This my web or yours?

ballpython2

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
1,670
Can tarantulas tell the difference between webs made by their own genus and other tarantulas genus?

like would a new world Tarantula act more defensive if placed in an enclosure full of OBT webbing (would be after the OBT was already placed in a new enclosure) or any other webbing of a very defensive T?

Would they tear down the old webbing and put up their own as if to mark their territory?

or would they use the webbing already there and save their own?

Cause we know tarantulas (terrerestials anyway) take over burrows made by other animals

Here is a picture of my Regalis

 

cheetah13mo

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
2,151
Yes, they can tell the difference. Each tarantulas silk has it's own idividual scent. Males can tell if the webbing they have come in contact with is from another male or a female. They can also tell if that female is ready to mate from the scent of the silk. I'm not sure if webbing is territorial or not but my hunch says it is. Otherwise, why would it have a scent. Also, most tarantulas don't tear down their old webbing. They usually just web over whats already there with their own. Another T's webbing does change how one acts but it would just be temporary until it knew there was not a threat and it started to put it's own scent down.
 

Bob Bohnet

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 29, 2006
Messages
62
I would say that, yes, they can tell a difference. Yesterday I took an uneaten cricket out of one of the Selenocosmia enclosure's and dropped it in for one of my P. murinus', and I couldn't believe the response. It was as if the murinus was cowering. Later on, the cricket is dead, but uneaten. I found it interesting. Next up, a good resolution camera.
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
Wow; A cowering murinus. That's something new. <nyuk-nyuk>
 

dukegarda

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
497
I have to go with the webbing is territory. Not only that, but some species (I'm pretty sure) kick uriticating hairs into their webbing as an added defense. Just because one tarantula species isn't bothered by their own hairs, doesn't mean that the one you plan to put in won't be.
 
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