Tall fossorial enclosure - use of space?

vicareux

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This might be a no-brainer question for most of you,but i can't seem to figure it out.

Why are fossorials kept in enclosures that have more horizontal space instead of vertical space? So far i have only one fossorial (T. Albo (Who doesn't even burrow anymore)),but when he did,he only used a small vertical portion of the enclosure while leaving the rest of the enclosure untouched and unused (8in x 5in x 5in enclosure when he was 3.5 - 4 inches)
I don't have an active fossorial currently - so i'm not seeking to rehouse anything into an enclosure like this. Was just a thought that was on my mind for some time.

How do they shape their burrows in the wild,where they have unlimited ground space? Do they dig mostly vertically or do they do horizontal wiggles here and there?

(Excuse my MS Paint artwork)

fossorial.png
 

moricollins

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There are threads by Martin Huber and Volker von Wirth (who C. vonworthi is named after) that describe how they keep their Asian fossorial tarantulas. They use tall thin containers so that there's a lot of depth to dig in.
 

CommanderBacon

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There are threads by Martin Huber and Volker von Wirth (who C. vonworthi is named after) that describe how they keep their Asian fossorial tarantulas. They use tall thin containers so that there's a lot of depth to dig in.
I feel vindicated! I also keep my fossorials in tall, narrower enclosures. They just burrow, so I never saw the sense in giving them wide enclosures.
IMG_3574.JPG

I wouldn't consider a T albo a fossorial as much as an obligate burrower, though. Mine hasn't burrowed at all since it reached about 2.5" dls so I keep it terrestrially.
 

vicareux

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Awesome! So my thoughts were more or less in the right direction.
My next fossorial is definetly getting a tall enclosure :cool:
 

DomGom TheFather

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You are correct.
Fossorials need depth over floor space.
Keep them this way and your pet holes will thank you.
Plus the chances of the burrow being along a side where you can see your spider go way up🍝
 

cold blood

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Why are fossorials kept in enclosures that have more horizontal space instead of vertical space
housing, to a degree, is a personal choice...certainly not everyone keeps them like this.

There is more than one way to house any tarantula. But your evaluation of wasted space is definitely a valid one...but not everyone cares about wasted space, some like the look better with more space, and really the fossorial t doesn't even care either way.

I keep some in more verticallly oriented enclosures, others in larger tubs with more space...both work equally well, its all about your available space and what you want to see when you are looking at it..
 

Liquifin

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Well space is a personal choice and whether it's extra space utilized or not, it really is just dependent on the keeper on how they want to approach space. As long as it is optimal then the extra space isn't really important. A lot of big breeders actually keep fossorials and arboreals in quite some slim but tall enclosures to save space. So it is somewhat of common practice for large breeders to keep fossorial T.'s in slim but tall enclosures to utilize more space for more specimens.
 

vicareux

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I think i'll keep it on the slim side,i want them feeders to fall straight into the hole with legs and not wander around on the surface :cool: Thank you all for your inputs!
 

cold blood

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I think i'll keep it on the slim side,i want them feeders to fall straight into the hole with legs and not wander around on the surface :cool: Thank you all for your inputs!
its not ideal to put feeders down into burrows. Its something i avoid.
 

vicareux

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its not ideal to put feeders down into burrows. Its something i avoid.
Apologies,i meant that it would be easier for the spider to detect a wandering prey when it doesn't have much surface that's far away from the entrance of the burrow - when i said "hole with legs" i meant the actual spider :lol:
I understand the risks of tossing the feeder in the burrow,if the tarantula fasts or is in pre-molt,it would be a pain or almost impossible to get the feeder out.
 

CommanderBacon

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@CommanderBacon what is in the bottom right corner enclosure? That web tunnel is too cool!
Thanks! That is a 2.5" C darlingi suspected female in a Herpcult small tall enclosure. She has been out a lot lately, but not in this shot.

Her burrow curves down to the bottom and then comes back up on the wall around the corner. It's cool because I can see exactly where she is, since she made it against the glass :) Her (suspected) brother has not been as generous with his burrow. Some of it is against the walls, but mostly it's in the dirt somewhere.
 

aprilmayjunebugs

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Thanks! That is a 2.5" C darlingi suspected female in a Herpcult small tall enclosure. She has been out a lot lately, but not in this shot.

Her burrow curves down to the bottom and then comes back up on the wall around the corner. It's cool because I can see exactly where she is, since she made it against the glass :) Her (suspected) brother has not been as generous with his burrow. Some of it is against the walls, but mostly it's in the dirt somewhere.
You're welcome, and thank you! I have never really wanted fossorials but I think I'm changing my mind now.
 

CommanderBacon

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You're welcome, and thank you! I have never really wanted fossorials but I think I'm changing my mind now.
I love fossorials. I don't know why. I think maybe because it's such a treat when you do see them out and about.

Fortunately, too, most of mine have burrowed against the glass. I like seeing them in their tunnels. I mean, they're not doing anything special, but they obviously feel very secure in there. It's nice to be able to watch one close in the entrance to its burrow, thinking it's taking some private time, when in actuality it's like you have a private little window to watch them doing stuff.

Oh no, maybe I'm a voyeur XD
 

The Snark

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Asian Ts. Fossorial? I think you mean hermitic, misanthropic, reclusive anchorites. And with a pretty good reason. Daytime, it's legions of Mynas and near the countless waterways, the snipes. At night the great noisy horde of mostly nightjars, nightingales and herons take over. Outside the burrow is a daunting gauntlet with survival ratio plummeting about 1000% every inch away from the hole. The snipes showed me why even the youngest Ts dig holes more than 6 inches deep. Or maybe I should say, after a couple of snipes have spent the day going over our yard, only the deepest holes have survivors. I'm glad the snipes are migratory and not year round residents. Probably would have endangered our Ts by now - or worse.
 
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