Stress curl: legit stress or just his version of a hide?

[goldenpumpkin]

Hi all, I wasn't sure if this was worth making a new thread about but couldn't find any existing threads about it so here we are. So, I've now had my MM curly hair for 5 days, and in the past couple of days he's been going back and forth between acting perfectly fine (ex: eating, pooping, laying down with his legs stretched out, making sperm webs, webbing up his hide) and being in stress curl, for what seems like no reason. I will note that he does not burrow or use his hide, so could this "stress curl" just be his own little version of a "hide"? No matter what he does, he tends to stay in the same corner of his enclosure for the past couple days, so I guess that's just where he likes to be. However, if it IS legitimately from stress, I'm not sure what the culprit could be, as I've already covered all my bases. For example, his substrate/enclosure setup is already ideal, he has a proper day/night cycle (though I try to make sure the light isn't overly bright), he access to a water dish so he doesn't have a reason to be dehydrated, I've ruled out expressway fever as his enclosure stays in my room which doesn't get loud or lots of traffic, and my house is room temperature so he shouldn't be too cold or hot. I HAVE been doing stuff in his enclosure (refreshing water dish just in case, wiping poop off the wall), but the stress curl doesn't appear to have correlation to that, as he does it even well after I've left him alone. He stayed in stress curl all night long last night and still is as of right now, which is a record for him, so I am a bit worried. Let me know if y'all need anymore information from me in order to pin down the culprit. Thanks!

PS- I'm about to go out of town for 3 days and if he's still in stress curl when I get back I am going into full panic mode :')

 

[Gizalba]

Hi, there are people with much more experience than me who can probably answer, but a photo of your T/the enclosure would probably help detect any issues. From my experience though (one year), 5 days probably isn't enough time for the tarantula to settle in and hopefully he will stop stressing with time alone while you are away.
Although I know it is anxiety provoking as an owner when you just want them to be okay straight away, but your room sounds ideal so being left alone in the quiet should give him time to realise he's safe

 

[DustyD]

I feel your stress and anxiousness. I am gradually learning that it takes time sometimes for Ts to adjust and to try and let them be. It is hard and I am impatient, but working on it. Best thing to do is keep monitoring him and enjoying him.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Hi, there are people with much more experience than me who can probably answer, but a photo of your T/the enclosure would probably help detect any issues. From my experience though (one year), 5 days probably isn't enough time for the tarantula to settle in and hopefully he will stop stressing with time alone while you are away.
Although I know it is anxiety provoking as an owner when you just want them to be okay straight away, but your room sounds ideal so being left alone in the quiet should give him time to realise he's safe

Ty for your reply! He came out of his stress curl so it's too late for me to get a pic of that now, otherwise I'd upload one. I guess I should have done that in the first place...oops

 

[goldenpumpkin]

I feel your stress and anxiousness. I am gradually learning that it takes time sometimes for Ts to adjust and to try and let them be. It is hard and I am impatient, but working on it. Best thing to do is keep monitoring him and enjoying him.

Thanks. Hopefully 3 days of uninterrupted peace while I'm away will be what he needs

 

[Teresaisrad]

I've found that sometimes a stress curl isn't always a stress curl. They just like to sit and be a rock sometimes. A pet rock or pet hole are common with tarantulas.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

I've found that sometimes a stress curl isn't always a stress curl. They just like to sit and be a rock sometimes. A pet rock or pet hole are common with tarantulas.

Then how does one tell the difference between a real stress curl and a false one?

 

[Teresaisrad]

Then how does one tell the difference between a real stress curl and a false one?

That's when the real fun begins. You asked questions which is amazing and the right thing to do, you made sure the enclosure and husbandry is golden, and everything seems ideal, I'd try to stress less about how the spider is acting. If husbandry is great, T is great.
(Not always but mostly)

The only thing more helpful would be a picture of the T when he/she is in that position to get further advice.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Mature males don't use hides or burrows, that is perfectly normal behavior for a mature male. Males will hunker down in the corner when they are older, this makes me think your male may have been mature for a while. Two things to help him survive a while are, prekill his food and feed him with bamboo tongs. Males have a hard time grabbing their food with those boxing gloves on, especially the older they get. Second thing is water...where he sits the most keep that area moist and super-size his water dish.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Then how does one tell the difference between a real stress curl and a false one?

