Ephebopus cyanognathus

[Enn49]

I read that they are Aviculariinae, related to the Avics Tappies and Iridopelma all of which are arboreal and yet they are described as obligate burrowers.

I've had my Blue Fang (0.5" dls) for a month now, it's feeding well and has calmed down quite a lot but it hasn't burrowed at all, in fact it spends all its time at the top of the vial just below the lid and has now begun to web up there. I'm sure you can see my confusion so I wondered if anyone else had the same experience with their E. cyanognathus?

 

[Nicolas C]

Ephebopus spp. show arboreal behavior while young, like yours is doing. When they grow up, they begin to spend more time on/under the ground. As you stated, it's weird but they are like a cross between arboreal and fossorial (with u-hairs on the palps!)... Pooping like avics and burrowing like Ceratogyrus. Pokies act the same, but in reverse: first they dig then they climb.

Personnal fact: my E murinus was a burrowing person in her previous enclosure. When I rehoused her, I wanted to give her the maximum height of substrate possible. Then I left only 5 cm between the ground and top of the enclosure. I gave her a hide, a pre-dug burrow, a moist soil... But she never dug. Never. And she never used her hide either. Always out in the open.

My guess: as the top is close to the ground, she feels secure/comfortable enough and hidden enough and doesn't need to dig, as if the enclosure was the underground burrow. But that's only a guess...


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[Enn49]

@Nicolas C Thank you for that info, it explains a lot. I had expected it to go straight into hiding, not that I'm complaining, it's great to see so much of it. and I have now given it a piece of plant to web to.

 

[Nicolas C]

It's cool you can watch it in good conditions, because it's when they are younger that they are the most beautiful!

 

[Nicolas C]

I'm no taxonomist, then I don't know why Ephebopus spp. are in the Aviculariinae subfamily. But it's true their front legs are longer, the back legs shorter, and the abdomen size rather small, which reminds bodies of arboreal tarantulas.

 

[Enn49]

I'm no taxonomist, then I don't know why Ephebopus spp. are in the Aviculariinae subfamily. But it's true their front legs are longer, the back legs shorter, and the abdomen size rather small, which reminds bodies of arboreal tarantulas.

Maybe they will re-classify them in time, the taxonomy of Ts is such a mess.

 

[Nicolas C]

Absolutely.

I've seen that the WSC has still kept Haplopelma, Lampropelma, etc. Don't know if the changes proposed by Smith & co will be accepted... I guess our labels are gonna change once again...!

 

[Enn49]

I guess so. It's a pity it isn't easier to keep track of the changes to make it simpler for us to find the info

 

[kormath]

the WSC seems to be updated regularly, it's the only place i look anymore. http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/

 

[Enn49]

the WSC seems to be updated regularly, it's the only place i look anymore. http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/

Thank you for that link.

 

[Enn49]

I've added a piece of plant to its enclosure and straight away it has webbed it