What are Signs your T is content?

TGod

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I've seen the term "pet Rock" used to describe a tarantula which is not stressed out and I can actually relate this to my 3. I get concerned with humidity but my LP sling, Brachypelma Hamorii and Acanthoscurria geniculata all seem to be spending most of their time chilling in one spot. So I think that means all is good. Really pleased with my A Geniculata because when it feels secure it normally likes to come and chill on top of its coconut which is cool. Nice to have a pretty and visible species.
 

LucN

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If they're not pacing continually, eating when food is offered, grooming occasionally and just being a tarantula, then yes, they are happy spiders.
 

LadyVonChimp

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Agreed with above, if they seem happy doing their thing, not pacing or scaling the walls constantly, eating when offered and have a little space to hide away should they want to, then they should be content.

Some never hide, some always hide, but I like to offer that option to all of mine regardless.
 

TGod

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Why??? Humidity isn’t something you should be concerned about.
Is it too damp? Is it too dry? Is my T getting its water?

Also my B Hamorii seemed to have some kind of liquid drop hanging from its mouth earlier.
 

Smotzer

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Also my B Hamorii seemed to have some kind of liquid drop hanging from its mouth earlier.
sounds like digestive fluid, they will use this to groom themselves, it is normal.
Is it too damp? Is it too dry? Is my T getting its water?
Okay that is moisture = water level in substrate. Humidity = water level in air (and this you dont need to worry about.

And its hard to sat without a picture. So what you can do is be mindful of the color of the substrate/soil when it is dry and then also when it is wet and dark, you want to shoot for a inbetween when it is slightly moist when you are dealing withh most moisture dependent species that require moisture in the substrate.
 

moricollins

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There aren't so much signs that the Tarantula is content, but moreso signs that the Tarantula is not content.
 

TGod

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sounds like digestive fluid, they will use this to groom themselves, it is normal.

Okay that is moisture = water level in substrate. Humidity = water level in air (and this you dont need to worry about.

And its hard to sat without a picture. So what you can do is be mindful of the color of the substrate/soil when it is dry and then also when it is wet and dark, you want to shoot for a inbetween when it is slightly moist when you are dealing withh most moisture dependent species that require moisture in the substrate.
Thanks for the info, that helps a lot
 

Smotzer

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Thanks for the info, that helps a lot
No problem, do a physical test with soul moisture levels so you get an idea, you want it to have moisture but ideally not enough that it would run out if you squeezed a handful.
 

Ian14

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Slings need slightly higher moisture than juveniles and adults. That's different to humidity. The advice I was given for slings was to have a layer of slightly moist compressed substrate (as in when you squeeze it together, it feels moist but with no water squeezing out) then a layer of dry substrate. Or at least one surface area thats dry. This allows them to select the moisture of their choice.
 

TGod

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Slings need slightly higher moisture than juveniles and adults. That's different to humidity. The advice I was given for slings was to have a layer of slightly moist compressed substrate (as in when you squeeze it together, it feels moist but with no water squeezing out) then a layer of dry substrate. Or at least one surface area thats dry. This allows them to select the moisture of their choice.
For my LP sling I have just misted one side of its enclosure so if can choose as you said.
 

Smotzer

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just misted one side of its enclosure
its better to add water directly by pourinng it in with something approraite instead of misting like a medicinne dropper, misting is not great to do.
 

TGod

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its better to add water directly by pourinng it in with something approraite instead of misting like a medicinne dropper, misting is not great to do.
How about the stream function of a spray bottle?
 

TGod

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its better to add water directly by pourinng it in with something approraite instead of misting like a medicinne dropper, misting is not great to do.
Sorry didn't read that properly
 

l4nsky

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How about the stream function of a spray bottle?
That's what I do. You want to use small pulses and wait for it to be absorbed before the next pulse. If you water the substrate on the side of the enclosure, you can see how far it percolates through the soil.
 

Poonjab

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Put it in appropriate setup and it’ll be content
 

Uial

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Being less shy or scared. When the T's arrive in a new environment they are often scared of the light and vibrations sitting all scrunched up. When they eat normally, and don't get all scared or defensive each time you change the water. Though I only have NW's, and don't know if there are OW's which are always defensive and never get used to that. But my L.p and my A.geniculata were very defensive the first few weeks, but as they got used to their enclosures, they relaxed considerably. They were so scary and fast, and they are so chill now.
 

Ian14

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Being less shy or scared. When the T's arrive in a new environment they are often scared of the light and vibrations sitting all scrunched up. When they eat normally, and don't get all scared or defensive each time you change the water. Though I only have NW's, and don't know if there are OW's which are always defensive and never get used to that. But my L.p and my A.geniculata were very defensive the first few weeks, but as they got used to their enclosures, they relaxed considerably. They were so scary and fast, and they are so chill now.
I would disagree.
These are wild animals no matter how many generations of captive breeding. They don't have the ability to understand that they are safe in their enclosure so will always display natural behaviour.
 

Uial

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I could be wrong. I only know that they did threat poses every time I opened the enclosure in the first few weeks, and now they do not. This could have other reasons, maybe they were just super stressed before.
 

Storm76

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There are the "petrocks" (which really describes most tarantulas honestly) which usually means NW terrestrials of ample size (~5"+) that hardly move. Does the term "ambush predator" mean something to you? If not, you didn't do your homework, as the majority of T's are. There are some that are more "active" (and not all activity is a sign of bad husbandry by the way - stop putting everyone in the same drawer!) and do things that may seem a bit out of the way for them, but generally speaking a "content" tarantula is one that behaves just as the majority of their species does kept by others.

Behavior in the wild / captivity can (and in certain cases will) vary to a degree. That has been witnessed and described a thousand times over and I won't get into it. But as an example for the above, take your run-of-the-mill Grammostola pulchripes adult female and compare it to an Acanthoscurria geniculata adult female. Both are NW. Both grow rather big. But they are entirely different behavior-wise generally! The G. pulchripes usually are "petrocks" and while many A. genics fall into that category, you will have the oddballs that are a lot more active. Ripping out plants, turning their waterdish over, digging through the entire enclosure - you name it!

And oh I know - many will say "because the T isn't content, silly". Except that...it is. Because, once again, you cannot toss them all into the same pot and those that have more than 1 of the same species, have kept them for years, raised them from tiny slings to their glorious adult sizes, those of us can say without a doubt that every single T is different and aside their basic instincts, has their own personality.

Bottom line here: Not all out-of-the-ordinary behavior is displayed by a "stressed T" - some specimens are just more active than others. Mistakes in husbandry excluded, of course!
 
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