Yikes! My Carlsbad green is very restless!

[JeniHaas]

I have a 16 yr old female Carlsbad green and, despite being terrestrial, every night she climbs up the glass walls of her cage and scrambles about upside down on the screen. I put I'm some extra fissure to climb on but she she remains determined to scale her cage. Any ideas anyone has as to why? Please let. E know ASAP, I'm very worried she hurt herself, although when she falls it's no more than 3" and she usually have a safe landing. Thanks to all for their knowledge!!
-mrs Haas

 

[Nada]

is the sub wet? what is the sub in general? does she have a large hide? How long have you had her? and are you sure she's a female?

 

[JeniHaas]

I've had her for 2 years and she just started doing this a few weeks ago. The sub is Eco earth coconut fiber. I put some plastic tubing for a hide and she dug herself a little trench next to it too. She's def a female or she wouldn't be this old.
Also this behavior she's been displaying only happens at night. Also appears to be webbing a little bit tho she's not building anything in particular.

 

[Nada]

Age is not an indicator of sex, especially with Aphonopelmas. 10-15 year old males are not unheard of.
If the sub is dry, and she has hides, then just let her do her thing. Might she be freshly molted?

 

[JeniHaas]

The previous owner said She molts every two years and she has molted once with us but it was about a year ago so she is not premolt... Her substrate is dry and covered with a thin sheen of web and she has dug a hole for herself and has a plastic tube to hide in. So this night time restlessness could be just her personality?

 

[Nada]

It could be a lot of things. when you say a plastic tube do you mean like a PVC pipe to start her burrow, or her hide is in the tube? If the latter she may not like the tube.. In all reality, when it comes to spiders, we all follow what we think we know. So essentially mimic her Texas home as best you can and let her do her thing otherwise.

 

[JeniHaas]

She has buried under the plastic tube but she also climbs around inside it. So just let it run it course?

 

[Nada]

Pics of the enclosure would help. but yeah, I'd let her do her thing.

 

[Sabeth]

ALL of my terrestrial tarantulas (most of them females) have displayed this behavior, and some do it regularly, it's fine. Just make sure your sub is dry for the arid species and that the cage is not too high.