Thinking about fossorials

D Sherlod

Arachnoknight
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Sorry but I have to ask....what is the attraction to fossorials? Not judging just don't understand a pet hole.
someone please tell me what I am missing...
 

Chris LXXIX

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someone please tell me what I am missing...
Everything :angelic:

Example: you are/feel of lonely, tonight? Just watch that huge pile of dirt and smile, rejoice... for that inside lives the Goddess 0.1 Pelinobius muticus PBUH (Peace Be Upon Her) mans best friend just like dogs are.

You don't see Her, you say? A detail, a detail: you know she's here, inside, watching over you :kiss:

Praise the Goddess!
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Sorry but I have to ask....what is the attraction to fossorials? Not judging just don't understand a pet hole.
someone please tell me what I am missing...
They are the hardest working tarantulas out there. Any spider can spin a web, and any animal can live under a cork slab. But it takes a strong, determined bug to burrow past 12" of substrate.
 

Chris LXXIX

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They are the hardest working tarantulas out there. Any spider can spin a web, and any animal can live under a cork slab. But it takes a strong, determined bug to burrow past 12" of substrate.
u_u

That's why after that amazing work, they love to "sit" at the entrance of their burrow at night, contemplating... just like a miner with a dozen beer outside of the cave :-s
 

Venom1080

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Sorry but I have to ask....what is the attraction to fossorials? Not judging just don't understand a pet hole.
someone please tell me what I am missing...
its cool to see them when you can. and their burrows are awesome. im planning on picking up more Haplopelma soon for those reasons.
 

Blue Jaye

Arachnobaron
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Sep 16, 2013
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There are some good suggestions in this thread... I've always liked the look of baboon spiders but shied away from them because fossorial - and my M. robustum was such a disappointment, completely invisible.
The C. meridionalis looks nice... sigh... another one.
I got so lucky lol. My robustum dug her hide right in the front corner of her enclosure. It's a great viewing hole. I can always see her. She seems unaware that she created such a nice viewing spot. Or she just enjoys a good peep lol.
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
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Mar 11, 2017
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Sorry but I have to ask....what is the attraction to fossorials? Not judging just don't understand a pet hole.
someone please tell me what I am missing...
As for me, I've always had an interest in animal behavior. This is one type of behavior, creating and staying in a burrow, I like that kinda for 'naturalistic reasons' however it is mostly the pop outs to grab prey that makes me smile.
 

Blue Jaye

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I just rehoused my little I.mira Wednesday night. Last night I gave her a look to see if she had gotten busy yet. I was in luck! She had just started to make the trap door! So I sat down and spent an hour to watch this interesting construction. Plus it's a pretty amusing to watch something do construction with its butt. She would lay down silk then turn around and shape it with her pedi, fangs and front legs. It was very cool and adorable. I.mira's are so dang cute!!! At about an hour she stopped and went back down her tunnel that she apparently constructed the night before.
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
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Yes. The sooner in the final enclosures, the better. Just a suggestion... if you aren't interested in breeding projects, go (whatever you will choose) for a confirmed sexed female. To see MM hardcore burrowers searching for females is IMO painful.
Yes it is. First T was a WC and unknown to me way back then, a wandering male. Feels bad to have pedipalps-blocked him til his end..

I'm too new to the hobby to consider breeding but could be open to it in the future. I am noticing quite a good percentage of available Ts are slings... for fossorial I hope to find something a little more well-started so it can go into a permanent enclosure right away. Less handling, especially as I am a beginner...

As for the concerns of a beginner dealing with aggression: I have zero plans or dreams of handling ANY of the Ts. Will be using tongs and other tools for maintenance and cup for escapees. Is it a good idea to have gloves on hand plus the cup, especially for a T known for being quick to bite? The A. chalcodes has already attempted to bite- happened while trying to open the lid just enough to pass a cricket in. It was so fast and unexpected but I saw it as a good reminder they are wild animals.
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
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481
I just rehoused my little I.mira Wednesday night. Last night I gave her a look to see if she had gotten busy yet. I was in luck! She had just started to make the trap door! So I sat down and spent an hour to watch this interesting construction. Plus it's a pretty amusing to watch something do construction with its butt. She would lay down silk then turn around and shape it with her pedi, fangs and front legs. It was very cool and adorable. I.mira's are so dang cute!!! At about an hour she stopped and went back down her tunnel that she apparently constructed the night before.
This! I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching that and be delighted with the finished trapdoor. Lucky you!

