Stress and adaptation

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
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I soupose its different T's and also maybe depend on conditions too
I wuz wonder can T smell?, can they be stressed by different smells,
I dont believe light bothers them, I take pics wit a flash
all the time, no respond, nada
Am sure they respond to humidity, temp and air movement
Am jes trying to understand one of my new T's
she jes strange, in her enclosure she just sits, I dont see her moving eating etc
soon I scoop her up and put her in smaller contaner
she eats moves around, caught her groomin and all
soon as put her back, no action, non :? Agoraphobia T?? :?
I also think shez coming to that time of pre molt
she kindaf losin her colors
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
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Interesting topic, in which, I give some input into.

On the topic of stress, I am collecting some of the more aggresive tarantulas. Some of the ways I combat potential stress.

During rehousing, when my two Haplopelma species arrived yesterday. I calmly situated the containers they were packed in, removed the lids (and any other obstruction with forceps) and left them sitting in the terrarium, on the substrate, near the hideaway logs provided.

My Giant Golden Chinese Earthtiger took about 15-20 minutes to begin exploring it's new cage. Which permited me to remove the shipping container almost immediately.

But the Giant Black Chinese Earthtiger took about two hours, it sat there and sat there, a couple of times I've observed the spider nearly climbing out before turning around and resettling back in the container rather than in the terrarium itself. I began to get concern it would begin to build a web there. Fortunately, after watching abit of television in the living room I came back and it was gone a la hidden beneath the hideaway log.

Bottom line: I rarely assist my aggressive or high strung subadult/adult tarantulas into their new homes during a rehousing project. Rarely. I let them getalong on their own good time.

With scorpions and centipedes it is alot different and much more easier on the conscience. You can softly dump them into the terrarium or gently coerce them into flight with the forceps. Scorpions for example can be shipped in a container too deep to crawl out from. And of course, with scorps you can tail them with forceps.

Also, I have noticed my Haplopelma and Cyriopagopus have yet to eat anything openly under my personal observation. Crickets have crawled over them and beneath them but once the lights go out. Crickets disappear or crickets are in the tarantula's fangy maw.

During feeding nights, I have a collection of old flannel shirts I've dug out of the closet and cover my terrariums over with them while my bedroom's overhead ceiling light is on and am watching the tele or online or reading etc.

Simply, I like to intrude as little as possible in my tarantulas' microcosmic lives. I change the water/clean the poo off the glass and substrate/remove food remains/spray or remoisten part of the terrarium during the morning and afternoon hours when my tarantulas are hidden. I guess the routine can differ with arboreals.
 
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Mushroom Spore

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she jes strange, in her enclosure she just sits, I dont see her moving eating etc soon I scoop her up and put her in smaller contaner
she eats moves around, caught her groomin and all
soon as put her back, no action, non
Congratulations, it's a tarantula. When all is well and they're happy and healthy, the average T will do nothing. It will do lots of nothing, for hours or even days on end, and it will do it well.

Sometimes they will web a bit, and some Ts like to bulldoze their dirt. But when they're not doing this, they will do absolutely nothing! It's the truth. :D
 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
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Congratulations, it's a tarantula. When all is well and they're happy and healthy, the average T will do nothing. It will do lots of nothing, for hours or even days on end, and it will do it well.

Sometimes they will web a bit, and some Ts like to bulldoze their dirt. But when they're not doing t, his, they will do absolutely nothing! It's the truth. :D
Hmmmm, I see, I have bunch of TR, they all cool
But, one AB, well its is my first
Am not sure if its good idea to move T constatly from enclosure to sm contaner and back (stress??), but she eat in sm contaner( der is no where fer crix to hide), and soon as I drop em in big enclosure friggin crix hide, cople days later they stil der :wall:
 

wicked

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Hmmmm, I see, I have bunch of TR, they all cool
But, one AB, well its is my first
Am not sure if its good idea to move T constatly from enclosure to sm contaner and back (stress??), but she eat in sm contaner( der is no where fer crix to hide), and soon as I drop em in big enclosure friggin crix hide, cople days later they stil der :wall:

The constant moving could very well stess the T. What species is it?

I take my tarantulas to do presentations at the elementary school several times of year. Most of the Ts don't seem to be bothered, but I have a few that become stressed.
My A chalcodes will sit, frozen in place for days after I bring him back from a presentation. I just set the deli cup back in his tank and let him come out when he is ready. Then he will hide in his hide for a week or so before returning to normal activity (such as it is).

My G pulchra stresses out at loud sound (vibrations). If I turn the stereo up too loud, she freaks.

