White Knee Climbing Everywhere

[cpagan1704]

I just got an an ancanthoscurria geniculate and I am having trouble with her climbing. I have the same substrate she was housed in previously (eco earth) but she still wants to stay on the walls and top! I have a 20'' x 10'' critter cage with the mesh top and she's crawling onto the underside of the cage! I made sure I stacked her substrate high enough that she wouldn't have a major fall but still she is in danger of one of her legs being ripped off if she gets caught. I have done a few things; I've mixed eco earth with reptile bark on one end to give her a different surface, I have put some plants in the corners and I also have some cork bark stacked about giving her different floor levels and textures and as we speak she's upside down! I just got her yesterday so is this normal behavior for a tarantula investigating their new surroundings? I have researched and have gotten so many different explanations. I have never really delt with an issue like this before and I am relatively new to the hobby so I haven't had experience with many species. Her being a terrestrial doesn't seem right she's wanting to spend so much time off the ground. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix this? feedback appreciated so much thanks.

 

[Zeezums]

First thing: no bark. Ever. Take it out!

If she is new to the enclosure, give her about a week to settle in. If she doesn't come down:

is the substrate damp? This particular T doesn't like much moisture, so it could be climbing to avoid standing on it.
Also, you may have too much stuff in there... Supply a hide and water dish and that's you.

Hope everything works out! Don't stress your Ts too much... They'll do whatever they want whenever they want. Maybe your geniculata thinks its arboreal

 

[cpagan1704]

Thanks so much! I woke up this morning and she is chilling under her hide, which is cork bark not real bark and I have heard that is safe, agree? She has even done some webbing over night and is starting to make a curtain in the front of her hide. I'm taking some things out today that I pretty much just used to make the sides as high as possible because of her arboreal escapades last night, I didn't have anymore substrate and still has about a 3'' gap between the end of her leg span and the ground. So she is now realizing she is a terrestrial T and is settling in nicely now. Thanks again for the suggestion!

 

[Bugmom]

I think you may have went a bit overboard with stuff in the tank. This is how my genic is set up, and she rarely climbs. Also, they DO like humidity. Don't keep it dry! Try to keep one side of the tank not wet, but just a bit moist. I usually just overfill the water dish when I refill water, I do this 1-2 times a week.

 

[rob0t]

First thing: no bark. Ever. Take it out!

Curious why you say this? I have cork bark in almost all of my enclosures without issue and I know plenty of other people use it.

 

[Zeezums]

Curious why you say this? I have cork bark in almost all of my enclosures without issue and I know plenty of other people use it.

I'm talking about the bark substrate the OP said he was using. Cork bark is different than shredded bark.

 

[rob0t]

Ah gotcha. Yeah that stuff sucks.

 

[Stan Schultz]

I just got an an ancanthoscurria geniculate and I am having trouble with her climbing. I have the same substrate she was housed in previously (eco earth) but she still wants to stay on the walls and top! ... What am I doing wrong and how can I fix this? feedback appreciated so much thanks.

Read Substrate.

Then, be patient. Give it a chance to get used to its new cage.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

looks rather thin legged to be a female? is it sexed :biggrin:
once it gets used to cage it wont climb much unless its a male

 

[Bugmom]

looks rather thin legged to be a female? is it sexed :biggrin:
once it gets used to cage it wont climb much unless its a male

Where are you seeing a picture of cpagan1704's genic?

Blame Tapatalk + "smart" phone for the typos kthnx

 

[MarkmD]

I don't understand why people use bark for substrate, who ever came up with that idea wasn't very smart, To OP just keep it a little humid from an overflowed water dish as Bugmom suggested, the easy thing to do is keep it simple to begin with, good substrate, hide and water dish, then as you start understanding your T then add decorations as you see fit, or you can add what you want just make sure it's got its main things, water,hide,sub, sure you know this already so I won't say any more.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Where are you seeing a picture of cpagan1704's genic?

Blame Tapatalk + "smart" phone for the typos kthnx

OOPS I saw a picture of bug-mom's and thought it was the OP's
My bad

Wet substrate makes T's that likes Dry substrate climb typically

 

[bravesfan]

I think you may have went a bit overboard with stuff in the tank. This is how my genic is set up, and she rarely climbs. Also, they DO like humidity. Don't keep it dry! Try to keep one side of the tank not wet, but just a bit moist. I usually just overfill the water dish when I refill water, I do this 1-2 times a week.

