Tarantula Ping Pong

[Amoeba]

Hardcore! Good for you, FLAmoeba, putting people's claims to the test. I wonder why they do this? Seems from what you're saying that they don't always just shove the ball out of the way, but sometimes attack it. Interesting, and I want to know why.

I never had my doubts since Stan Schultz (or Marguerite Schultz. I think they share that account) aka Pikaia has been studying tarantulas longer than I've been alive, but that is the fun of science, testing things for yourself. My G. rosea was put in a funny situation to be trying to bite the ball (She crawled out of the catch cup and ended up with L1 resting on the ball which moved causing her to see it as a threat) so I'm unsure if they actually will go out of their way to throw a few fangs towards Señor Ping Pong. I've had a question bouncing (pardon the pun it was intended) around in my head since I started testing this. I'm curious to see if the color of the ball affects the spiders interaction with it. For example if a T would act differently around a orange ball rather than a white one. Side thought I was wondering the effect of a blue top to the kritter keeper affects my Avic in a positive/negative way since they can see blue. As for why they do it AphonopelmaTX answer seems most correct: Tarantulas will clean house of things like bolus I just read some thread about Haplopelma spp eventually pushing their old molts out of the burrow so I assume this is why but it could just be in their way or they could just be bored. :biggrin: Who knows maybe one day when my slings grow up I'll finally teach them to play beer pong. I'm not done with this, tarantula behavior is very interesting to me (I just got done watching my Avic clean itself with some mouth liquid I assume was digestive fluids but don't know it was wet and clear and coming from the mouth parts then disappeared) :laugh: that ended up being very long winded....<Edit> and in my long windedness missed seeing Anastasia's awesome video

 

[newspidermom]

LMAO! That vid is tooo funny! Saw some good fang shots which makes me wonder if the T was trying to attack it or just usings its fangs to try and grip it. Either way is there a possibility of it hurting its fangs?

 

[MMAFogg]

This is great, I'm going to give this a go with my Lp and see what he makes of it! I will report my findings!!

 

[SuzukiSwift]

I tried it with my G.rosea, she spent a while trying to eat the ball! lol She would climb onto it with ALL her legs, roll onto her side, stand up and do it again! haha! Now she's given up, made it part of her web instead

 

[Nanomite]

Could they probably think that they suddenly have an eggsac?
Because they roll it the same way

 

[Kodi]

For some reason I think Pikaia was joking and now everyone is taking it very seriously...

 

[catfishrod69]

I think her hide looks like a nest. And oh whats this? A golden egg?

Ok..like I said Xena my PZB put the ball into her hide last night. Got up this morning and checked and she did get it out. Probably had to climb over it to get behind it. None of the other Ts I gave one to have moved them. Only her. Here's last night and this morning pics.

 

[Amoeba]

For some reason I think Pikaia was joking and now everyone is taking it very seriously...

While I would not put that past him, I don't believe that to be the case. You know how in elementary school your teacher would make a volcano with vinegar and baking soda? It wasn't because they were trying to trick you but because they were showing you how something worked. This is similar, it's a extreme way of demonstrating a natural behavior. Ts don't enjoy playing with pingpong balls or balls of paper and are often seen fanging them.

 

[SuzukiSwift]

While I would not put that past him, I don't believe that to be the case. You know how in elementary school your teacher would make a volcano with vinegar and baking soda? It wasn't because they were trying to trick you but because they were showing you how something worked. This is similar, it's a extreme way of demonstrating a natural behavior. Ts don't enjoy playing with pingpong balls or balls of paper and are often seen fanging them.

That's what I've been meaning to ask you about, is it possible their fangs can be damaged by trying to bite the ball? I know they're probably smart enough to not bite so hard as to damage themselves, but 'if' they perceive it as a threat do you think they would go to extreme lengths to eliminate that threat?

 

[Amoeba]

That's what I've been meaning to ask you about, is it possible their fangs can be damaged by trying to bite the ball? I know they're probably smart enough to not bite so hard as to damage themselves, but 'if' they perceive it as a threat do you think they would go to extreme lengths to eliminate that threat?

