Fossorial vs Terrestrial

[TokeHound]

Google says:
"Terrestrial: Living on or in the ground Fossorial: Adapted for digging and living underground."

What is the true difference as far as definition, and as far as how to set up an enclosure correctly for each?

I have a B. hamorii, Hapalopus sp. Columbia Large, and A. avicularia. All slings. I know my avic is arboreal. My hamorii digs tunnels and does absolutely no webbing. My H. sp. Columbia digs holes and has some webbing around the sphagnum. What are my hamorii and Columbia considered? Terrestrial or Fossorial?

Don't worry about my hamorii dirty dish. I fed it and gave it clean water after I took the pics.

 

[TokeHound]

The enclosures that these slings are in are the enclosures I bought them in. If you think they should be rehoused in a more appropriate enclosure, please let me know!

 

[FishermanSteve]

Fossorials are what we call “obligate burrowers”. They will always dig tunnels if given enough substrate. A lot of terrestrial species may burrow as slings, but as adults are content to sit out in the open. I would give your sp Colombia the same setup as your hamorii. Enough substrate to dig if it wants and plenty of room above ground to web.

 

[m0lsx]

Don't forget terrestrial. Not all T's either burrow or climb. Although most slings are at the very least partially fossorial as you have found with your hamorii.

All my juvi & adult hamorii's (& other brachypelma's,) are very much terrestrial. But my sling brachypelmas are largely fossorial.

Those enclosures look fine. I use individual (small) artificial leaves in sling enclosures to provide cover in my vials & enclosures for most of my slings, as they are lighter, in weight, than bark & they also hold a mist of water better.

Avicularia avicularia (Avic avic) are arboreal & take care with them as slings, as they can be fragile. This is in a large part due to the amount of poor care advice available. People keep them much too humid & without good cross ventilation. I use a pin, held in some pliers with elastic bands & heat the pin on a cooker ring & simply melt a few holes into the side of the vials that I use for arboreals, which tend to need more air circulation than terrestrials or fossorials. Although even climbers will burrow as slings sometimes.

Hamorii & Hapalopus columbia are terrestrial, but I believe the columbia is likely to need sufficient substrate, even as an adult, to burrow. But personally, unless I know my T's well enough, to know that they will personally not burrow, then I make sure they have sufficient substrate to burrow in & if I use an enclosure for a non arboreal that is much higher than the T's leg span, then I normally close the distance with substrate. As falls are dangerous to T's.

 

[VaporRyder]

*most* tarantulas burrow at some point - some just when they’re younger, others at all ages. Half my pokies burrow - although they do also climb of course - and yet they are considered arboreal.

I totally agree that to be fossorial they must be obligate, rather than opportunistic, burrowers. I think of C. minax for example. Avics on the other hand are true arboreals.

I wonder whether there is a spectrum of behaviour rather than 3 fixed classifications.

Usambara OBTs are very interesting (to me) and possibly the most adaptive terrestrial.The ‘4th kind’ if you like.

Check this out.

 

[VaporRyder]

*most* tarantulas burrow at some point - some just when they’re younger, others at all ages. Half my pokies burrow - although they do also climb of course - and yet they are considered arboreal.

I totally agree that to be fossorial they must be obligate, rather than opportunistic, burrowers. I think of C. minax for example. Avics on the other hand are true arboreals.

I wonder whether there is a spectrum of behaviour rather than 3 fixed classifications.

Usambara OBTs are very interesting (to me) and possibly the most adaptive terrestrial.The ‘4th kind’ if you like.

Check this out.

Just to clarify: Pokies are course arboreal - just using (some of) them as an example to demonstrate that burrowing is a common trait across the board.

 

[DustyD]

I keep G. pulchra, rosea, pulchripes and they just love to expand and rearrange their hides, especially as they get larger. I give mine plenty of substrate to play with.

For an animal with supposed low intelligence they sure can be creative. I once placed an air purifier a few feet away and below my tarantulas to help cool things off. One of them was having nothing to do with it and built an embankment against the exterior wall/air holes.

 

[TokeHound]

Thank you all for clarifying.