A Bit Freaked Out By the Speed

[VanessaS]

So, my juvenile G. pulchripes are freaking me out a bit more than I had expected because they are super fast. When I rehoused the female, who was in a very shallow deli cup (the one about an inch deep and she is 3 inches), she just bolted around. Whenever the lid is off the enclosure - she heads right out the top at high speed. She is an unbelievable explorer.
I have read that this is not defensive behaviour, but I would like someone to confirm for me. She is not acting in the typical defensive manner - no butt in the air, no hair flicking, and no threat posture. The minute I even look in our her - she is already heading to the top of her enclosure ready to escape the minute I open it.
I have gotten into the habit of putting their enclosures inside a huge bowl to make a buffer between an easy escape, but she is able to get to the rim of the bowl before I know it.
Will they calm down as they get closer to being adults? All the videos I have watched of this species, dozens at this point, never show them boogying around as fast as mine do - even the juveniles.
I'm sorry if this is sounding stupid, but I have never had this species or had any tarantula at the juvenile stage. I am always afraid that I am going to miss some tiny, subtle hint that they are just about to bite me. I know the obvious hints, but are there others?
Thanks everyone for being so terrific.
xoxo

 

[MassExodus]

Juvies and slings are often fast and skittish. If you let one crawl out on you I don't think it would bite you, but I don't recommend handling the small, fast ones. Too dangerous for them, if they manage to escape. I always recommend extra clearance from the substrate to the top of the enclosure, to give you a little slack when you open it.

 

[VanessaS]

Thank you. I always take them into the bathroom, close the door, and sit on the floor when I do anything like that. With all the others, working inside that big bowl is sufficient - except for her. Still, a drop from my arm to the floor is about a foot. I was just worried that I wasn't going to catch something they are trying to tell me that might result in a bite.
I hope they calm down eventually since they are going to be huge one day.

 

[MassExodus]

Thank you. I always take them into the bathroom, close the door, and sit on the floor when I do anything like that. With all the others, working inside that big bowl is sufficient - except for her. Still, a drop from my arm to the floor is about a foot. I was just worried that I wasn't going to catch something they are trying to tell me that might result in a bite.
I hope they calm down eventually since they are going to be huge one day.

You should see campbridgei slings..absolutely spastic. My H sp Columbia lg. Were the same. Once they get established in the new digs they quiet down nicely though. I have a pulchripes that's uncommonly mean, and gives no warning or hair kicking before trying to bite, so my opinion is probably jaded about their behavior..

 

[VanessaS]

I have to tell you that I am shocked at this new phenomenon of people wearing tarantulas on their faces. That is the most foolish thing I have ever seen in my life. And not just for the guy wearing the OBT, but also all those people with the NW chubby bottoms, full to the brim with urticating hairs, hovering millimeters from their eyeballs. People comment that they are brave, but that isn't what I would call doing that.
I guess I'm just old and not cool anymore. I still play my music too loud if that makes up for it.

 

[Phil]

So, my juvenile G. pulchripes are freaking me out a bit more than I had expected because they are super fast. When I rehoused the female, who was in a very shallow deli cup (the one about an inch deep and she is 3 inches), she just bolted around. Whenever the lid is off the enclosure - she heads right out the top at high speed. She is an unbelievable explorer.
I have read that this is not defensive behaviour, but I would like someone to confirm for me. She is not acting in the typical defensive manner - no butt in the air, no hair flicking, and no threat posture. The minute I even look in our her - she is already heading to the top of her enclosure ready to escape the minute I open it.
I have gotten into the habit of putting their enclosures inside a huge bowl to make a buffer between an easy escape, but she is able to get to the rim of the bowl before I know it.
Will they calm down as they get closer to being adults? All the videos I have watched of this species, dozens at this point, never show them boogying around as fast as mine do - even the juveniles.
I'm sorry if this is sounding stupid, but I have never had this species or had any tarantula at the juvenile stage. I am always afraid that I am going to miss some tiny, subtle hint that they are just about to bite me. I know the obvious hints, but are there others?
Thanks everyone for being so terrific.
xoxo

My P.metalica slings are totally turbo charged! It's a battle of faster finger first to get food in before they escape. I have noticed (read about it but never really experienced it with the others I had), that they are uber sensitive to light and this deffo seems to be the case with my 3 P. Metallica slings. Do you shine a torch or anything prior to opening and feeding as this may be something to consider eradicating?

 

[Phil]

I have to tell you that I am shocked at this new phenomenon of people wearing tarantulas on their faces. That is the most foolish thing I have ever seen in my life. And not just for the guy wearing the OBT, but also all those people with the NW chubby bottoms, full to the brim with urticating hairs, hovering millimeters from their eyeballs. People comment that they are brave, but that isn't what I would call doing that.
I guess I'm just old and not cool anymore. I still play my music too loud if that makes up for it.

