's away too much distance from the top to the substrate, and with all the obstacles to fall on, its actually a fairly dangerous set up.

Get that light off the top ASAP!!

I

 

[Kayti]

Here's a better pic of the enclosure

NEVER spray water or worry about humidity...doing so often basically shuts them down or send them scrambling...sometimes for months.

There's away too much distance from the top to the substrate, and with all the obstacles to fall on, its actually a fairly dangerous set up.

Get that light off the top ASAP!!

 

[cold blood]

I'd fill it close to or about halfway with substrate...simply to reduce the height.

Cover is fine, but this species rarely utilizes it. Providing wood to hide under is always good, but don't be shocked if it goes unused.
But the wood laying there isn't really needed....its just something to fall on...same for the rock.

I would remove the bunch of moss though, as there is no reason to keep humidity, all the moss is doing is giving feeders a great hiding place...I do understand the aesthetic aspect of the moss though. The enclosure certainly does look nice.

 

[G. pulchra]

You should have enough substrate so that if she falls her abdomen isn't going to rupture... I would recommend at least 6" at the minimum.

 

[Kayti]

Thank you so much for the information! I'll get more substrate in there. I want to make sure she is happy. I think I'll get the log out and put in some fake plants instead. Shade = achieved!!

I'm fairly new to this husbandry... just started in March. We also live in Alaska, so I constantly worry about it getting too cold

You should have enough substrate so that if she falls her abdomen isn't going to rupture... I would recommend at least 6" at the minimum.

I'd fill it close to or about halfway with substrate...simply to reduce the height.

Cover is fine, but this species rarely utilizes it. Providing wood to hide under is always good, but don't be shocked if it goes unused.
But the wood laying there isn't really needed....its just something to fall on...same for the rock.

I would remove the bunch of moss though, as there is no reason to keep humidity, all the moss is doing is giving feeders a great hiding place...I do understand the aesthetic aspect of the moss though. The enclosure certainly does look nice.

 

[Ellenantula]

@Kayti
How cold?
Agreed with others -- more substrate, less decoration, no lamp on top and no misting.
Mine gets a hide and water bowl (okay, she also got a ping pong ball) but that's it.
Honestly, the simpler the set-up - the happier your G rosea will be. It sounds spartan, but these guys thrive on that.

 

[Kayti]

Pretty cold! Gets down to below 0F, but inside it stays in between 60F - 80F. She seems to like that.

I took out the y-shaped log, but she was hanging out on the rocks, so I'll remove them when she's done.

She has a water bowl in the corner, now I just need to hang the light and add more substrate to that right hand side where the water is. Do you think she'd like a ping pong ball too?

Thanks for all the help!

@Kayti
How cold?
Agreed with others -- more substrate, less decoration, no lamp on top and no misting.
Mine gets a hide and water bowl (okay, she also got a ping pong ball) but that's it.
Honestly, the simpler the set-up - the happier your G rosea will be. It sounds spartan, but these guys thrive on that.

 

[Ellenantula]

Pretty cold! Gets down to below 0F, but inside it stays in between 60F - 80F. She seems to like that.

G rosea should do fine in that temp range -- I wouldn't want to keep one for months in 60s range, but overall -- your lower temps are not as cold as I feared you were gonna say. lol

You could offer a ping-pong ball. Mine moves hers around a bit; some ignore them. I also don't put my water bowl near edge -- my thinking is have nothing they could hit should they slide down wall (like during pre-moult when sluggish) or take a small fall - I want mine to hit substrate only. And I want that drop to be minimal -- hence more substrate.

 

[BishopiMaster]

A tarantula is a computer, it cannot be faulted for anything

 

[Kayti]

I wouldn't raise her in an igloo! lol. She just molted, so very quick and strong. I'll move that water dish further away from the wall.

Looks like she's preparing to climb again. Right now, so it'll wait until tomorrow.

G rosea should do fine in that temp range -- I wouldn't want to keep one for months in 60s range, but overall -- your lower temps are not as cold as I feared you were gonna say. lol

You could offer a ping-pong ball. Mine moves hers around a bit; some ignore them. I also don't put my water bowl near edge -- my thinking is have nothing they could hit should they slide down wall (like during pre-moult when sluggish) or take a small fall - I want mine to hit substrate only. And I want that drop to be minimal -- hence more substrate.