The Skill of Slings Burrowing or Not Burrowing

[kevinlowl]

Better for who? Your captive animal or its owner.... This is nothing but a selfish thought that serves only the owner. I have Ts that burrow and I'm able to monitor their health, as best as a human can do, considering we know very little about them to begin with.

I think someone who is TRULY interested in Ts should/would foster/provide as much opportunity to see the T go about its natural behavior and actually ENJOY its natural life cycle (as much as one can in a captive setting) rather than just sit there and stare at their T because they thought it was pretty.

I'll use my I. mira as a perfect example. I find this species to be quite beautiful, golds with some black contrast and bright blue tipped front legs. I could stare at that all day, and certainly could if I provided no sub. This species is an obligate burrower, living its trapdoor life and rarely coming to the surface. I've seen mine come to the surface 2 so far, 1 last night. I love when s/he does of course. However, I find it far more fascinating to observe this animal when it's in its burrow w/its trapdoor. I'm able to watch it stalk prey from below "ground". I can see how sensitive it is to different size prey that are on the surface. I've observed how it makes the trap door quite a few times, and whether it hunts right side up, or upside down while in its tunnels. It's all far more fascinating than just sitting there and watching s/he out in the open.

I mira Feeding 2 of 3

• viper69
• Jul 16, 2016
• 8

Bro you should cover that side of the enclosure or paint it black. Light can't naturally penetrate a burrow in the wild and you can't naturally see into a burrow in the wild so that observational window there is just serving the owner not the tarantula. You should really cover it bro.

 

[viper69]

Bro you should cover that side of the enclosure or paint it black. Light can't naturally penetrate a burrow in the wild and you can't naturally see into a burrow in the wild so that observational window there is just serving the owner not the tarantula. You should really cover it bro.

Bro, it's hard to take a picture with the cover on it, don't you think??

 

[Jeff23]

Bro you should cover that side of the enclosure or paint it black. Light can't naturally penetrate a burrow in the wild and you can't naturally see into a burrow in the wild so that observational window there is just serving the owner not the tarantula. You should really cover it bro.

I love the idea of painting it black but only for the sake of music. I think I need to go listen to a song.

I use the 3M blue painters tape to create flaps on mine. It looks a little cheap but works really well.

 

[Jeff23]

When I did this original thread I did it with intentions to learn about how others create hides. At that time I was creating a pre-made burrow and providing a cork bark hide for all of my T's. Somehow the thread got turned into Jeff wants to cheat on substrate. I was wanting to learn if there were tricks people used to get terrestrial T's to prefer staying above the substrate. Since I was new to the hobby I goofed a couple times. During the fixes I noticed that a few of my T's suddenly burrowed after I messed with their environment too much. A couple of my Eupalaestrus campestratus and Euathlus sp red were using above substrate hides before the rehousing. When I rehoused them to smaller enclosures they immediately burrowed. Perhaps their fear was escalating?

It is kind of funny now because I have now seen a few experienced members state that many terrestrials (juvenile and adult) don't need that much substrate. I have also see a post by another experienced hobbyist saying that when you do a rehousing, the older tarantula no longer attempts to create a burrow. But if you have an over sized enclosure for your sling, the older terrestrial using the same enclosure will continue to use the burrow and may even expand on it a small amount. This matches up with what we see in the wild to cause misleading information in the hobby.

All of the seven inches of substrate I provided to my adult B. smithi is just excess weight never being used. I probably could have used half of that and the T would be just as happy. My juvenile female B emilia is using the hide and hasn't dug one bit in the huge amount of substrate I provided. My B. albopilosum juvenile female is an exception on the Brachypelma. She has burrowed a little. It isn't like a fossorial, but a burrow nonetheless. But she also likes a little moisture so maybe it is a geographic thing for this species.

EDIT* My D. pentaloris T's have not used any burrow even as slings. I provided plenty of substrate but all of them have instead just covered the entrances to their cork bark hides for molt periods. They come back out on the substrate and hang out after molt. But I obtained them after I was more experienced and haven't messed with the environment beyond dropping in prey and water.

 

[kevinlowl]

Bro, it's hard to take a picture with the cover on it, don't you think??

you're not supposed to be able to take pictures of the inside of a burrow in the wild because it's underground. furthermore light doesn't penetrate a burrow so you're illuminating a hide that would've otherwise been dark in the wild. Like you've said:

This is nothing but a selfish thought that serves only the owner.

 

[D Sherlod]

Let me say first my experience is limited.

I have an LP sling, which never dug a burrow, never used a hide stayed in the open. Then it molted and dug it's first burrow. It spent the next month underground. Never saw it above ground. Then it molted again and it's using a hide not digging at all.

