What are your experiences with a. seemanni?

melindaleigh

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 12, 2019
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0
So I had a t. blondi for a long time with no problems. It was already pretty old when I got it from a friend. She died years ago. Either way I just decided to get another T on an impulse because I have some knowledge/ experience with T’s. I knew a relatively decent amount about a. seemanni (not an expert by any means). I noticed one in a pet store that was clearly in need of some maintenance. It’s abdomen was noticeably shriveled. So sure enough with some TLC it’s recovered from dehydration. Now I’ve always known them to be burrowers.. this one however is a constant climber. I <poop> you not it will climb & let go. It’s seemingly intentional. So I added more substrate & dampened it in hopes that it’ll burrow & stop climbing as much. Plus she (pretty sure it’s a she by looking at the epigastric furrow) won’t have to fall near as far.. Have you guys encountered a hell bent on climbing a seemanni? What have been your experiences with them? Anything strange they’ve done that your other T’s haven’t? Also feel free to give me your pointers. I’ve never owned one of this species so I’m open to insights.
 
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GalacticFurai

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
Messages
2
My seemanni usually just crawls around, doing nothing after I feed her. Sometimes (hasnt tried for a while) she'll try to climb and get out, but soon realizes she cant and she'll crawl back down. If she doesn't get food for a while or when she just feels like it, she'll go into her burrow and just sit there, digging or doing nothing.
She put up a do not disturb sign last week so I'm hoping for a molt, and she might stay down there for weeks.
Just your normal seemanni, half fossorial, quarter terrestrial and quarter attempting to morph into a seemanni-Avicularia. Seevicularia? Avicumanni?
 

arachnidgill

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
180
A. seemanni and fossorials in general can take longer to adjust to their new enclosure. I housed my 5" female on 6"-7" of slightly moist substrate with a starter burrow under a piece of cork bark. She used the starter burrow but it took 7 months to expand it to her liking, it's now full of tunnels. If you post a picture of the enclosure it will be easier for us to give you tips. Post a pic of the tarantula as well, just in case it's a mature male.
 

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
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Mar 23, 2011
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Mine have made extensive burrows with multiple entrances, but spend a lot of time out on the surface. I've found them to be more skittish and quick than my US Aphonopelmas. Are you sure the substrate isn't too damp? I just use a water bowl that I overflow occasionally, rather than actual moist substrate.
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
I have one that was a climber. I had her with 4 inches of sub and a cork bark slab. Switched to 8 inches of sub - now she's a pet hole :meh:. I'm going to be rehousing again to a setup I use for fossorials that keeps them both happy and visible - a upside down football (US) display case I get at Hobby Lobby using the black base as a lid, which seems to make them feel secure enough to stay visible.
 

Eukio

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
50
My Aphonopelma seemanni was a climber until she made a deep burrow. Now that she has made a burrow, she has been a pet hole and has been in there for...11 months? It took her months to even begin making her burrow, but once she started, she made the burrow to her liking and hasn't been out. I use a funnel to add humidity here and there into the substrate itself because I was told they are a humidity dependent species. Of course, you don't want to soak the substrate. I can add some pictures of my enclosure if you like.
 
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cold blood

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It's pretty typical for a lot of fossorials to take an extremely long time to acclimate to new enclosures.
 

Vanessa

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I'm also going to go with them not having adjusted yet. I bet they start digging at some point.
 

Colorado Ts

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Oct 16, 2019
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831
My first tarantula was an Aphonopelma seemanii. It was my son's pet originally, but as he grew up, I inherited Terri. I had Terri in my classroom and she was with us for 9 years.

When ever I changed her enclosure or moved her around, she was very unsettled for about a week or so, then she'd settle down. She was pretty fast, fairly clam and a great pet. Her Feed Response was incredible, on feeding days students would hang out to see her getting fed after school.

She would burrow into the substrate until she hit about 4.5 to 5 inches, then mostly she hung out in the open or sitting on top of her hide.
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
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Oct 2, 2004
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I had a female years ago and she was often down her burrow, when she was out, she was defenssive, but usally they are not!
 

