Getting my first T!

[TheJuicyFruit]

I've finally been able to work out the temperature for the cage (keeping outside the hide 69-72 over night) using a small heater! I've ordered a Paraphysa Scrofa from ken the bug guy and it should be here Thursday! I'm so excited!

 

[sym]

Welcome! Hope your happy with your new edition when it comes.

Sym

 

[HungryGhost]

Welcome to the addiction. Soon you'll be convincing yourself that half a dozen T's are no harder to keep than one

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

OMG IT CAME!!!!

I was so nervous when I was opening the box but it's so slow, cute and seems so sweet!

One thing though, I opened the pill jar in its enclosure, and it went straight to on top of it, and then onto the walls of the enclosure, coming at me. I gently prodded it with a paintbrush, but it didn't want to get any more down from the wall than 7 of its legs on, 1 on the substrate. It's bone dry, don't know why else it would chill on the wall.Thoughts?

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

Lol he's since gotten down and is moving around occasionally, I'm just so excited!

 

[sym]

Cute little thing! I've just had delivered a Brazilian black sling. Very nervous like yourself when opening the pill jar.
What size is yours?

Sym

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

he/she was listed as 3 inches, idk how ken measured it but I got 3.5 DLS.

Accidently spooked it when opening the cage (forgot the water in the water dish) :x.

Really hoping it's not a male considering it's life span, but I guess we'll wait for a molt, which I am already excited for XD

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

They're back on the wall, this time near the enclosure's corner. Is this behavior typical for a terrestrial when its new? Just surveying the environment? Also, i set the enclosure up originally expecting to get a bigger T. Is a 3 inch big T in an 8 inch tall enclosure with 3 inches of substrate unsafe? I don't want to disturb it further to add more substrate ( especially considering it seems to be circling the top at the moment )

EDIT: I'm sure it's no coincidence that the spot he's been on for a while is where the heater heats the cage the most, at 85F, while the rest of the cage is in the low to mid 70's, which I thought they preferred. I can get the rest of the cage hotter, but the spot he's on now might touch the 90's, which I don't want to do, especially while he's on it.

 

[Tomoran]

They're back on the wall, this time near the enclosure's corner. Is this behavior typical for a terrestrial when its new? Just surveying the environment? Also, i set the enclosure up originally expecting to get a bigger T. Is a 3 inch big T in an 8 inch tall enclosure with 3 inches of substrate unsafe? I don't want to disturb it further to add more substrate ( especially considering it seems to be circling the top at the moment )

EDIT: I'm sure it's no coincidence that the spot he's been on for a while is where the heater heats the cage the most, at 85F, while the rest of the cage is in the low to mid 70's, which I thought they preferred. I can get the rest of the cage hotter, but the spot he's on now might touch the 90's, which I don't want to do, especially while he's on it.

Congrats on your new acquisition (and the start of what will likely prove to be an addiction!). I have a p. parvula, and she is a fantastic spider and a wonderful beginner T.

Although more substrate would be ideal, that's not a horrible drop for her. Try moving anything with hard edges (the hide, water bowl, etc) away from the edges of the enclosure. That way, if she climbs and falls, she won't injure herself on these. Mine does climb at times, and she is quite clumsy; a fall is usually a given.

My P. parvula is kept in the high 60s to mid 70s during the winter, and she does fine. If you put more heat on her, you will run the risk of overheating and/or dehydrating her. I would leave it be.

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

Here's a picture of where he/she's been at for a while, hottest part of the cage still, and as you can see the hide I have is quite large, making it difficult to move from edges, but I was already planning to get a new one. I'll head to the pet store asap. I want to add more substrate, but I'm worried about stressing him/her out further, since she's on the lid, and I'm woefully inexperienced at getting t's into temporary enclosures, but I'll do my best if she doesn't get down soon. Thanks a ton for your input!

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

I turned the heater off to see if he/she would come down, and sure enough they did! They came down slowly, started stirring up substrate with its pedipalps and then went over to its water dish, and started drinking! Really awe inspiring, considering everywhere I've read said they don't drink from the water!

 

[Tomoran]

Ahhh...I see. Do you have more dry substrate on hand? If so, you could probably add some more substrate without disturbing him/her too much. Then you could just angle that hide up and bury the back part of it up to remove the danger of the T falling on the hard wood edge.

If you want to move the T for just a bit while you work, use a clear plastic cup (or, perhaps the deli cup it came in) and calmly place it over the T. Then you can just carefully slide a piece of cardboard under it, and take her out while you work. When you put her back in, just slide the cardboard out and let her walk on out.

Hope that helps!

 

[Tomoran]

I turned the heater off to see if he/she would come down, and sure enough they did! They came down slowly, started stirring up substrate with its pedipalps and then went over to its water dish, and started drinking! Really awe inspiring, considering everywhere I've read said they don't drink from the water!

I've actually seen mine drink a couple times, and snapped a pic of it recently. They will drink, we just don't always see them.

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

Came in a pill jar, and now they're movin all around the enclosure lol. Gonna find something to keep her in, I'll keep you posted, and thanks again!

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

Well THAT was an intense experience I do not hope to have again, at least not in that manner.

I was trying to coax her into the cup, but she just wanted to walk around the rim of the cage, and when I tried to tap her with the brush, she decided to turn around and almost bit it, (It didn't seem like an aggressive move, honestly I think she thought it was food, and realized before she sunk her fangs in) so I couldn't just place it on her and slide the cardboard, eventually she decided to leave, which is when I was able to get her in the cup, but she decided she wanted onto my hand, which part of her got (Did not think I was ready to handle but whatcha gonna do) and I was able to get her in, and still long enough to get the cardboard on the cup, and I was able to add more substrate, angle the hide, and cushion the top with more substrate.

Oh, and now, it's digging up the substrate I buried the hide with. .____.

 

[Tomoran]

Well THAT was an intense experience I do not hope to have again, at least not in that manner.

I was trying to coax her into the cup, but she just wanted to walk around the rim of the cage, and when I tried to tap her with the brush, she decided to turn around and almost bit it, (It didn't seem like an aggressive move, honestly I think she thought it was food, and realized before she sunk her fangs in) so I couldn't just place it on her and slide the cardboard, eventually she decided to leave, which is when I was able to get her in the cup, but she decided she wanted onto my hand, which part of her got (Did not think I was ready to handle but whatcha gonna do) and I was able to get her in, and still long enough to get the cardboard on the cup, and I was able to add more substrate, angle the hide, and cushion the top with more substrate.

Oh, and now, it's digging up the substrate I buried the hide with. .____.

Wow...sounds like good times!

Seriously, glad that it went well (and that you got some unplanned handling time in as well!). I'm sure she's much safer now, and you can rest easy knowing that she can't fall and hurt herself. Now she can acclimate to her new enclosure, and in no time she'll should become nice and calm.

Oh...I just realized that my P. parvula is my avatar pic!.

 

[TheJuicyFruit]

Shucks! I missed its first feeding! I figured it was hungry since it almost bit the paint brush yesterday, so I thought I'd see if it wanted a cricket, but it was in its hide. I tossed the cricket in, and it ran straight for the hide, by the time I got a little light pointed in the hide, it was already getting eaten! But hooray for eating, nonetheless!