Fine line between bravery and stupidity! I also suspect there is a fair degree of uneducated thrown in there too. Trouble is with all the desire to outdo each other on social media sites, only one outcome. So let's get a bulk load of "I told you so" T shirts and wear them with pride once one of the idiots gets what they deserve. No offence to anyone who thinks recreating the scene from Alien when John Hurt has a face hugger as being cool. No actually......,scrap that, you are still an idiot if you do it and don't deserve to own these wonderful creatures. Rant over.

 

[VanessaS]

My P.metalica slings are totally turbo charged! It's a battle of faster finger first to get food in before they escape. I have noticed (read about it but never really experienced it with the others I had), that they are uber sensitive to light and this deffo seems to be the case with my 3 P. Metallica slings. Do you shine a torch or anything prior to opening and feeding as this may be something to consider eradicating?

I have used the camera flash, but she was behaving that way before I even picked the camera up at all. The guy I got them from did say that they were speedy, but never gave him any threat behaviour. She was already trying to escape right from the start, before I even started taking photos of her.
I never used a flashlight or anything, just regular light from the bathroom fixture and that isn't that horribly bright.

 

[kormath]

My G. pulchripes is calm and docile. One of the ones I enjoy to handle. I've never seen her bolt. She's also only 1/2" or so dls. Hopefully she doesn't get skittish as a juvie.

 

[Kymura]

Mine is almost an inch and a half DLS (finally) (s)he is skittish but never defensive,
(s)he was reclusive at first and I honestly thought I was going to lose her,
she walked oddly and didn't eat well (or at all) for a long time. Called her my rosea in training.
Wouldn't have been an issue but she was kind of thin from not eating.
She picked up after her last molt and stays out all the time now, eats well,
nice plump abdomen. Hides if (s)he figures out you're watching her though lol.

 

[MassExodus]

One

Mine is almost an inch and a half DLS (finally) (s)he is skittish but never defensive,
(s)he was reclusive at first and I honestly thought I was going to lose her,
she walked oddly and didn't eat well (or at all) for a long time. Called her my rosea in training.
Wouldn't have been an issue but she was kind of thin from not eating.
She picked up after her last molt and stays out all the time now, eats well,
nice plump abdomen. Hides if (s)he figures out you're watching her though lol.

Glad she's doing better. Few more molts and she'll be a perfect miniature of her adult form. They're fantastic after a molt, the pink tips on the hairs really stand out. I'm so glad mine turned out to be female. Now she has years to find a way to escape and murder me in my sleep.

 

[Phil]

I have used the camera flash, but she was behaving that way before I even picked the camera up at all. The guy I got them from did say that they were speedy, but never gave him any threat behaviour. She was already trying to escape right from the start, before I even started taking photos of her.
I never used a flashlight or anything, just regular light from the bathroom fixture and that isn't that horribly bright.

Is it a substrate thing? Have you kept it the same from previous owner? That's the only other thing I can think of, unless it just fancies a change of scenery.....lol

 

[VanessaS]

Is it a substrate thing? Have you kept it the same from previous owner? That's the only other thing I can think of, unless it just fancies a change of scenery.....lol

She was in a tiny 8oz deli cup with very old substrate full of silk and old moults. I didn't reuse any of it and I have put her in a larger enclosure with clean substrate.
She seems to be happy and is digging around a bit, but not a lot.

 

[Phil]

She was in a tiny 8oz deli cup with very old substrate full of silk and old moults. I didn't reuse any of it and I have put her in a larger enclosure with clean substrate.
She seems to be happy and is digging around a bit, but not a lot.

That sounds good. Must just be a bit of a lone wolf and likes to his own thang....will probably settle ☺

 

[VanessaS]

I can't get over how gorgeous she is... they both are. They're stunning little creatures.

 

[MassExodus]

They are good looking spiders. Good growth rate, and they get big. Can't go wrong with this sp.

 

[Entity]

i agree!
cant go wrong with them. beautuful!

I dont know mass id like to see a campbridgei and OBT race.

 

[MassExodus]

i agree!
cant go wrong with them. beautuful!

I dont know mass id like to see a campbridgei and OBT race.

Oh, the campbridgei, hands down. Obts are fast for terrestrials, as are C lividus. But not like pcams or Poecis Maybe I should send you my lividus with the roaches..lol. Unpredictable, Thy name is lividus .

 

[Entity]

Oh, the campbridgei, hands down. Obts are fast for terrestrials, as are C lividus. But not like pcams or Poecis Maybe I should send you my lividus with the roaches..lol. Unpredictable, Thy name is lividus .

gotcha....lol maybe ur should send it when u send the roaches....i agree! lol

 

[MassExodus]

gotcha....lol maybe ur should send it when u send the roaches....i agree! lol

You know I thought about getting rid of my burrowers. I have a female C marshalli as well. But now my lividus has a better burrow, and sits right in the doorway, looking badass. She's too pretty to let go This has always been my terrorist as far as re housing mine. She'll Go from a standstill to maniac mode in a heartbeat. You ever see the way a jumping spider runs on a flat surface? Hops and bounds. Quick ones. And once she starts she doesn't want to stop Good times baby.