TwiztedNinja

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Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
428
Got my juvenile at a reptile store. Took about a week for it to start burrowing and tunneling. Now that it's done, it usually sits at the entrance of the burrow. Skittish and so far, very good eater

I will likely come home with another one this weekend. Love the burrowers :)
 

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Sami

Arachnopeon
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Oct 30, 2014
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12
I have tried very hard to properly house my 4ish" penultimate male A. Seemani, but it is constantly terraforming. Demolished it's water dishes to the point where I've removed them entirely, and I've made many different starter burrows of different depths but he always fills them up. Overall he acts very tortured by his enclosure, is jumpy AF, though not necessarily aggressive. BUT! He is really beautiful, still a bit blue with really pronounced white stripes, and he eats like a champ.

He climbed a lot when he was in a too tiny kritter keeper with not enough burrowing space, so my recommendation is to try and retry making a deep tube like starter burrow for your A. Seemani to hide in, and it should stop climbing. Like, literally put a tube in there to shape it. Good luck.
 

Tim Benzedrine

Prankster Possum
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1,496
Mine is skittish and flicky. It made a burrow, but after moulting down there, she* eventually emerged and I have not seen her* below the surface since.


*Until I know differently for sure, I refer to all of mine using the feminine pronoun.
 

Chuck Z

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 23, 2019
Messages
0
My A. seemanni was a climber until I I gave him a more natural hide. I originally had about 7”-8” of substrate with a large rock with 2 entry holes. He burrowed inside his hide but not very deep and molted. Then he started refusing food and he started climbing like crazy. I rehoused him with the same depth of substrate but this time I positioned a flat cork bark to create a more natural feel. He immediately took refuge under the bark as intended as I already had dug it down slightly under it. Then he burrowed very deep. He has burrowed to the bottom of the enclosure. I have a small opening that I can see him when he is down there. He has not in over 2 months. He is preparing for a molt. I provided a picture of his new enclosure. You’ll notice that he has totally blocked himself in once he burrowed under the bark.
 

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CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
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May 21, 2018
Messages
498
Mine is skittish and takes AGES to acclimate to changes in her environment. She took 2 months to start burrowing when I got her as an adult, but before that she just mashed herself into a corner behind a plant or leaned up against the wall.

Best of luck with your girl settling down :)
 

Suidakkra

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
146
My female is skittish, even with her burrow and tunnels. She comes out though later in the evening and takes a stroll around her enclosure, still climbing slowly up a corner now and then. The minute I enter the room she freezes solid and then warps to her burrow. 70FDAEF0-12C7-40CE-B985-4C545C82A723.JPG
 

Dman

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 17, 2019
Messages
77
So I had a t. blondi for a long time with no problems. It was already pretty old when I got it from a friend. She died years ago. Either way I just decided to get another T on an impulse because I have some knowledge/ experience with T’s. I knew a relatively decent amount about a. seemanni (not an expert by any means). I noticed one in a pet store that was clearly in need of some maintenance. It’s abdomen was noticeably shriveled. So sure enough with some TLC it’s recovered from dehydration. Now I’ve always known them to be burrowers.. this one however is a constant climber. I <poop> you not it will climb & let go. It’s seemingly intentional. So I added more substrate & dampened it in hopes that it’ll burrow & stop climbing as much. Plus she (pretty sure it’s a she by looking at the epigastric furrow) won’t have to fall near as far.. Have you guys encountered a hell bent on climbing a seemanni? What have been your experiences with them? Anything strange they’ve done that your other T’s haven’t? Also feel free to give me your pointers. I’ve never owned one of this species so I’m open to insights.
My A. seemanni is on about 7 inches of moist substrate and has extensive tunnels built and yes, she climbs everywhere and will fall down on purpose also. I just make sure she does not have enough distance to fall and hurt her.
 
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TwiztedNinja

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
428
My A. seemanni is on about 7 inches of moist substrate and has extensive tunnels built and yes, she climbs everywhere and will fall down on purpose also.
Do you moisten the substrate before putting it in the enclosure? Or just spray/overfill water dish?
 
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