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Brachypelma auratum

Jess S

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I thought I'd start a thread on one of my latest acquisitions, my tiny 1cm B. auratum, who, from the second I first housed it 4 days ago, is trying it's damnest to escape!

The first day, I watched it do laps around the sides of the enclosure, trying to stick a leg or a pedipalp through the tiny airholes. And not just out of curiousity either. It was making a concerted attempt at it, it's whole body tensed and involved in trying to fit more than half a leg through! Thank goodness the airholes are too small or I'd have lost it by now. The lid is airtight too.

It's been up to the same again tonight. It managed half a leg out of one. I know it can't get out but it was still disconcerting to see the leg waving out on my side of the enclosure. It's now up by the lid checking for weaknesses. What's going on with it? Does it miss it's Mexican Mommy?!! Lol

I'm worried it'll injure itself doing this. I'm also a bit put out that I've made it a lovely little enclosure, same as my other slings who are all well settled, and all the ungrateful little beep wants is to escape from it.

The substrate is more on the dry side. It's certainly not damp, that's not the reason it's up on the sides planning the Great Escape. I've overfilled the tiny waterbowl so there is a moist side and a dry side for it to choose where it wants to be. It has a lovely corkbark hide, plenty of (tiny) ventilation holes. Plus it's fed. What more could the little ingrate want? Me to hang a bloody sombrero from the lid and a Mexican flag to make the little sod feel more at home?!!

I'm just wondering has anyone else experienced this with auratums or any other species, and did they find a solution or did the tarantula eventually settle down?

Any thoughts from anyone no matter how 'out there' you may feel they are, would be gratefully received because all I want is for the little guy to settle. I have observed this behaviour from some of my albopilosums when I first housed them but they had settled within 24 hours. This has been going on 4 days!!

IMG_20190930_004735.jpg
 

Enn49

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They certainly seem to be cheeky little Ts. I have mine in a 1" vial still although it will be moved to a bigger container soon. The first few days it stayed in top of the sub but eventually it burrowed but it still appears on top most days.
 

Jess S

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You'e given me an idea @Enn49. If it doesn't settle, I'll rehouse into a vial. See if I can get it to go down instead of up! Maybe the enclosure is too big and it doesn't feel secure, which was why I gave it a bigger hide. Maybe in a smaller enclosure it will be forced into burrowing behaviour and use its energy that way.
I certainly agree it's a cheeky one! Compared to the smithi I had at the same time (which is a little bigger) it's a much cheekier, braver tarantula. The weird thing is when I lift the lid, it's the smithi whose bolted (ran across my kitchen worktop the other day!), the auratum stays put!
 

AndrewClayton

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Wishaw, Scotland
I thought I'd start a thread on one of my latest acquisitions, my tiny 1cm B. auratum, who, from the second I first housed it 4 days ago, is trying it's damnest to escape!

The first day, I watched it do laps around the sides of the enclosure, trying to stick a leg or a pedipalp through the tiny airholes. And not just out of curiousity either. It was making a concerted attempt at it, it's whole body tensed and involved in trying to fit more than half a leg through! Thank goodness the airholes are too small or I'd have lost it by now. The lid is airtight too.

It's been up to the same again tonight. It managed half a leg out of one. I know it can't get out but it was still disconcerting to see the leg waving out on my side of the enclosure. It's now up by the lid checking for weaknesses. What's going on with it? Does it miss it's Mexican Mommy?!! Lol

I'm worried it'll injure itself doing this. I'm also a bit put out that I've made it a lovely little enclosure, same as my other slings who are all well settled, and all the ungrateful little beep wants is to escape from it.

The substrate is more on the dry side. It's certainly not damp, that's not the reason it's up on the sides planning the Great Escape. I've overfilled the tiny waterbowl so there is a moist side and a dry side for it to choose where it wants to be. It has a lovely corkbark hide, plenty of (tiny) ventilation holes. Plus it's fed. What more could the little ingrate want? Me to hang a bloody sombrero from the lid and a Mexican flag to make the little sod feel more at home?!!

I'm just wondering has anyone else experienced this with auratums or any other species, and did they find a solution or did the tarantula eventually settle down?

Any thoughts from anyone no matter how 'out there' you may feel they are, would be gratefully received because all I want is for the little guy to settle. I have observed this behaviour from some of my albopilosums when I first housed them but they had settled within 24 hours. This has been going on 4 days!!