Different species, as well as individuals, may be more prone to stress.

Why are you taking the T out to feed it in a seperate container? I have a couple of larger, heavily decorated tanks, and my Ts have had no problems. If I worry the little chirping buggers are getting away, I disable them and toss them directly into the Ts web, then I don't have to worry about it. :)
 

Selenops

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Have you tried hiding the tarantula overnight with a live cricket like I do with my Haps?

My Haps are aggressive, bold, and active but they are the shyest eaters I have ever witnessed. If I leave them under normal lamp light, the crickets own the place. But when I hide them, they transform into terrible cricket hunters.

I wouldn't recommend constantly rehousing though that in some species I suppose could be alittle too much owner/pet intimacy.
 

Mushroom Spore

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If I leave them under normal lamp light, the crickets own the place. But when I hide them, they transform into terrible cricket hunters.
This shouldn't surprise you--from what I hear, most Haplopelmas *only* come out at night, if they come out at all.
 

Mr.Scorpion

Arachnobaron
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Are you saying you think something is wrong because it won't move in it's original enclosure? If so, a healthy T, shouldn't move much at all.
 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
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Have you tried hiding the tarantula overnight with a live cricket like I do with my Haps?

My Haps are aggressive, bold, and active but they are the shyest eaters I have ever witnessed. If I leave them under normal lamp light, the crickets own the place. But when I hide them, they transform into terrible cricket hunters.

I wouldn't recommend constantly rehousing though that in some species I suppose could be alittle too much owner/pet intimacy.
yes its an idea I though about it, dis make sense
I never did anything like this wit any of my T's
I picked up this one a month ago, its Cyriopagopus Ssp
she wuz offul skinny, Am pretty sure shez WC
been sittin for 2 weeks wit out moving
start me worry, really
then I scop her out and stick her in small contaner
she ate so far about 8-10 crix and half or 1/3 of fuzzy
shez not is bad but still skinnyish
slow moving, dont look aggressive
dont know alot much about Cyriopagopus Ssp, but Am learning, thankx to u peeps :worship:
I think I better leave her, to much pamperin wont do good
I also think encosure I made fer her is sucks
 

Anastasia

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Are you saying you think something is wrong because it won't move in it's original enclosure? If so, a healthy T, shouldn't move much at all.
well, I got perfectly healthy other 14 T's
witch behave bit different, webb, catch crix, walk around, poop, hang a bit, well ya know do the T thing ;)
 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
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The constant moving could very well stess the T. What species is it?

I take my tarantulas to do presentations at the elementary school several times of year. Most of the Ts don't seem to be bothered, but I have a few that become stressed.
My A chalcodes will sit, frozen in place for days after I bring him back from a presentation. I just set the deli cup back in his tank and let him come out when he is ready. Then he will hide in his hide for a week or so before returning to normal activity (such as it is).

My G pulchra stresses out at loud sound (vibrations). If I turn the stereo up too loud, she freaks.

Different species, as well as individuals, may be more prone to stress.

Why are you taking the T out to feed it in a seperate container? I have a couple of larger, heavily decorated tanks, and my Ts have had no problems. If I worry the little chirping buggers are getting away, I disable them and toss them directly into the Ts web, then I don't have to worry about it. :)
see here is what I dont get it, she is healty T, and there is no reason to disable crix fer her, she should able to hunt fer herself, lazy girl :rolleyes:
and also if der wuz a web, der isnt one only mat
so I think maybe cap her wit smaller contaner wit a crik or two overnite, its an idea, it wuldnt stress her is much is move
wonder is anyone have do this wit their T's :?
 

Selenops

Arachnoangel
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This shouldn't surprise you--from what I hear, most Haplopelmas *only* come out at night, if they come out at all.
No, this doesn't surprise but I have observed the sooner I hide them on evenings I feed them seems to induce earlier activity that evening.

My H. hainanum has tons of personality, I have uncovered her and discovered her sitting at the entrance of her hideaway log. And as more light penetrates the terrarium, she "dances" backwards (literarlly moves backwards) fleeing into the darker confines of her retreat. Other times the light doesn't seem to bother her especially when she's away from retreat.

BTW, Anatasia you don't have to rehouse the Ts in smaller confines just cover them up. I don't think it would hurt if you check up on them occasionally through the evening. I do and doesn't seem to hurt.
 

Anastasia

Arachnoprince
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Thanks, I place small container wit her inside wit lid open
in to her large enclosure, I think shez gona molt soon
and I better leave her be
 
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