Why could my stirmi be wandering?

quirinus

quirinus

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Dec 17, 2019
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Hey!

My juvenile but already big female Theraphosa stirmi is in her enclosure for one year. The first half year everything was just normal. After half a year she occasionally started to wander around and to destroy the background. After one more month she went into her hide for premolt and molt. Like 2 months later she came back outside, first behaving normal, then again, started to wander around. She doesn't do it always, but multiple times a day, also during the day. In between she behaves normal. The sub is damp, she got a water dish (can't see in picture) and good ventilation. Temps min 70°F, also wandered in summer when it was hot. She eats every roach i throw in.

I've got a juvenile but already big female T. blondi as well, which i keep exactly the same (same enclosure, same conditions). The blondi is in her enclosure for 3,5 years, without any problems, never saw her wandering.

I know she is a terrestrial T in an exo terra, but as you can see the max height is about 1xDLS. The light looks bright in the picture, but it's not, it's a led stripe.

Any input? Thanks in advance.


stirmi.jpg
 
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Wolfram1

Wolfram1

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i think, like many of the larger theraphosids, they are not entirely bound to one burrow and will explore their surroundings for better alternatives occasionally

i know my L. parahybana starts wandering and trying to escape for a few days every summer. like clockwork.

not directly related, but this is very interesting:
 
quirinus

quirinus

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fcat said:
Did you confirm sex via exuvia/molt?
Click to expand...
no, but it's for sure not a mature male and i got it from someone i trust. but true, it's not 100% sure that it's female.

kingshockey said:
maybe it just wants more space .or location to dig out a deeper/lager burrow
Click to expand...
Wolfram1 said:
i think, like many of the larger theraphosids, they are not entirely bound to one burrow and will explore their surroundings for better alternatives occasionally
i know my L. parahybana starts wandering and trying to escape for a few days every summer. like clockwork.
Click to expand...
ok, thank you both for your replies!
that would mean i must watch her wander, that's sad actually.
the enclosure is roughly 18x18 inches und there would be enough sub to dig.
 
Charliemum

Charliemum

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quirinus said:
Hey!

My juvenile but already big female Theraphosa stirmi is in her enclosure for one year. The first half year everything was just normal. After half a year she occasionally started to wander around and to destroy the background. After one more month she went into her hide for premolt and molt. Like 2 months later she came back outside, first behaving normal, then again, started to wander around. She doesn't do it always, but multiple times a day, also during the day. In between she behaves normal. The sub is damp, she got a water dish (can't see in picture) and good ventilation. Temps min 70°F, also wandered in summer when it was hot. She eats every roach i throw in.

I've got a juvenile but already big female T. blondi as well, which i keep exactly the same (same enclosure, same conditions). The blondi is in her enclosure for 3,5 years, without any problems, never saw her wandering.

I know she is a terrestrial T in an exo terra, but as you can see the max height is about 1xDLS. The light looks bright in the picture, but it's not, it's a led stripe.

Any input? Thanks in advance.


View attachment 489464
Click to expand...
I only keep 1 female blondi but the SO has I think close to 40 Theraphosa females,(he is always buying new females I can't keep up 😆) they do wonder, they are super destructive, and on more then one occasion he has to remove them from their roofs. She maybe looking for somewhere new to burrow, she may just be bored hence the destruction.
I know this isn't a popular opinion but Theraphosa are quite intelligent, my SO experimented by giving them balls and new stuff in their vivs dishes plastic plants ect , they all played with the balls and whatever he put in their viv they investigated moved about ect, it was a fun experiment and interesting to see how much they interacted with the stuff in their vivs, maybe try giving her something to investigate, it may help stop her pulling the bk apart 🤷🏻‍♀️.
 
A

AphonopelmaTX

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Theraphosa stirmi can be just as sedentary and reclusive as any obligate burrower can be provided the conditions are correct. Occasional wandering is nothing to be concerned about, but chronic pacing, climbing, and pushing at the lid indicates inadequate conditions for the tarantula even if looks correct. This is true for all tarantulas, not just a Theraphosa species. Theraphosa species are the giants of the tropical rainforests of northeast South America. They need big enclosures with big hides and consistently damp soil to live on/ in.

The last T. stirmi male/ female pair I had were housed individually in a large clear plastic storage box measuring 27 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 12 inches tall with just enough ventilation holes drilled into the lid and along the top edge of the box to allow it to dry out in about 2 weeks. It was filled half-way with wet soil comprising of half cocofiber and half topsoil. The hide was a wooden half-log measuring about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide and buried in the soil just enough so that the tarantula could casually stroll in and out. Definitely not buried so much that the top of the half-log was close to level with the surface of the soil. A water dish was provided with a diameter about equal to the width of the carapace. Both female and male (prior to maturity) lived reclusively and hardly ever came out of its half-log, but either one would occasionally come all the way out for a nice stroll about the container and ultimately went back into hiding. I knew when it was time to water the soil again when they stayed in their logs scrunched up and refused to eat. That indicated conditions were too dry. Using a watering can I rewetted the soil until it was nice and wet again then they came half way out of their logs, laid flat on the wet soil, and were ready to eat again. Specific humidity, moisture content of the soil, and temperatures were never looked for. However, using a thermohygrometer with probe I was able to determine that after watering humidity spiked to 100% for days and optimal temperature (judged by feeding ferocity, frequency, and an observable daily pattern of behavior) was around 75 degrees F (give or take a few degrees F). The lowest relative humidity I measured was around 60% inside the boxes, but ultimately what the tarantulas were looking for was wet soil. I think it goes without saying that these were a maintenance nightmare. Keeping anything in a warm and wet environment is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, mold, mites, etc. but how I avoided all of that was to let the containers dry out completely, while maintaining a clean water dish, and let the tarantulas suffer with the dryness for a week or two before rewetting.

Unfortunately, no one is going to be able to tell you why any one specific tarantula is wandering from a photo, video, or written description. These things have to be troubleshot over time to find out what it is the tarantula needs but is lacking in their captive setup. I outlined how I kept my Theraphosa stirmi for years without seeing any kind of constant wandering or climbing so maybe it will help with the troubleshooting process.
 
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