Like others suggested in this thread if you're worried about it but still want to see the behavior just ball up some paper and put it in there.

I had a PZB that tried to murder a paper towel like it was her worst enemy.

 

[naychur]

Yes, this is on my T-to-do list! I have 3 large Ts ( G pulchtipes, GGB, and a Brazilian Redhead). Has anyone tried the ping pong balls with these species? Has anyone noticed a difference in reaction between males and females? How big are the Ts when the ping pong ball is introduced?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[naychur]

I finally got around to getting ping pong balls for my Ts:

My MM GBB has not touched the ball. : (
I am holding off on my Brazilian Redhead as she is in pre-molt.

My G puchripes was a site! Approximately 1year old, he resides in a 10 g tank. (no leg measurement yet). I put the ball in the center of the tank and left the room. Came back a little while later and "Creepy" had the ball in his legs in the corner. A few more minutes go by and Creepy has the ball in the center of the cage, wobbling on top of it with his feet barely touching the ground. I figure he was trying to attack/eat it, so I put some crickets in his enclosure and he proceeds to have dinner. I get the ball while he is pre-occupies and there was no marks nor punctures! Very entertaining to watch!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[MMAFogg]

I did it last night, I put one in with my Lp

He moved it about quite a bit then decided to bite it!!

I took it out a while later so it didn't hurt his fangs.

 

[naychur]

Creepy (G pulchripes) still having fun with his ping pong ball. GBB MM never touched it, so I took it out. M cabocla still looks a little small to introduce a ping pong ball into her enclosure.....the enclosure is a bit small for a ping pong ball as well.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has a G pulchripes that plays ping pong!

 

[tyrantuladub]

I do believe I'm gonna try this out with Alessa, my G. rosea and see what happens.

 

[Stan Schultz]

First, you'll need to read C. M. Kornbluth's novella, The Marching Morons to get a feeling for the true depth of my meaning here. If you get really interested in the subject, you need to see Idiocracy as well.

Now, I am beginning to develop the hypothesis that, just as humans display a wide range of character traits and levels of intelligence, so do tarantulas. There are some tarantulas who aren't smart enough to tie their own shoe laces without adult supervision, and there are those operating at the genius level. Those operating at the genius level love to play ping pong. The dolts sit there and stare stupidly at the ball with a little drool running out of the corner of their mouth.

But then that's just my opinion.

Enjoy your little 8-legged Olympic superstars!

 

[catfishrod69]

I have a female G. rosea that like to dump her waterdish, pick it up above her and hold it against the bottom of the enclosure lid, then walk around sliding it along with her .

First, you'll need to read C. M. Kornbluth's novella, The Marching Morons to get a feeling for the true depth of my meaning here. If you get really interested in the subject, you need to see Idiocracy as well.

Now, I am beginning to develop the hypothesis that, just as humans display a wide range of character traits and levels of intelligence, so do tarantulas. There are some tarantulas who aren't smart enough to tie their own shoe laces without adult supervision, and there are those operating at the genius level. Those operating at the genius level love to play ping pong. The dolts sit there and stare stupidly at the ball with a little drool running out of the corner of their mouth.

But then that's just my opinion.

Enjoy your little 8-legged Olympic superstars!

 

[brotony101]

Catfish, you should paint "Round 1" on it, play boxing on the tv in the background and record it for YouTube! Would be a riot.:laugh:

I have a female G. rosea that like to dump her waterdish, pick it up above her and hold it against the bottom of the enclosure lid, then walk around sliding it along with her .

 

[catfishrod69]

Haha yeah that would be pretty funny stuff!

Catfish, you should paint "Round 1" on it, play boxing on the tv in the background and record it for YouTube! Would be a riot.:laugh:

 

[Stan Schultz]

I have a female G. rosea that like to dump her waterdish, pick it up above her and hold it against the bottom of the enclosure lid, then walk around sliding it along with her .

She desperately needs a ping pong ball!

---------- Post added 02-22-2013 at 08:30 PM ----------

For some reason I think Pikaia was joking and now everyone is taking it very seriously...

Kodi - My memory is getting poorer and poorer as time progresses. Which aspect of this whole conversation did you think was in jest?