Need advice for feeding burrowed Brachipelma

[Luxus]

Hi folks

I got a Brachypelma Albopilosum 4 days ago. So far she seems to be a bit stressed with her new, bigger enclosure and has burrowed herself under a cork bark. She has dig out quite a big cave all that is left is a small hole in the back of her enclosure where I can see inside her cave.

She doesn't seem to be in pre-molt (has eaten 2 days ago, not sluggish) so I'm planning on continuing to do so if she's hungry and doesn't show any other signs.

Now to my question: Should I let the cricket that I'm feeding her roam in the enclosure for a bit or simply drop it down into her hole? I'm kinda worried that if she won't eat it I'll have to go and open up the hole to get it out again since the cricket won't be able to climb up from it because it simply goes straight down. I don't want to stress her out by opening up her cave.

Any advice?

 

[MassExodus]

I never open the tunnels when they block them off. It's just not a good idea, in my opinion, regardless of whether the tarantula might be in pre molt. You could drop one in the enclosure and remove it after a few hours if she doesn't come up for it, or you can wait until she displays hunting behavior, which is facing the opening to her burrow with legs extended, or she might come out looking for food. Either way, she ate four days ago and she looks fat and sassy, so you have time to observe her and decide. Good looking spider, and most albopilosums grow out of burrowing pretty fast..well, if albopilosums do anything fast..

 

[Enn49]

That is what B. albopilosums do. You don't say how big yours is but they tend to burrow until they reach around 1-2" when they start to spend most of their time on the surface. Don't put food down its burrow just in case it is in premoult, just drop it in the container and leave it, if its not eaten after 24 hours then remove it.

 

[Luxus]

She seems to be bigger than 2 inch, maybe 2.5. She's 7 years old if that helps no idea since this is my first T and I had little experience with them yet.

On a related side note, how do you measure how big your T is. By guessing?

Thanks for the info.

 

[MassExodus]

She seems to be bigger than 2 inch, maybe 2.5. She's 7 years old if that helps no idea since this is my first T and I had little experience with them yet.

On a related side note, how do you measure how big your T is. By guessing?

Thanks for the info.

Most people go by DLS, diagonal leg span. I measure mine by holding a ruler over them or laying it in the enclosure and maneuvering the spider over it. Rested position, not stretched fully out. But you can guestimate pretty close just by looking. At 7 years she should be 5 or 6 inches in legspan.

 

[Zurchiboy]

My suggestion would be to use somethin light that you can touch the entrance and make it vibrate to try and coarse the T to come out. Then feed it also if it's hungry just placing the prey next to it should grab it's attention and it will come out and snag it. My b smithi sling dwells in a burrow and these two techniques have worked well for me. My sling has gone 2 months without a meal before and was only 1/2 inch before it molted. I wouldn't worry since larger Ts can go longer than slings without eating.

 

[Luxus]

My suggestion would be to use somethin light that you can touch the entrance and make it vibrate to try and coarse the T to come out. Then feed it also if it's hungry just placing the prey next to it should grab it's attention and it will come out and snag it. My b smithi sling dwells in a burrow and these two techniques have worked well for me. My sling has gone 2 months without a meal before and was only 1/2 inch before it molted. I wouldn't worry since larger Ts can go longer than slings without eating.

Cool, thanks for the tip. I'll remember it for the future. I'll be on the lookout for something like a long straw, something that can't hurt the tarantula in case she attacks it.

In the meanwhile since the last post she finally came out of her den. I guess it really just was the stress of adapting to her new habitat.

By the way, are you from züri?

 

[Zurchiboy]

No. I live in the US. But some of my ancestors come from Switzerland. Tarantulaaddict has a good video on YouTube on how to "tickle" your tarantula to come out.

 

[Luxus]

For the future search-lazy people.

 

[kormath]

i use makeup brushes. softer than paint brushes (unless you get the ungodly expensive ones) and since using those i've never had a T flick hairs. previous when using a straw or something similar they'd flick all the time.

I can't wait till my little albo's grow large enough they spend time out in the open