I love your "little" girl did you get her as a sling? I have a .5 sling and was wondering on their growth rate, how long did it take for her to get to this size?

---------- Post added 02-25-2013 at 04:40 PM ----------


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[Bugmom]

I love your "little" girl did you get her as a sling? I have a .5 sling and was wondering on their growth rate, how long did it take for her to get to this size?

---------- Post added 02-25-2013 at 04:40 PM ----------

[

No, she was around 5.5-6" when I picked her up. She's molted once and is 6.5-7" now (when she actually stretches out). I don't know what genic growth rate is like from personal experience, but I want to say they aren't slow growers.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Growth is VERY fast my A brocklehursti is 5" inches and pre molt in 2-3 years ! and female God I love the T hobby
Watching these spiders grow is so great!

 

[cpagan1704]

She seems to be a lot happier and she's staying on the ground. I just fixed her enclosure this morning (I didn't want to bug her yesterday because of all the stress she just want through). I don't have experience with this species, I have delt with beginner spiders like rose hairs but I decided to try something new. I believe the store owner may have been mistaken about her being a ancanthoscurria geniculate though. Like I said I am not experienced with this species yet but she seems more like a Nhandu caraponensis/Acanthoscurria. She has some red on her rump. I will try to upload a pic but right now she is being very aggressive. When I went to get her out of her cage she postured and now she is really pissed off. I'm going to give her a few hours to settle down from the move and see if she wants to eat. Hopefully this won't be her permanent mood, like I said I was under the impression the white knee was more docile but I know that every broad temperament given to the species doesn't always hold up with each individual.

 

[Bugmom]

A. geniculata is more often aggressive than not, judging by those of us here that keep them. Mine is my most aggressive T by far.
If you follow the links in my signature, you can see better pics of mine. That should help you decide if she's a genic or not. She could also be an Acanthoscurria brocklehursti (however that's spelled). They look very similar to geniculatas.

Blame Tapatalk + "smart" phone for the typos kthnx

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

yeah my A. brocklehursti is extremely aggressive , I will not put hand anywhere near it.
+ its hairs irritate me badly

 

[cpagan1704]

Thanks bugmom that's what she looks like. I am just leaving her alone for the rest of the day so I'm not going to try and take a pic. I was able to hold her at the place I got her at and when I first got her home but now she just isn't having it. I think the fact that she was kept in a smaller critter cage at the shop and now having her in a bigger tank is effecting her. I think she might be feeling exposed and therefore more aggressive. I'm not even going to attempt to put her in a smaller tank especially any time soon. Plus the tank really isn't all that big so she just needs some time to get use to it I'm sure. I did have a question though do u use any kind of heat for yours? I am in Florida so it doesn't get to cold here, I keep my house around 74 degrees and I do have a spray bottle to mist her down and one side of her enclosure. Is that good for her in your opinion?

---------- Post added 02-26-2013 at 07:12 PM ----------

I just went and looked at some pics of the A. brocklehursti and that is definitely what she is. Much more of a resemblance to the pics I am looking at compared to your girl.

 

[Bugmom]

Thanks bugmom that's what she looks like. I am just leaving her alone for the rest of the day so I'm not going to try and take a pic. I was able to hold her at the place I got her at and when I first got her home but now she just isn't having it. I think the fact that she was kept in a smaller critter cage at the shop and now having her in a bigger tank is effecting her. I think she might be feeling exposed and therefore more aggressive. I'm not even going to attempt to put her in a smaller tank especially any time soon. Plus the tank really isn't all that big so she just needs some time to get use to it I'm sure. I did have a question though do u use any kind of heat for yours? I am in Florida so it doesn't get to cold here, I keep my house around 74 degrees and I do have a spray bottle to mist her down and one side of her enclosure. Is that good for her in your opinion?

---------- Post added 02-26-2013 at 07:12 PM ----------

I just went and looked at some pics of the A. brocklehursti and that is definitely what she is. Much more of a resemblance to the pics I am looking at compared to your girl.

A. brocklehursti has thinner white bands on the legs.

I don't use any heat for any of my T's, and it can get down to I'd say around 65 in the part of the house they are in. You can mist if you want for humidity; I don't, it just makes her mad. I overfill the water dish, and just pour in a bit of water in some other spots on the side of her tank near that log. She will sit on the moist spots when she wants more humidity, I've noticed. I try to keep a spot in the tank moist for her for that reason.