No such thing as stress in tarantulas...they dont feel emotions. What they are is uncomfortable in there environment/situation.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

That's when the real fun begins. You asked questions which is amazing and the right thing to do, you made sure the enclosure and husbandry is golden, and everything seems ideal, I'd try to stress less about how the spider is acting. If husbandry is great, T is great.
(Not always but mostly)

The only thing more helpful would be a picture of the T when he/she is in that position to get further advice.

Thanks so much for your kind and helpful words!

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Mature males don't use hides or burrows, that is perfectly normal behavior for a mature male. Males will hunker down in the corner when they are older, this makes me think your male may have been mature for a while. Two things to help him survive a while are, prekill his food and feed him with bamboo tongs. Males have a hard time grabbing their food with those boxing gloves on, especially the older they get. Second thing is water...where he sits the most keep that area moist and super-size his water dish.

This is all VERY helpful information and I'm so glad you told me all of this. Seriously, I don't know how I didn't manage to find any of this info previously. My questions about the prekilled food are: will he still recognize it as food despite it not moving? And can I just buy prekilled bugs from the store?
His water dish sits at the other end of his enclosure, across from his favorite corner, in the corner opposite of it. I suppose I'll move it closer to him as well as dampen the substrate in his favorite corner. God I'm so thankful for the people on this forum, y'all are truly wonderful. Tysm!!

 

[goldenpumpkin]

No such thing as stress in tarantulas...they dont feel emotions. What they are is uncomfortable in there environment/situation.

I was confused about this because I've heard people talk about how tarantulas don't feel emotions and then turn around and say "they get so stressed out!!" Like lol which one is it?! And of course the commonly used term "stress curl" just makes it even more misleading!

 

[DustyD]

Tarantulas are opportunistic feeders meaning they eat when they can. As an anxious fairly new t owner I have largely fed mine dead or dying insects. For me that was an easy way to know if the food was eaten, rather than possibly in hiding. I don't know about buying dead insects, I usually dispatch them myself as quickly as possible.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Tarantulas are opportunistic feeders meaning they eat when they can. As an anxious fairly new t owner I have largely fed mine dead or dying insects. For me that was an easy way to know if the food was eaten, rather than possibly in hiding. I don't know about buying dead insects, I usually dispatch them myself as quickly as possible.

Makes sense. Ty for your input ^_^

 

[goldenpumpkin]

that is perfectly normal behavior for a mature male. Males will hunker down in the corner when they are older

Just to be clear, you're saying this position is perfectly normal for him, right?

 

[octanejunkie]

Normal tuck

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Normal tuck

Sorry, what exactly do you mean by "normal tuck"? I haven't heard that term before

 

[Arachnoclown]

I was confused about this because I've heard people talk about how tarantulas don't feel emotions and then turn around and say "they get so stressed out!!" Like lol which one is it?! And of course the commonly used term "stress curl" just makes it even more misleading!

People tend to regurgitate the same bad information or terms in the hobby as gospel. Tarantulas lack the ability to stress...They're uncomfortable. That's all the position is, they're unsure/uncomfortable at the moment. Try to change the community on that one will be nearly impossible. Don't even get me started on ICU's.

 

[octanejunkie]

People tend to regurgitate the same bad information or terms in the hobby as gospel. Tarantulas lack the ability to stress...They're uncomfortable. That's all the position is, they're unsure/uncomfortable at the moment. Try to change the community on that one will be nearly impossible. Don't even get me started on ICU's.

Uncomfortable, possibly feels threatened

Sorry, what exactly do you mean by "normal tuck"? I haven't heard that term before

Sometimes they tuck themselves into a tight bunch. This is normal behavior.

If it is tucked like that all the time, that is not normal, and there is some form of stressor making it uncomfortable.

Does that make sense?