Tarantulas and thermo regulating

[Frog beetle]

I don’t want to sound stupid here but I have a question.
Do tarantulas heat up or bask in heat to then move around for the night like lizards or snakes. Or do they kind of just chill in the heat

my b.Hamorii like to sit in his hot corner there is a small heat pad then go back towards his hide

 

[Spoodfood]

Unless your house is extremely cold regularly, supplemental heat is entirely unnecessary and poses a risk to the well being of your spider. They hang out next to heat instinctually, and will cook themselves.

To add to that, a space heater in the room is a much better and safer option than any kind of heat mat or lamp.

 

[Matt Man]

and they will go in their burrows when too hot or cold.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I agree that heat mats are a danger best avoided.

The thermoregulation question is an interesting one (though even if they do thermoregulate in the wild it doesn't automatically follow that they should be encouraged to do so in captivity). A couple studies that a quick scan of the abstracts suggest that active TR isn't much of a thing for Ts, and imply that constant proper temps are beneficial:

Canadian Science Publishing

The reproductive period of tarantulas is constrained by their thermal preferences (Araneae, Theraphosidae)

Locomotor and physiological performance of ectotherms are affected by temperature. Thermoregulation is achieved by changes in behavior and the selecti…

www.sciencedirect.com

Phsiological Ecology of Tarantulas: Thermoregulation, Metabolism, and Performance Traits

Tarantulas represent interesting models for examining metabolism and performance traits (e.g., sprint speed) because of their large size and sex dimorphism at maturity that leads to different selective pressures. As ectotherms, these traits are also dependent on body...

link.springer.com

 

[Edan bandoot]

They stilt and burrow when too hot. Some of the American aphonopelma species have something similar to a diapause during the winter in the wild.