Tiny, new, L. Parahybana vanished

CorvairSpyder

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 27, 2016
Messages
2
Hey guys, i have a brand new L. Parahybana that I got as a freebie a little over two weeks ago. He/she was a really little guy, I got it settled into it's new enclosure with no issue and then it vanished. I didn't think anything of it at first but then it has since failed to reappear. Has anyone else had a new T arrive then immediately burrow to molt? I'm concerned that the little guy may have died or escaped. Even though I highly doubt that it escaped
 

dopamine

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2010
Messages
341
What kind of enclosure did you have him in? Are there any visible signs of a burrow? I keep small slings in little deli cups for exactly this reason. This is my 2i L. parahybana (also a freebie) and what I keep him in. IMG_1716.JPG
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
A lot of slings (yes, including arboreals) tend to burrow... that's how they survive, basically. T's don't escape, btw: distracted keepers only, when happens, like "the lid wasn't closed" or etc
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
A lot of slings (yes, including arboreals) tend to burrow... that's how they survive, basically. T's don't escape, btw: distracted keepers only, when happens, like "the lid wasn't closed" or etc
Yep... Once I thought I lost my A. versi sling.. The damn thing burrowed :D
 

CorvairSpyder

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 27, 2016
Messages
2
It's a little 1/3 gallon betta tank, one of those little acrylic things I taped over the vents on the top and then poked pin holes in the tape. I then put the divider in place, which makes it a good size for a little spider. I DO see a burrow right next to the water dish, but the food hasn't been moving. I am SUPER careful to make sure to always secure enclosure lids and caps. Like I said I'm pretty sure that it didn't escape. Should I keep putting food in? Or do you think it's in there molting?
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
It's a little 1/3 gallon betta tank, one of those little acrylic things I taped over the vents on the top and then poked pin holes in the tape. I then put the divider in place, which makes it a good size for a little spider. I DO see a burrow right next to the water dish, but the food hasn't been moving. I am SUPER careful to make sure to always secure enclosure lids and caps. Like I said I'm pretty sure that it didn't escape. Should I keep putting food in? Or do you think it's in there molting?
Prekill prey and leave it at the entrance of the burrow. If it's hungry, it will eat. If the prey item remains there after 24hours remove it and repeat after a week.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Messages
1,735
It's a little 1/3 gallon betta tank, one of those little acrylic things I taped over the vents on the top and then poked pin holes in the tape.
That sounds extremely sketchy.. Are you sure it's not stuck to the tape or between the tape and the enclosure?

Now I NEVER tell anybody to dig up a T for any reason but it you are using an enclosure so unsuitable for a Tarantula that holes have to be poked into tape then rehouse the T immediately into a 16 or 32 oz deli container..

There is very little risk in moving a sling that size whether it's in premolt or even within a few hours after a molt because of how fast they molt and harden up afterwards..
 

Python

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
631
I agree with 14pokies. I have a small (maybe 3/4") Lp in a plastic compression sealed square canister from Walmart and it can't climb the plastic sides but yours might be able to get enough of a grip to climb up to the tape. If a sling gets caught in tape, it's all over for the poor thing, which is why if a container needs tape to seal it up, I don't use it. If you see a hole where there wasn't one before, there's a pretty good chance that your little sling is at the bottom of that hole. Just keep in mind that spiders that small are soft and delicious to many animals in the wild so they don't want to be seen. They are really quite good at not being seen sometimes. I would definitely do as 14pokies suggested and rehouse it ASAP in an appropriate sized deli cup and leave the betta tank to the bettas.
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Are all the holes you made exactly the same as how you made them? A T, even a sling can chew through that, i think. Not a very good idea, tape in a slings enclosure...
 

Paiige

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
335
I've witnessed my rosea chew through tape. Her first enclosure many years ago was a fish tank with a fish tank lid...that was missing a door. I taped and used tinfoil to cover it - woke up one morning to find she'd chewed through both the tape and tinfoil and was halfway out of her cage.

I use small deli containers for my slings. With lids of course.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
I agree with pokies14 as well.

Aside from not being good housing, something to consider is that when you give a tiny t a giant home, it feels more vulnerable, causing it to burrow and hide virtually all the time, even hunting a whole lot less, and IME, leading to ridiculously slow growth rates.

A smaller home leads to a sense of security, which leads to a t thats out and visible a lot more, hunts almost all the time, and as a result, grows out of its vulnerable sling stage very quickly.

Put it in a condiment cup TODAY!
 
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