Juvenile T escaped during the night

[T Freak]

I just stuck small pieces of cardboard in my slots for now till he grows a little.

 

[Papaya]

So heres an interesting update on this thread. A few weeks ago my wife goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night a lets out glass breaking scream. I jumped out of a dead sleep and ran into the bathroom. Now i need to point out that Im in the middle of a remodel of that bathroom. Right next to the corner of the bathtub there was a hole in the plaster ( yes. plaster1940s cottage hence the remodel) and my wife claimed that she saw a tarantula peeking out at her. I told her she had to be mistaken ( which made her even more mad as one might imagine) .

In the interim we went to Europe and came back and this past weekend I went back to installation some new hardie backer on the walls. As I was sweeping some large debris I noticed something that looked like …no it cant be…a little molt. I pick it up and sure enough. So I carefully cut out a bit more of the plaster at the corner where my wife had ”imagined” seeing a tarantula. And inside the stud bay was a few scattered water bug wings and assorted leg parts. And another slightly larger molt. When i shone my light a little higher up on the back wall the it was: a now 2 1/2” very healthy looking B smithi.

So it turns out that this escapee had crawled through the gap next to the outlet on the living room side in the wall that backed to the bathroom where it had A) access to water on the floor, B ) a steady supply of the common water bugs that are plentiful here along the coast, C ) perfect little hideaway to hole up.

I dont know if its male or female yet but for now I named “ him “ Osama

 

[Enn49]

Congratulations on eventually finding your escapee after such a long time. They really are resilient .

 

[Papaya]

Thank you.
By the way I want to point out that arachnoclown called it that hed / shed go for the bathroom

 

[Heretic]

Escapees normally dont go far. Their little minds believe the enclosure we house them in is a closed off cave. So its instinctual they believe they need to get out to find food and water. Some will "learn" they have food and water, some will not. My buddy had a OBT female. When it was growing he had in a large critter keeper. He used plastic shims to keep it in one corner and feed it there. as it grww he removed the shims or just gave it more room. As it became an adult, he removed and lost the door on top! He kept the top open on it. I kept telling him it was gonna escape one day. He kept telling me since the tank had air flow the T wouldn't care to move around. It had been in the same spot for 3 years and he was right for 3 years.... Then one day she was gone. But for those 6 years she stayed in one spot. He found her in the bathroom closet. He got a new Critter Keeper with a lid this time.