Why do tarantulas put dirt in their water dish?

[SteveIDDQD]

No one knows, but I suspect once science has put the time in to answer this riddle, the answer will be 42.

 

[SonsofArachne]

the answer will be 42

Nice Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

So far I've yet to get a spider who moves substrate into her dish, should I count my blessings?

 

[Isaax Critterz]

Its either the toilet or the toilet BOWL. Drink or po-

 

[kingshockey]

they just do probably for the same reason some steal the dish and drag it underground

 

[biteybitey]

My T. Albo is my serial water dish filler. Always mounds of dirt after I refill. Maybe I will do the experiment mentioned and switch the position of the dish and see if she will fill it up again

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

My T. Albo is my serial water dish filler. Always mounds of dirt after I refill. Maybe I will do the experiment mentioned and switch the position of the dish and see if she will fill it up again

I’ve had to use multiple water dishes after losing a spider or two over the many years to dehydration. Can’t risk them burying their water supply .. I’ve yet to see a spider bury all 2-3 dishes .

 

[kingshockey]

Mine poops in the dish almost every time i clean it out or refill it

 

[biteybitey]

I just remembered my fireleg brought its water dish inside the hide. I didn’t bother to retrieve it anymore

 

[jennywallace]

Yeah many of mine either bury, turn over or defecate in their water dishes. To be fair to them though, it's interesting watching them doing their thing

 

[Introvertebrate]

The problem is, if they're venomous, you'd prefer not to have to go in there and mess with the dish. I've figured out a way to keep it relatively clean with a trap door and some makeshift wire tools. I refill the water with a syringe.

 

[Kada]

In the wild they also have more space and importantly they usually have dew every day to drink. Aside from other sources, night time cooling temps and condensation is often fairly consistent. A very confined space with a fresh dish of water covering a significant portion of the space they can possibly utilize isnt exactly natural nor how they evolved As such, I wouldn't put the weird label on them, rather us and how we keep them. In this way, we must accept that part of our job is changing the water dish. A small compromise considering how much we alter their living conditions.