Several of you mentioned I. mira. That's a species I had checked out online several times and enjoyed the feeding videos of these. If they really are a reasonably good species for a beginner, I'd be pretty happy to go ahead and hunt for these.
 

aphono

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Substrate doesn't just go bad, you don't need to change it unless you have some sort of infestation...which on dry sub just won't happen...just pick out the boli.
Wanted to single this out- found that an excellent suggestion for me in particular. Thinking about it I probably should stick with those that do well with substrate on the drier side.

I realize this is a topic with many answers in the hobby and should wait until my final choice has been narrowed down.. what's a good dry/dry-ish substrate for a fossorial? I'm not sure what is safe and holds the shape for deep burrows?
 

Chris LXXIX

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Yes it is. First T was a WC and unknown to me way back then, a wandering male. Feels bad to have pedipalps-blocked him til his end..
Yeah... I remember a genus Hysterocrates (sorry I don't remember now which specie exactly was, happened after the 2003 ban) of a keeper I know, he feared the ban that back then was on (understandable) so he couldn't breed. Bugger was always out in the open, all legs (obviously), always in the water dish, holes everywhere. Sad :-/

for fossorial I hope to find something a little more well-started so it can go into a permanent enclosure right away. Less handling, especially as I am a beginner...
Aside now for which fossorial you wil choose one day, IMO that rule I follow remain: juve/adults (especially 0.1) the soon in their final enclosure, the better. To 'move' too much obligate burrowers isn't good. Plus a moral offence (lol) to their previous efforts :-s

As for the concerns of a beginner dealing with aggression: I have zero plans or dreams of handling ANY of the Ts. Will be using tongs and other tools for maintenance and cup for escapees. Is it a good idea to have gloves on hand plus the cup, especially for a T known for being quick to bite? The A. chalcodes has already attempted to bite- happened while trying to open the lid just enough to pass a cricket in. It was so fast and unexpected but I saw it as a good reminder they are wild animals.
I think that everyone should and will find what's best for him/herself. For me? No, I never used gloves of all sorts, man. I think that mostly people use gloves for avoid contact with NW's hairs because one moment certain bulky, huge adult T's are able with their chelicerae to 'hit' you, no matter -- with certain gloves I mean, of course if someone use special forces gloves ones don't know :)

Anyway all T's, even those supposed to be the most 'calmer' are unpredictable, so 'En garde' always :-s
 

Blue Jaye

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339
This! I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching that and be delighted with the finished trapdoor. Lucky you!

Several of you mentioned I. mira. That's a species I had checked out online several times and enjoyed the feeding videos of these. If they really are a reasonably good species for a beginner, I'd be pretty happy to go ahead and hunt for these.[/QUOTE

I've have a few and have even paired them. I find them to be very easy to work with. While they can be quite fast. So far I've only seen the males use their speed. IMO they tend to be rather gentle and calm. But that is just my experience with them.

Last year I had to rehouse my adult female so she would have room for a sac. She had grown from a 1 in sling to an adult in it and it was a bit small. I've never felt so bad for a T in my life!!!

When I got her out I was going to ( of course ) take a pic. I set her down and escorted her out of her deli. When she was out in the open. She panicked and vibrated! She just stayed in the same spot tapping all her feet and turning from side to side in a total state of I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!! I'M SO SCARED!!!! I've never seen such a response. I felt horrible, my heart sunk for her. Without thinking I gently put my hand around her and my other in front of her and scooped her up.( Not advised. I don't usually handle.) I gently placed her in her new enclosure that had a bit of her old webbing. She calmed and hunkered down on her webbing. Luckily all went well and I didn't receive a bite for my stupidity.
 
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aphono

Arachnobaron
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481
Megaphobema robustum
Absolutely eye catching species. The con for me might be needing high humidity- does it appreciate a damp/moist substrate? I'd like to go with dry-dryish substrate for now.

Now I could right a list here...


But that would take too long.

Most fossorials will pop up for snack. I would avoid Asian fossorial species though. You tend to see Baboon species out more.

I would start with Ceratogyrus species.

And to everyone that knows me I am not being biased :p
Thanks! Made me happy to know most will pop up for snacks. I was surprised at Ceratogyrus suggestion, mainly because of their exotic appearance which usually means 'fragile'. What are the cons to this genus though? I want to know the bad only to see if I could consider dealing with them or not.