View attachment 41078
I use the exact same containers as that but blue for my slings I have a G Pulchripes in one just now and it does the same it has a burrow and does use it but is constantly climbing the sides it’s never stressed though so I just put it down to Ts doing T things lol
 

Jess S

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I use the exact same containers as that but blue for my slings I have a G Pulchripes in one just now and it does the same it has a burrow and does use it but is constantly climbing the sides it’s never stressed though so I just put it down to Ts doing T things lol

Ah, why didn't you go for the girly pink? Pmsl :p
 

m0lsx

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Are these containers about 4 inches by 3 inches? If so, I have just brought a 3 pack of blue ones from poundland, as I have two A johnnycashi being delivered.

This is my B baumgarteni...

 

Jess S

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Those are the ones! There's also neutral yellow lol. I'm sure you are sorted on the tool for the airholes, but in case someone new finds this thread, I find a small heated seam ripper (the thing you get to unpick stitches) melts small enough airholes that a 0.5cm sling can't get out of.

Look at your naughty Brachy! I think it's something about Brachys in general, they all seem to want out!
 

m0lsx

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I'm sure you are sorted on the tool for the airholes, but in case someone new finds this thread, I find a small heated seam ripper (the thing you get to unpick stitches) melts small enough airholes that a 0.5cm sling can't get out of.

At the moment I either very carefully use one of my soldering irons that I don't use for soldering, or for smaller T's I use a carpenters Bradawl, or the slower method of a drawing pin & then open the hole up a little more with a darning needle. And I wish someone had made me think about small slings escaping through air holes, before I learnt from experience..Poor :T:

Look at your naughty Brachy! I think it's something about Brachys in general, they all seem to want out!

Our A chalcodes is the best one. If you take the lid off it's enclosure it sometimes lifts a couple of it's legs in the air. But not aggressively or defensively. If you touch it's legs it slowly moves it's self fowrd & up the side of it's enclosure, clearly responding to your touch. It is the most responsive & engaging T I have.

I tend not to name my T's but my A chalcodes has a name.. Hohokam, after the Ancient Arizona / Sonora desert people. It just feels much more pet like than the others.
 
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Jess S

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I originally wanted an A.chalcodes. Maybe one day. Hohokam sounds so engaging. I've heard of a few people whose chalcodes are complete arses throwing threat poses, but all species have outliers in general temperament, I suppose.

Where I nearly came a cropper was with one of those Really useful Boxes(TM). You know the ones with the blue handles that lock in position? Bought a nice one for my diamantinensis. Did loads of airholes, then housed it. It immediately sealed itself into its hide and moulted. Didn't see it for about 2 weeks. During that time, I noticed there was a small gap between the lid and the enclosure which was concealed by the lip of the lid. Wide enough I reckoned for a determined t. to escape. I temporarily plugged the gap with packing peanuts and nervously awaited it to come out of hiding so I could rehouse. The night before I rehoused it I managed to video it getting 2 legs and both palps through the gap. This time I went with a Wilko's shoebox (they come in 2 sizes), the benefit is the plastic is very clear.

Nowadays when buying enclosures I always check the lid is sealed well! Something I hadn't really thought of before.
 

ilovebrachys

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I originally wanted an A.chalcodes. Maybe one day. Hohokam sounds so engaging. I've heard of a few people whose chalcodes are complete arses throwing threat poses, but all species have outliers in general temperament, I suppose.

Where I nearly came a cropper was with one of those Really useful Boxes(TM). You know the ones with the blue handles that lock in position? Bought a nice one for my diamantinensis. Did loads of airholes, then housed it. It immediately sealed itself into its hide and moulted. Didn't see it for about 2 weeks. During that time, I noticed there was a small gap between the lid and the enclosure which was concealed by the lip of the lid. Wide enough I reckoned for a determined t. to escape. I temporarily plugged the gap with packing peanuts and nervously awaited it to come out of hiding so I could rehouse. The night before I rehoused it I managed to video it getting 2 legs and both palps through the gap. This time I went with a Wilko's shoebox (they come in 2 sizes), the benefit is the plastic is very clear.

