'Trapdoor' blue-foot tarantula/I. mira broken!!

[Oswoc]

Hi all,

I've had my I. mira for 6 days now since it first arrived as a juvi.

I thought my enclosure for it would be perfect, plenty of depth for burrowing, some shelter under leaves, a tall, secure rock as an anchor point if she webs, water dish, dry substrate, on top of being out of the house for the past 4 days, I was hoping I'd return to a happy T beneath her infamous trapdoor.

Yet she's still basically the way I left her when first moving her in!?
I'm newish to OW's, and wondered how normal this is?
Maybe its my enclosure?

Any help appreciated!!

 

[cold blood]

All fossorials take much longer to acclimate...sometimes weeks. It will eventually disappear.

 

[emartinm28]

My I. mira stayed on the lid for like 3 days before burrowing. I have a P. muticus that just started burrowing beyond an inch deep. Takes time, don’t sweat it.

 

[Smotzer]

Patience hardly anything settles in in 4 days or under.

 

[Craig73]

Mine took over a week to finally start to burrow. The leaves and anchor point for webbing are not needed, it’s fossorial and will usually just hang it’s feet out of its trap door waiting for food if you don’t over feed it. When mine is out it only wonders far enough to the water dish or dispose of a molt. Any disturbance and it’s back in its burrow in no time.

Less decorative clutter will provide less hiding spots for feeders and easier to coral them towards the trap door. Also, you can start a shallow burrow in the substraight with a pen or pencil. It may gravitate to it, or ignore it and start its own.

 

[jrh3]

Mine took a while to build doors. Maybe 2 weeks.

 

[Metallattorney]

I will get in on this too. Mine took a long time before burrowing and building doors. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon you won't see it much at all.

 

[Scp682]

Did you make a starter burrow? Giving a place to hide can speed things up.

 

[viper69]

Mine built hers right away.

All I did was provide cork bark at a 45. She ran into that temporarily for a few days and got to work.

AF I. mira- aka Blue Suede Shoes

• viper69
• Jul 10, 2018
• 3
• blue foot baboon tarantula idiothele idiothele mira mira

I mira

 

[Ungoliant]

I've had four of these. (I'm currently raising three offspring from my mature male.)

My original (the male) made a trapdoor burrow within days, as did one of my slings. The second sling dug a burrow without a true trapdoor and spends a fair amount of time on the surface. The third seems to identify as terrestrial.

Since they all seem healthy and unstressed, I don't worry.

 

[Oswoc]

Thanks for all the input guys. I know patience is the key for most T's!

This one is testing mine the most though lol been 10 days of her sitting in the spot I found her in.

I started 'burrows' in the corner of the enclosure, which I've done with my C. Darlingi, who would start burrowing within hours of a rehouse.

Maybe its the temperature? I'm in England, and my house is normally 20C... perhaps this is too cold for I. Mira? Although I hear in their natural habitiat the temp can drop at night, around 15c mark?

I'll update when she finally gets off her fat bum and into a hole!!!!

I'm guessing she's not in premolt either? I haven't tried feeding her since I got her - is that wise?

 

[ApexApinkPanda]

My blue legged golden baboon disappeared with in an hour of putting it in it's enclosure. I was so disappointed. It won't even come out to eat. I just notice the meal works and crickets disappear. Beautiful T btw.

 

[liquidfluidity]

My two took a while before digging in. They lived in burrows for quite a while before constructing "lids". One of them even has multiple doors. I do keep mine like other fossorials with damp substrate.

 

[Oswoc]

Any thoughts on whether I should offer her food? Never seen any of my T's react like this. Not dead, but still not moving other than stretching a leg or two.

Would temperature be an issue? Thermometer said 19c this morning...

TIA

 

[8 legged]

The temperature is not a problem. One often reads that miras like to be wet. This is total nonsense. If your substrate is damp, offer it dry. That she doesn't move at all is strange. I also remember that my little one waited two weeks to build her trapdoor, but she was always busy. As soon as I get closer to the enclosure, she did a sprint.
I advise you to give her rest and to use a rather dry substrate. Otherwise I can't think of anything.

 

[Oswoc]

The temperature is not a problem. One often reads that miras like to be wet. This is total nonsense. If your substrate is damp, offer it dry. That she doesn't move at all is strange. I also remember that my little one waited two weeks to build her trapdoor, but she was always busy. As soon as I get closer to the enclosure, she did a sprint.
I advise you to give her rest and to use a rather dry substrate. Otherwise I can't think of anything.

Thanks for the reply, thats reassuring.

I haven't fed her yet, I hung a cricket near her a few days after she moved in, but no response. Maybe ill pre kill one and leave it near her tonight... she's so exposed, wish she'd at least make an effort to hide, especially for a burrower

 

[8 legged]

It is also possible that just a molt is imminent!

 

[Oswoc]

It is also possible that just a molt is imminent!

Fingers crossed!

Will update in time. So far, this image bascually matches up with my original post lol

 

[Oswoc]

Still no change in T's behaviour/position... did a water change, left a dead cricket in there too (see picture bottom right).

Is it possible this fossorial is actually a terrestrial who just spends her time out in the open all day in what looks like a stress position?

Looking at her butt and she doesnt look pre-molt. Altho her 'blue feet' seem quite dark in colour, which I've heard is a sign of pre molt, which is even more confusing!

So frustrating!!!!!

 

[Oswoc]

Lo and behold, it was in pre-molt! Issue is, I recently tried to feed it easier today, and a cricket is still somewhere in the enclosure. It seems its molted OK, but do I need to worry about the cricket or shall I get it out? Molts are so flipping stressful!