I would advise H. namaquensis or C. meridionalis over say.. Ephebopus
Oh wow- saw your H. namaquensis pictures and a linked video, these are so beautiful! New species to me.. going to look up infomation for this species- are they particularly aggressive..? btw I grow a lot of southern African plant species outdoors.. it'd fit right in,ha!

anything that has the potential to put you in a hospital and is usually very defensive should be left to experienced keepers. i think people are crazy to think any other way.
I agree. Would like to stay away from species prone to extreme aggression or venom.
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
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Mar 11, 2017
Messages
481
Aside now for which fossorial you wil choose one day, IMO that rule I follow remain: juve/adults (especially 0.1) the soon in their final enclosure, the better. To 'move' too much obligate burrowers isn't good. Plus a moral offence (lol) to their previous efforts :-s

I think that everyone should and will find what's best for him/herself. For me? No, I never used gloves of all sorts, man. I think that mostly people use gloves for avoid contact with NW's hairs because one moment certain bulky, huge adult T's are able with their chelicerae to 'hit' you, no matter -- with certain gloves I mean, of course if someone use special forces gloves ones don't know :)

Anyway all T's, even those supposed to be the most 'calmer' are unpredictable, so 'En garde' always :-s
Yeah! I have a commonly suggested species for beginners- A. chalcodes.. she's reactive, defensive, not shy about showing her fangs... that one is *not* "handleable" in the slightest.

Lacking a juvie/adult, do slings still need to go into pill bottle or small n deep containers- like filling up one of Jamie's juvenile terrestrial container with more substrate? I'm guessing the answer is yes, for a .5-3/4 sling but no harm in asking..
 

aphono

Arachnobaron
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Mar 11, 2017
Messages
481
I've have a few and have even paired them. I find them to be very easy to work with. While they can be quite fast. So far I've only seen the males use their speed. IMO they tend to be rather gentle and calm. But that is just my experience with them.

Last year I had to rehouse my adult female so she would have room for a sac. She had grown from a 1 in sling to an adult in it and it was a bit small. I've never felt so bad for a T in my life!!!

When I got her out I was going to ( of course ) take a pic. I set her down and escorted her out of her deli. When she was out in the open. She panicked and vibrated! She just stayed in the same spot tapping all her feet and turning from side to side in a total state of I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!! I'M SO SCARED!!!! I've never seen such a response. I felt horrible, my heart sunk for her. Without thinking I gently put my hand around her and my other in front of her and scooped her up.( Not advised. I don't usually handle.) I gently placed her in her new enclosure that had a bit of her old webbing. She calmed and hunkered down on her webbing. Luckily all went well and I didn't receive a bite for my stupidity.
Ooh.. lucky. Glad you found them easy to work with.. what size cages and how deep are the substrates for them?
 

Venom1080

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Absolutely eye catching species. The con for me might be needing high humidity- does it appreciate a damp/moist substrate? I'd like to go with dry-dryish substrate for now.
.
hmm, not sure why...? 70% peat moss 30% eco earth. make it deep and give it a water dish and something to hide/start a burrow under. as sub drys just pour more water in.
 

Blue Jaye

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Sep 16, 2013
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Nothing to big as they don't get all that big. My AF is only 3 inches. Six inches is what mine has roughly. I buried a piece of cork to the bottom it sticks out the sub about two inches. Gives her something to dig against. My AF is in a nano cube that I don't use the door, just the top lid. My juves are in a 4x4 cube filled almost to the top. Slings tall condiment cup. I always give cork or plants for anchor points. And they live dry with a water dish.
 

KezyGLA

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Thanks! Made me happy to know most will pop up for snacks. I was surprised at Ceratogyrus suggestion, mainly because of their exotic appearance which usually means 'fragile'. What are the cons to this genus though? I want to know the bad only to see if I could consider dealing with them or not.
They will have potent venom as any African species will. They are fast. Thats the only cons for intermediate keeper to get used to. However we all have to start somewhere right?


Oh wow- saw your H. namaquensis pictures and a linked video, these are so beautiful! New species to me.. going to look up infomation for this species- are they particularly aggressive..? btw I grow a lot of southern African plant species outdoors.. it'd fit right in,ha!
The namaquensis I keep are all relatively calm. I havent had a threat posture from any of them. They dont spook easy. They are rarely skittish and like to come out of the burrow frequently. I was shocked to see the calm demeanour of this species, considering its an African.

And lets face it, they look spectacular ahaha
 
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