My opinion.........a T is gonna do what it's gonna do.

 

[Trenor]

On a couple of my slings, I have started creating burrows for them next to the container wall. I then place some of that 3M removable painters blue tape on the outside of the container so that I can remove it on occasion under limited lighting to see that my T is okay. This has worked for one Eupalaestrus Campestratus and one Grammostola pulchripes T. I have not attempted this on others but I do plan to use the tape in the future since it works well.

I'd try to work up a dark cloth sleeve or something like that. The painter tape isn't too sticky but a cloth sleeve you could pull back would likely cause less disruption and you might see more natural activities.

 

[Jeff23]

I'd try to work up a dark cloth sleeve or something like that. The painter tape isn't too sticky but a cloth sleeve you could pull back would likely cause less disruption and you might see more natural activities.

I actually double back the blue tape on itself so that it creates a flap similar to what you are saying except mine is stiffer than cloth. It takes several pieces to create some width. Nonetheless the cloth would work better for less vibrations / detection by the T as you say. And the cloth would probably work much better on deli cups and round enclosures. But I would need to go buy some kind of scrap pieces of cloth somewhere so I have just stuck with the tape so far.

 

[Trenor]

I actually double back the blue tape on itself so that it creates a flap similar to what you are saying except mine is stiffer than cloth. It takes several pieces to create some width. Nonetheless the cloth would work better for less vibrations / detection by the T as you say. And the cloth would probably work much better on deli cups and round enclosures. But I would need to go buy some kind of scrap pieces of cloth somewhere so I have just stuck with the tape so far.

That's a good idea. It would defiantly be easier to setup than a cloth sleeve. See, I would set my sisters to work on making me a T enclosure snuggie and not worry about it. They let me get away with too much.

 

[viper69]

you're not supposed to be able to take pictures of the inside of a burrow in the wild because it's underground. furthermore light doesn't penetrate a burrow so you're illuminating a hide that would've otherwise been dark in the wild. Like you've said:

So you've repeated yourself twice, what's your next trick?

BTW, out in the wild, I've seen plenty of females in burrows, and guess what, sun was shining RIGHT on them. I know that sounds like it breaks the laws of Newtonian physics, but it's true.

Yeah, you are right, I was being selfish in learning more about the wild animal in my care. I know that's just crazy talk to you, but oh well.

There's a lot of people taking pictures of their animals on tables, and all sorts of places that are not natural.

I think you should call the Tarantula Authority pronto!

 

[kevinlowl]

So you've repeated yourself twice, what's your next trick?

BTW, out in the wild, I've seen plenty of females in burrows, and guess what, sun was shining RIGHT on them. I know that sounds like it breaks the laws of Newtonian physics, but it's true.

Yeah, you are right, I was being selfish in learning more about the wild animal in my care. I know that's just crazy talk to you, but oh well.

There's a lot of people taking pictures of their animals on tables, and all sorts of places that are not natural.

I think you should call the Tarantula Authority pronto!

I can repeat myself three times. Anything to make you see your hypocrisy.
Sunlight from the top, only at certain times of the day. It's not artificial light from the side with a human peeping tom by it.
If the animal burrows then it's clear it doesn't want to be seen by anyone. Why would you invade the animal's privacy for your own benefit?
Heh, I thought you and a few other veteran users here were the Tarantula Police (who of course rightfully correct and guide rouge newbie keepers).

 

[viper69]

I can repeat myself three times. Anything to make you see your hypocrisy.
Sunlight from the top, only at certain times of the day. It's not artificial light from the side with a human peeping tom by it.
If the animal burrows then it's clear it doesn't want to be seen by anyone. Why would you invade the animal's privacy for your own benefit?
Heh, I thought you and a few other veteran users here were the Tarantula Police (who of course rightfully correct and guide rouge newbie keepers).

I pointed out the light due to your erroneous statement. Some people are not aware of what tarantulas may encounter in the wild.

furthermore light doesn't penetrate a burrow

I'm certainly no policeman. Everyone here offers advice, I'm no different than anyone else in that regard.

As for hypocrisy, I already mentioned I'm a selfish keeper based on your criteria so perhaps you can rest more easy now. Otherwise, at this point you are trolling. Have fun!

 

[kevinlowl]

I'm no different than anyone else in that regard.

You're too humble, you're a literal ArachnoGod!

The criteria of selfishness was actually your own back in your first reply to this thread lol.

 

[JoshDM020]

@kevinlowl you actually resurrected a thread from september of last year to tell him he's a hypocrite? I wish i had the free time....

 

[kevinlowl]

@kevinlowl you actually resurrected a thread from september of last year to tell him he's a hypocrite? I wish i had the free time....

in addition to free time you also need to have an certain amount of self hate to do this