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General Tarantula Discussion
My first T still hasn't moulted - am getting concerned
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<blockquote data-quote="Eighth Eye Blind" data-source="post: 241822" data-attributes="member: 49683"><p>This can mean several things, but it's one way that T's regulate their internal water balance. Holding their bodies up off the substrate allows more gas and vapor exchange across their book lungs on the underside of the abdomen so they can take in or expell the amount of water that they need to.</p><p></p><p>Ergo, they'll stand tall when they're feeling too dry and the air has more humidity than the moisture content of the soil. They'll also do it when they're feeling too wet and the soil has more moisture than the air. In my experience they seem to do it more when the soil is too wet, but that can also vary with the species.</p><p></p><p>So it all depends on context. If she does it over wet soil you need to cut back on the watering. If she does it over dry soil you need to spray a little more often. Give what you've said about adding water into her hide I'd say she's feeling a little soaked and is trying to dry out a little. Maybe stop the watering and see if she settles down after several days of having a dry bed to sleep on.</p><p></p><p>There are other reasons that T's adopt this "tiptoe" posture, but those causes are rare and not really worth worrying about. It's not uncommon for them to lock themselves away for very long periods underground. Nature has equipped them with all the tools and skills they need to survive like that. I'm sure that she'll be fine.</p><p></p><p>P.S. - You might try putting something to cover the spot where her burrow is agsinst the enclosure. T's never evolved to deal with clear objects like glass. She's probably confused as all hell about this invisible force field that's locking her in on one side. I put a decorative privacy film on the back glass of my aboreal enclosures and it makes a world of difference in their behavior. They go from skiddish to adventuresome almost instantly. You don't need anything fancy. A small piece of dark paper or electrical tape that you can easily remove to check on her from time to time would be fine.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Eighth Eye Blind, post: 241822, member: 49683"] This can mean several things, but it's one way that T's regulate their internal water balance. Holding their bodies up off the substrate allows more gas and vapor exchange across their book lungs on the underside of the abdomen so they can take in or expell the amount of water that they need to. Ergo, they'll stand tall when they're feeling too dry and the air has more humidity than the moisture content of the soil. They'll also do it when they're feeling too wet and the soil has more moisture than the air. In my experience they seem to do it more when the soil is too wet, but that can also vary with the species. So it all depends on context. If she does it over wet soil you need to cut back on the watering. If she does it over dry soil you need to spray a little more often. Give what you've said about adding water into her hide I'd say she's feeling a little soaked and is trying to dry out a little. Maybe stop the watering and see if she settles down after several days of having a dry bed to sleep on. There are other reasons that T's adopt this "tiptoe" posture, but those causes are rare and not really worth worrying about. It's not uncommon for them to lock themselves away for very long periods underground. Nature has equipped them with all the tools and skills they need to survive like that. I'm sure that she'll be fine. P.S. - You might try putting something to cover the spot where her burrow is agsinst the enclosure. T's never evolved to deal with clear objects like glass. She's probably confused as all hell about this invisible force field that's locking her in on one side. I put a decorative privacy film on the back glass of my aboreal enclosures and it makes a world of difference in their behavior. They go from skiddish to adventuresome almost instantly. You don't need anything fancy. A small piece of dark paper or electrical tape that you can easily remove to check on her from time to time would be fine. [/QUOTE]
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My first T still hasn't moulted - am getting concerned
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