Tarantula's Nocturnal Activity

[sym]

hi guys/girls.
So I've been keeping tarantulas now since the 29th of November (14).
So far my collection stands at 3.
1.B. Emilia (juvie)
2.G.Pulchra (sling)
3.C.Cyaneopubescens (juvie)

At the moment all 3 have became very inactive and showing signs of premoult behaviour .

Has anyone tried to film there T's at night ?

Thanks for stopping by
Sym

 

[Enn49]

I videoed one of mine last night - http://www.tarantulaforum.com/threads/tiny-b-smithi-hard-at-work.4668/#post-37898

 

[Rick Stallard]

Are you wanting to record at night because they don't come out during the day?

 

[Tomoran]

I have pretty good luck seeing all mine out at some point or another, so I haven't tried filming at night. When I come down early in the morning before work and turn on the light, I usually catch most out. I have considered buying a red light for my room so that I can see them in action after dark, but I've yet to do it.

 

[DVirginiana]

I have my G. rosea in a clear tub with an opaque top. I see her out a lot more than my others. Maybe she feels more sheltered that way? Still more active at night, but not completely hidden during the day.

 

[Rick Stallard]

I have my G. rosea in a clear tub with an opaque top. I see her out a lot more than my others. Maybe she feels more sheltered that way? Still more active at night, but not completely hidden during the day.

Mine is the same way. Almost all of my Ts are out and moving around 90% of the time. The exceptions are both my OBTs, my T cupreus and my male L sp Borneo Black. The female is out and about most of the time. I have a MF G porteri that sometimes is in her hide but if I move her container or open the lid, out she comes, and not afraid at all. If I put my hand down she crawls right up on to it. Others have Ts that never come out, some have OBTs that are out all the time (maybe?). Point is we find two of the same, don't always act like each other. How do you like your garters? I use to have over 60 snakes and had several garters. The house I live in is about 90 years old and under it in the winter 100s and 100s of red sided garters nest for the winter. Sometime I can smell them In the spring it is crazy watching all of them go back and forth across my sidewalk. Last year I caught 2 big females, traded them to a guy and one had 17 live and the other 19. I have a video I made of them eating minnows from a bowl, insane!!! I will post it to you tube and give you the link. You will love it.

 

[sym]

Do T's get used to people opening the lid to the enclosures for feeding time ?
When my GBB was eating it used to sit in its web ready. I always drop the prey into his/hers entrance .
We don't have many native snakes here in the uk. And I belive we only have 1 snake that could do you some harm. (Black adder).
We have 2 cats in the house and my girlfriend loves them to bits so maybe a snake is t the best idea in our house lol

Sym

 

[Enn49]

Do T's get used to people opening the lid to the enclosures for feeding time ?

That's a good question. My O. diamantinensis has started staying where it is when I open the lid whereas before it would run to hide. I assumed it was because it was hungry the first couple of times but they were all fed last night and even today it didn't move and let me get the best pic yet of it.

 

[sym]

Has anyone tried these (red) bulbs for night time lighting ?
Night vision camera would be a good idea but expensive.

Sym

 

[swimbait]

Mine is the same way. Almost all of my Ts are out and moving around 90% of the time. The exceptions are both my OBTs, my T cupreus and my male L sp Borneo Black. The female is out and about most of the time. I have a MF G porteri that sometimes is in her hide but if I move her container or open the lid, out she comes, and not afraid at all. If I put my hand down she crawls right up on to it. Others have Ts that never come out, some have OBTs that are out all the time (maybe?). Point is we find two of the same, don't always act like each other. How do you like your garters? I use to have over 60 snakes and had several garters. The house I live in is about 90 years old and under it in the winter 100s and 100s of red sided garters nest for the winter. Sometime I can smell them In the spring it is crazy watching all of them go back and forth across my sidewalk. Last year I caught 2 big females, traded them to a guy and one had 17 live and the other 19. I have a video I made of them eating minnows from a bowl, insane!!! I will post it to you tube and give you the link. You will love it.

How long have you been in this house? I know in major cases the snakes urine and musk is able to get into the water pipes. If you ever smell that garter smell when you turn your water on I wouldn't drink it or bathe in it. I think there was even a show about it on animal planet once

 

[Rick Stallard]

How long have you been in this house? I know in major cases the snakes urine and musk is able to get into the water pipes. If you ever smell that garter smell when you turn your water on I wouldn't drink it or bathe in it. I think there was even a show about it on animal planet once

I've lived here 7 years. they have been here many more than that. We smell them by the front door sometimes, thats the main place they go under, at the front porch. I don't see how any smell is going to get thru a galvanized water pipe. Don't think that can happen. Maybe in a well, but not steel pipes.If a smell got into a water line, it would have to have many open holes or cracks, and thats a problem that would show itself.

 

[DVirginiana]

I think this link is the house that was over one of the larger hibernaculums. Don't know what sort of water system they had, but there were issues with the garters' musk getting into their drinking water. Unless you've been on the news or something I imagine you're probably not over as large of a hibernaculum as they were though

 

[swimbait]

That was the same house they did a piece on on animal planet

 

[BossRoss]

Do T's get used to people opening the lid to the enclosures for feeding time ?
Sym

Without a study proving/disproving this one would never really know. However I have noticed a 2 or 3 of my Ts have become accustom to the noise and vibration when opening the enclosure. For some reason when I open the enclosure of my H formosus she seems to poke her head out of her hide and it kind of looks like she is waiting for food... On the other hand I have Ts that always run back into their enclosure as soon as I touch it.

I have managed to film some Ts at night. The most important thing I have noticed is slow; steady movements especially with the light. A bright light shining on them and then suddenly moves away(goes dark) makes the T assume a large predator is above it and the T tends to run to its safe place. I slowly move the light over the T and they seem to be less disturbed by it.

 

[Rick Stallard]

I think this link is the house that was over one of the larger hibernaculums. Don't know what sort of water system they had, but there were issues with the garters' musk getting into their drinking water. Unless you've been on the news or something I imagine you're probably not over as large of a hibernaculum as they were though

There is no way a smell from snakes under a house, can get into the water lines unless they have a well and it gets in from ground water. Just not gonna happen. And that house is 70-80 years newer than mine. I love having them here. We catch 10-15 a day in the spring.