Unexpected Pet Hole

ChanTheMan

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
27
My B. albopilosum I've had for almost a month now (I think) has become a pet hole. I can't lift the cork bark where the hole is or the sub will get unearthed. I just put a B. lateralis in, but it's above ground and I'm not sure the T will find it, it hasn't come out for half a week now. Is this normal? Any tips on an obligate burrower that I didn't expect? Also, it is about 2-2 1/2 in, but was labeled as 3-4 in when I bought it from Jamie's Tarantulas. When will it stop burrowing, and how frequently will an albopilosum molt? Thanks in advance.
 

Paiige

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
335
Mine has been underground for about a month too. What did it look like before it sealed itself off? How often did it eat, when did it eat last, when was its last molt, etc. Could just have all the nutrients it needs for its next molt and be preparing.
 

nicodimus22

Arachnomancer
Arachnosupporter
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Sep 26, 2013
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715
B. albopilosum is not an obligate burrower. Some individuals will prefer to do it more than others, but obligate burrower means that 100% of the adult specimens in that species will burrow, because they have to.

Most terrestrial slings and juveniles burrow to some extent because it's an excellent way to avoid predators. As they reach adulthood, most of them are a bit more comfortable out in the open, and yours probably will be too. Also, as tarantulas are nocturnal, it may be coming out and walking around while you're sleeping at night. You can spy on them with a red light to see what they're doing at night without disturbing them.
 

ChanTheMan

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
27
Mine has been underground for about a month too. What did it look like before it sealed itself off? How often did it eat, when did it eat last, when was its last molt, etc. Could just have all the nutrients it needs for its next molt and be preparing.
I'm feeding it on Wednesdays and weekends. It ate on Sunday and today (I think so). I don't know when its last molt was. It didn't have any signs of premolt before it started burrowing. In fact, it's always been burrowing, ever since I acquired it.

Pictures of the enclosure would help us give you advice.
Oh yeah... about that... (please don't judge me) I'm fairly new to AB (and forums in general, really.) I don't know how to post pics. :penguin: I'm using a Mac, and I need to know, how do I upload pictures from my phone? I feel like I've missed out on everything in the 21st century.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
Oh yeah... about that... (please don't judge me) I'm fairly new to AB (and forums in general, really.) I don't know how to post pics. :penguin: I'm using a Mac, and I need to know, how do I upload pictures from my phone? I feel like I've missed out on everything in the 21st century.
Alls you gotta do is email the picture to yourself, then save it to your computer, then use the "upload a file" option when you're posting. Or you could just copy and paste the picture in the post.
 

Paiige

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Messages
335
What are your temps like? How do you keep your substrate? Some younger terrestrials also just like to dig. The older they get, the more they stay out (generally), though there area always exceptions.
 

pyro fiend

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Messages
1,216
actualy with a brachy that sounds about right tbh not everything thats considered to lay out in the open is going to..those are just ideas, no guarentees.. iv had a emilia and a boehmei who i never seen even eat. but low and behold pray was eaten and a bolus was left every night... even had a 4" gbb male who loved to just stand outside his cave, but the other boy from the same sack would need to be found..

give her a few more weeks,months also depends on the size iv had boehmeis stay in holes till closer to the 4" mark as aposed to displaying their pretty little colors [cork rounds always given even for my arboreals] dont stress it shell be fine :)
 
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The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Slings and juvies will tend to burrow a lot of the time, as it hits subadult sizes it should stay out in the open a lot more. My juvie B. emilia is always in her burrow/hide and my B. albopilosum was the same until she hit about 4".
 

pyro fiend

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Messages
1,216
I'm not able to see a glimpse of it. What if it molts?
"let your tarantula tarantula" if it molts it knows what its doing, if it wants to sleep with its mult it will, if not itl kick it out maybe a day or two later. no worries bud ^_^
 

Deb60

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
125
I'm feeding it on Wednesdays and weekends. It ate on Sunday and today (I think so). I don't know when its last molt was. It didn't have any signs of premolt before it started burrowing. In fact, it's always been burrowing, ever since I acquired it.



Oh yeah... about that... (please don't judge me) I'm fairly new to AB (and forums in general, really.) I don't know how to post pics. :penguin: I'm using a Mac, and I need to know, how do I upload pictures from my phone? I feel like I've missed out on everything in the 21st century.
Dont worry , I'm 56 and I'm not the best when it comes to technology etc . Being born in 1960 we were not brought up with it like the youngest of today . But I've found members to be very helpful and understanding as I've only joined recently.
 

ChanTheMan

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
27
I'm a bit scared to feed it, and she is digging a LOT. I usually feed on Sunday/Saturday and Wednesday, but I skipped the weekend feeding because I thought she was gonna molt. I think she'll be fine with a roach down the hole (on Wednesday) though :)
 

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
I'm a bit scared to feed it, and she is digging a LOT. I usually feed on Sunday/Saturday and Wednesday, but I skipped the weekend feeding because I thought she was gonna molt. I think she'll be fine with a roach down the hole (on Wednesday) though :)
Just crush the roach's head. Don't drop it down the burrow, just leave it at the entrance. ;)
 

Deb60

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
125
I'm also worried about Ts feeding if they have just molted , as you can't see if they are hiding away from you . What would happen , being the worse if your T did eat to soon after a moult ? Is it ok just to leave a crushed locust head by their barrow ? I have this fear that they will damage their newly formed fangs , and die as they can't eat !
 

Jeff23

Arachnolord
Joined
Jul 27, 2016
Messages
620
I have a female in this species around the same size (or at least that size the last time I saw her). I haven't seen this tarantula for months and only saw her once after the purchase. But I know she is active. Maybe as large slings and smaller juveniles they are still a little more shy/scared.

Recently I created another thread regarding addition of moisture to a small section of the substrate for B. albopilosum. This must of woke mine up because she has been much more active. I just can't seem to catch her out in the open. The last time I added moisture, I did it so that it wasn't in her burrow. I plan to make this random to also insure no mold can occur. I have noticed that her burrow entrance hole has grown in size (more activity or molt - not sure). After I got her active, I stopped putting prey up next to the burrow entrance for mine. I make her come out of the burrow to get it on the opposite side of the enclosure. It is working. I am hoping this will acclimate her to want to stay out more often.
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
I'm also worried about Ts feeding if they have just molted , as you can't see if they are hiding away from you . What would happen , being the worse if your T did eat to soon after a moult ? Is it ok just to leave a crushed locust head by their barrow ? I have this fear that they will damage their newly formed fangs , and die as they can't eat !
They generally won't even attempt to eat until they feel their fangs have sufficiently hardened.

My A. geniculata wouldn't eat for over a week after her fangs had turned black post moult (which is when they're usually good to start feeding again) and she normally goes HAM on anything that moves.

On the other hand, I've had an E. cyanognathus sling eat within 24hrs of an unexpected moult, I'd left a pre-killed mealworm by the entrance to its burrow/web tube before it started its moult and checked back the next morning to find the sling sat next to its exuvia and happily munching away on the mealworm.
 

Deb60

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
125
They generally won't even attempt to eat until they feel their fangs have sufficiently hardened.

My A. geniculata wouldn't eat for over a week after her fangs had turned black post moult (which is when they're usually good to start feeding again) and she normally goes HAM on anything that moves.

On the other hand, I've had an E. cyanognathus sling eat within 24hrs of an unexpected moult, I'd left a pre-killed mealworm by the entrance to its burrow/web tube before it started its moult and checked back the next morning to find the sling sat next to its exuvia and happily munching away on the mealworm.
 
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