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Question about vibrating?

goldenpumpkin

goldenpumpkin

Active Member
Messages
134
Location
USA
Hi all!

So I've searched around and haven't found anything like what's happening with my tarantula. Basically my mature male has been vibrating often, for a while now. I'm not referring to just the shaky movements that come with old age, nor a "happy dance", nor drumming his pedipalps to a nearby female (I don't even have a female). What happens is he'll be walking along, stop, settle into a comfortable position, then proceed to just stand there and...vibrate for a couple seconds. Then just start walking again lol. It's not the drumming thing with pedipalps. It's literally just his whole entire body vibrating while he stands still. And from what I've seen of "DKS", it looks nothing like that whatsoever.. Yes he does have wobbly/shaky movements from being old but that is a separate thing from what I'm talking about. Like, it looks like he's "shivering" almost. As if a ghost just passed through him,lol.

Also, I am sorry but I do not have any video of it to show exactly what I mean...^^;

So...what in the world is going on with my mature male?? Thanks in advance...!
 
goldenpumpkin

goldenpumpkin

Active Member
Messages
134
Location
USA
MBullock said:
It's courtship behavior. tarantulas communicate via vibration so a passing car or loud bass can trigger the male's vibration. The female will advertise call by tapping her legs in her burrow, then he comes over and vibrates to get her attention and lure her out to mate.
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Ohh wow, so he's mistaking the vibrations around him for a female T then? Thank you for the response! I thought they only did that when a female is around.

The most recent time I witnessed it was when I was gonna fill his water dish, and he climbed out of his enclosure and vibrated. Usually when he tries to climb out, I just place my hand on the floor (I always set his enclosure on the floor anytime I need to open it since MMs are so prone to escaping when the lid's off and I don't want any falls), he crawls onto my hand, and I gently lift him back into his enclosure. This may be a weird question but if he vibrates because he thinks there's a female, is there a chance he'd mistake my hand for a female and try to mate with it??

Note: he's a Tliltocatl albopilosus, if it matters
 
MBullock

MBullock

Well-Known Member
Messages
628
Location
Arizona
goldenpumpkin said:
Ohh wow, so he's mistaking the vibrations around him for a female T then? Thank you for the response! I thought they only did that when a female is around.

The most recent time I witnessed it was when I was gonna fill his water dish, and he climbed out of his enclosure and vibrated. Usually when he tries to climb out, I just place my hand on the floor (I always set his enclosure on the floor anytime I need to open it since MMs are so prone to escaping when the lid's off and I don't want any falls), he crawls onto my hand, and I gently lift him back into his enclosure. This may be a weird question but if he vibrates because he thinks there's a female, is there a chance he'd mistake my hand for a female and try to mate with it??

Note: he's a Tliltocatl albopilosus, if it matters
Click to expand...
I honestly don't know. They will vibe on your hand and drum but none of mine ever tried to mate with me.
 

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