The Amazing Sling

[Bjorgly]

Today i go to do the daily check on my tarantulas and i notice the substrate looking odd in my G.pulchra's baby food jar. The sling is only 1.5 inches. IT has moved an inch and a half of level substrate (straight peat) into about max 1/2 inch on one side and 2+ inches on the other side. The sling is quite the earthmover!! Now that is has this little mound, it has decided to make a really cool little burrow on the shallow end of the substrate, tunneling under the deeper stuff. If i so much as touch the jar, the little guy runs out and sits on the substrate, i guess waiting for food or to defend itself. I drop a cricket in to this already obese sling and it lasts the usual 0.00001 of a second before it pounces on the cricket then it ran into its burrow. Anyways my concern is that the peat is BONE DRY. Could the burrow collapse? Like i could blow really hard in there and 1/2 of the substrate would come flying out because its dry. Do i have reason to worry? or has the sling put enough webbing to maintain structural integrity of its little burrow? I usually drip a bit of water down the sides but i cant really do that now because im scared i might collapse its burrow. My other concern is how will it molt in the burrow that is no larger than the sling is now? Will it expand its burrow to molt? could it collapse while its molting because of the dry substrate?


Thanks in advance! Just a paranoid first time sling owner. Had plenty of experience with the larger stuff but this is my first sling. Already molted once in my care without a burrow from 1"--> 1.5"

Mark

 

[Bjorgly]

Could a T dig itself out if a burrow collapsed on it?

Mark

 

[Tarantula Lover]

hey

Originally posted by Bjorgly
Could a T dig itself out if a burrow collapsed on it?

Mark

Yes! It can! My curlyhair had made a burrow and i sprayed too, too much water and it collapsed! She/He dug its way out of there!

James

 

[Tarantula Lover]

Originally posted by Bjorgly
Today i go to do the daily check on my tarantulas and i notice the substrate looking odd in my G.pulchra's baby food jar. The sling is only 1.5 inches. IT has moved an inch and a half of level substrate (straight peat) into about max 1/2 inch on one side and 2+ inches on the other side. The sling is quite the earthmover!! Now that is has this little mound, it has decided to make a really cool little burrow on the shallow end of the substrate, tunneling under the deeper stuff. If i so much as touch the jar, the little guy runs out and sits on the substrate, i guess waiting for food or to defend itself. I drop a cricket in to this already obese sling and it lasts the usual 0.00001 of a second before it pounces on the cricket then it ran into its burrow. Anyways my concern is that the peat is BONE DRY. Could the burrow collapse? Like i could blow really hard in there and 1/2 of the substrate would come flying out because its dry. Do i have reason to worry? or has the sling put enough webbing to maintain structural integrity of its little burrow? I usually drip a bit of water down the sides but i cant really do that now because im scared i might collapse its burrow. My other concern is how will it molt in the burrow that is no larger than the sling is now? Will it expand its burrow to molt? could it collapse while its molting because of the dry substrate?


Thanks in advance! Just a paranoid first time sling owner. Had plenty of experience with the larger stuff but this is my first sling. Already molted once in my care without a burrow from 1"--> 1.5"

Mark

Since your T is 1.5" I wouldnt worry, It most likely has enough webbing on the sides, I would mist lightly! I never had any expeirience with a moult, but it knows what its doing and will moult down there, it should expand the burrow before it moults!
Yes, I would worry, but already had expierience with this, so all in all you G.pulchura is going to be fine!=D So dont worry about it! Hope this helps!

James

 

[Kenny]

Pulchra

Just wait until the Pulchra reach around 3+ inches, then the cage will look like an earthquake has pass through there from day to day.

The other day my Pulchra had dug down the waterdish sideways and only the upper half of the dish was visible.

Don't worry, my Pulchra is a miner, digs like the worst burrower just to change the next day to give up that cave to go upwards with about 2/3 of the substrate pressed up towards one corner.

I would like to call the Pulchra for the athlete of the T's.
My big Chaco , she would get an heartattack going on like that.

I get tired just watching the cage content change every day

Kenny

 

[Immortal_sin]

she/he should be fine....
Peat is super light and fluffy, no problems digging out, IME
I just rehoused my C crayshawi tonight, and I had predug a burrow for her (straight peat too). Well, she got in there, and it partially collapsed on her. She never even bothered to come back to the surface LOL
She's an earthmoving MACHINE.
Holley

 

[Bjorgly]

OK, thanks, i won't worry about it then. My only worries would be if it collapsed during a molt where one of the tarantulas movements cause a cavein or something but id bet thats pretty unlikely.

Mark