Is It Normal?

[marya1962]

My Rosie's aquarium had a close encounter with our cat. He fell thru the screen and tore the screen loose from the sides where it is sealed. (He was trying to reach the bird and the rat, not mess with the tarantula.) We tried ordering a top. It was the wrong size. So we re-ordered right size and its on the way here. The first problem is our Rosie escaped thru the torn screen and, fortunately, was found. How do we tell if she was injured? She was found on the floor and we are not sure if she climbed down there or if she fell. The second thing is: is it normal for her to keep trying to get back out? We repaired the lid as much as possible so that there are no openings in the screen but she keeps trying to get back out. We are worried she will injure herself climbing on the glass. How do we try to keep her happy in her aquarium so she doesn't try to get out? Humidity is house humidity at 35%-45%. Temps are house temps ranging from 65 to 75 degrees. She has a UTH on the back left side of the aquarium so that she has a choice as to whether she gets warmer or not. We are probably going to to disconnect the UTH pretty soon as its getting warmer now. There is a burrow spot for her under an old (clean) log. She got fed 2 crickets a week ago and will have fresh food coming soon. Fresh water is provided and she drinks from it occasionally.

 

[Tara Russell]

I see nobody hasn't replied 2 this so let me give some of my knowledge of what I think. Can you duct tape 2 cover up the torn spot duct tape the outside and the inside? Also do you see any clear looking ooze? Should be a milky color make sure 2 check everywhere even her abdomen because that's vital if you see nothing of that then she is fine. Also if she moving fine if she is moving fine and has no milky color ooze coming out then she should be alright no worries ^^

 

[marya1962]

Thanks for replying. That's what my son did. He duct taped inside and outside so that nothing sticky was showing and Rosie had no holes to climb out. As far as injuries, I put her in a small terrarium to examine her. Nothing seems wrong with her at this point. I feel less like a worried parent this morning. And Rosie's not climbing the glass any more after discovering she can't escape again.

 

[Sabeth]

As far as injuries go...is she acting normally, as in, moving around, etc.? Also check for any wounds on her body, especially the abdomen, including the underside; and look for any "bleeding". Tarantula blood is a clear substance called hemolymph. In minor wounds, it quickly clots and forms a clear scab. The fact that your Rosie is climbing around with no problem, though, leads me to think she probably isn't hurt at all.

I don't know that she is deliberately trying to escape the cage; some tarantulas just do a lot of exploring and when they discover a small opening, they often try to squeeze through it thinking it might be a good hiding place. Can you temporarily use something else as a lid? A piece of thin wood with a few holes drilled in it, and something quite heavy on top (like a book or weight), will do in a pinch.

One final tip: Tarantulas don't need supplemental heat, unless the conditions are exceptionally cold. Tarantulas survive in the wild in burrows in extremely cold temperatures. Precise temperature guidelines don't really exist because there really are none, but a rough rule to go by might be to try keep temps over 60 F. A slight departure is not likely to cause issues, though. Other options besides using a heat mat or other device (these tend to become too hot) is to move the tarantula to a warmer room, or use a heater in the current room. (Do not aim the heat directly at the cage, however.)