Nowadays when buying enclosures I always check the lid is sealed well! Something I hadn't really thought of before.
Those really useful boxes you mentioned.. On first inspection the gaps don't seem that bad but when you really look it's a definite escape route... I had a baby grey banded King snakes in one and she got out :oops: 3 months later I found her... But in the house next doors kitchen lol :eek: she was double the size and yes I'm still on good terms with the neighbour who almost had a heart attack finding a snake on the shelf in the kitchen :p
 

Jess S

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Those really useful boxes you mentioned.. On first inspection the gaps don't seem that bad but when you really look it's a definite escape route... I had a baby grey banded King snakes in one and she got out :oops: 3 months later I found her... But in the house next doors kitchen lol :eek: she was double the size and yes I'm still on good terms with the neighbour who almost had a heart attack finding a snake on the shelf in the kitchen :p

So glad you managed to get it back and you have chilled neighbour lol. You are totally right how those gaps don't seem big at first, if you even notice them.! I've seen YouTubers keep tarantulas in them, so I'd thought they were fine lol :) will try and post the video I took of it discovering the gap soon
 

Jess S

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I managed to edit and upload the video of my diamantinensis finding the gap in the RUB, to YouTube with a lot of help from my 9 year old (smh). There's a video description as well if anyone interested.

 

SikmT7

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I managed to edit and upload the video of my diamantinensis finding the gap in the RUB, to YouTube with a lot of help from my 9 year old (smh). There's a video description as well if anyone interested.

That lil booger found a route out!! LOL! Speaking of your auratum, my hamorii made an escape the first night I got her from a faulty lid on sterlite container. Prayed to The Lord and He helped me find her, I look up and there she is 10 feet in the air on my kitchen ceiling :eek::eek::eek:. I then rehoused her in a 10 gallon glass terrarium with snap lid and though many escape attempts were repeated, she eventually settled down :). I've noticed that pattern with Brachypelma genus, I have seen my boehmi occasionally trying to climb out but to no avail lol! Have the husbandry correct, dry on one side, semi moist on the other, fed, temperature is on point at 76 farenheit, quiet room, just curious little explorers they are :). Love that video sis, nice soundtrack it perfectly suits tarantula action :D. No worries about the auratum anxiety, you're doing all the right things, as they mature, they calm down significantly, it took over 2 years for my hamorii to be chill and not kick hairs, she is such a happy T living the Brachypelma life :). God bless you always sis!
 

Jess S

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That lil booger found a route out!! LOL! Speaking of your auratum, my hamorii made an escape the first night I got her from a faulty lid on sterlite container. Prayed to The Lord and He helped me find her, I look up and there she is 10 feet in the air on my kitchen ceiling :eek::eek::eek:. I then rehoused her in a 10 gallon glass terrarium with snap lid and though many escape attempts were repeated, she eventually settled down :). I've noticed that pattern with Brachypelma genus, I have seen my boehmi occasionally trying to climb out but to no avail lol! Have the husbandry correct, dry on one side, semi moist on the other, fed, temperature is on point at 76 farenheit, quiet room, just curious little explorers they are :). Love that video sis, nice soundtrack it perfectly suits tarantula action :D. No worries about the auratum anxiety, you're doing all the right things, as they mature, they calm down significantly, it took over 2 years for my hamorii to be chill and not kick hairs, she is such a happy T living the Brachypelma life :). God bless you always sis!

Amen to that bro. So glad you found her back then, I just know you would have beat yourself up about it otherwise, even though just one of those things.
She's beautiful from the pictures you've posted. You're so right about Brachys. They are cheeky and curious. There's no way the diamantinensis can escape my clutches now lol. My little auratum is so endearing though, I love it's antics! Often catch it poking a leg through an airhole but seems to be calming down a bit now! :D
 

SikmT7

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Amen to that bro. So glad you found her back then, I just know you would have beat yourself up about it otherwise, even though just one of those things.
She's beautiful from the pictures you've posted. You're so right about Brachys. They are cheeky and curious. There's no way the diamantinensis can escape my clutches now lol. My little auratum is so endearing though, I love it's antics! Often catch it poking a leg through an airhole but seems to be calming down a bit now! :D
Sometimes I catch my A moderatum poking her little leg through the air holes and then she goes to the next one and wiggles her leg through that, smart little cookies they are lol. Awwww poor little boogers they just want a change of scenery and want to be out and about, I know I would get bored in an enclosure after a while, terrarium fever o_O. Yes, if I would have lost my hamorii I would have been devastated, she is one of my top T's, fell in love with her the day I got her, she used to be so skittish and kicky but now, she is so chill and just sits there as I clean out bolus and change her water, not a single urticating flick in months! Brachypelmas are so intriguing, looking forward to my next one which I pray is a emilia!
 
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