Arboreal dangers for a tiny climber

[spider4747]

the piece of wood in the enclosure of my Trinidad Chevron is placed on the wider side but this does little to assure me that the wood won't fall and kill my baby. I'm thinking of alternatives, maybe even some kind of wood 'wallpaper' she can climb on the inside instead of something shakey and unstable?


edit; The slim size of the enclosure wouldn't let the wood fall flat, it negates the threat of being squashed indefinitely or at least minimalizes it. i suspect this species to take falling better but wouldn't test it.

 

[Meludox]

Maybe hot-glue the wood to the inside of the enclosure? That's what I do with all of my arboreal setups.

 

[~8-legz~]

just lean the wood over so that it lays against the side maybe?

 

[spider4747]

its already like that, just that too much movement can make it lean to the other side.

 

[~8-legz~]

can you upload a pic?

 

[spider4747]

Its not the best picture, but as you can see she could even have something taller to climb. she does cling to the plastic side.

 

[Meludox]

Maybe hot-glue the wood to the inside of the enclosure?

 

[spider4747]

Yes. I just need to garner the courage to move her. the piece of wood makes it easier. I'll use my hands if she jumps on the table though, she seems flightier than she is aggressive.



Today after I noticed the humidity has collected well in the enclosure (I took her water cap out because I feel it needs to dry a bit) she started working on closing off her 'cave' with webs. I'm gonna avoid any extra water for a while till she dries out (theres hardly any space to move the cap without spilling it into the soil even with the feeder tongs I bought for my Ball Python (like i need feeding tongs there!).

 

[Entity]

yeah im with meludox. if u think its gonna fall then i would hotglue that bad boy in a spot or 2.

 

[spider4747]

I don't think its gonna fall.it doesn't move unless I tamper the enclosure to give her a look.

 

[swimbait]

If you don't think it is going to fall then what is the point of this thread? Also the fact that your enclosure got so moist from a water cap being in it tells me there isn't enough ventilation. As does the picture of it being in a glass enclosure with the only potential for ventilation being at the top of that clay pot that is the lid? I would personally rehouse into something made out of plastic or acrylic that allows for holes to be drilled and cross ventilation to be provided. Stuffyness can kill any tarantula, not just avics. If you opt to keep it in that enclosure, I would add something up top for an anchor point for web, like a fake plant glued to the side.

 

[spider4747]

It got moist because I spilled 4 cap fuls in a day. Either way I carved the holes wider and put a fourth one on the plastic pot.

 

[kormath]

It got moist because I spilled 4 cap fuls in a day. Either way I carved the holes wider and put a fourth one on the plastic pot.

I still don't think that's enough ventilation for any T. I'm with @swimbait on this one.

 

[swimbait]

Every single species I own has cross ventilation, even the burrowers.

 

[Will]

I know people who only use old fish tanks so every single species they own has no cross ventilation (not saying that you shouldn't have any cross ventilation btw, just that it's not life-or-death)

 

[rénee]

I would add more cross ventilation also. Here's what I did to mine.. I poked 90 holes all around and then I also poked 16 bigger holes on the top, but the holes were too big so I also hot glued a very fine mesh screen so its legs couldn't get through.

 

[spider4747]

The holes are on the side so it is cross ventilated. The holes are less in number but bigger than the 6 holes on the plastic enclosure I was using. Idon't see the problem with the current set up since i'm sure one or two of these holes is big enough for a cricket to escape. I could just carve two more in.



Edit: I put 3 more in.

How do you poke holes into the plastic? Do you heat up a rod and just stick it? The plastic of the pot is easier to just spin the tip of the blade until it opens big enough

 

[rénee]

If the holes are big enough for crickets to escape what about your T getting out, or getting stuck? Not sure the size of your T or the size of cricket your feeding, and not saying that this could happen, we just wouldn't want it too.

 

[swimbait]

I know people who only use old fish tanks so every single species they own has no cross ventilation (not saying that you shouldn't have any cross ventilation btw, just that it's not life-or-death)

Agreed, but those fish tank have an entire side that's ventilation. Much more air flow getting into those than this set up. However, I have several species id personally not house in aquariums

 

[spider4747]

The crickets seem unable to climb the plastic to even reach the holes. The head and body of the tarantula are too wide to go through. If anything I'll duct tape it. Whens the time to move her to a bigger enclosure?