Captive display tarantula's vs wild display?

koldaar

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
244
I was pondering this issue the other night in the shower: We have certain tarantula's that are great display specimans in captivity, but in the wild are they also out on display? Or do they spend more time in burrows, hides, etc? I had an A. genic that was out ALL the time. If I were to go into its home habitat would I see that A. genic outside it's burrow more often than not? Does having tarantula's in captivity do something to them to make them display tarantula's? (ie: no predators or real competition for food)
 

Quazgar

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 11, 2011
Messages
257
Just a thought, and I am by no means an expert and this could be completely wrong, in which case people can feel free to correct me: I would guess that looking for tarantulas out in the wild, even those species that don't hide often in captivity, would lead to much fewer sightings than in a cage/tank/whatever setup. Part of this, I would think, would result from the wild burrow being one small part of a large environment. By the time you got close enough to observe said tarantula, the vibrations/noise from your feet would like have scared them back into the burrow. In captivity, on the other hand, their burrow is one (relatively) large part of a small environment (i.e. the tank) and what goes on outside the tank is less stressful to the spider than what happens immediately around the burrow in nature. I think the spider "knows" to a certain extent that it can't get out of its tank and thus other stuff can't get in, and the entire tank becomes a part of its burrow.
 

Amoeba

Arachnolord
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
603
:p I bet a Haplopelma spp is still a pet...erm...non captive hole in the wild. I've heard the B vagans in So. FL. burrow. same with the Aphonopelma.

But I'm also sure that Mature males go a wandering lookin for lovin

I've seen pics on boards about "bird eaters" wandering around on the forest floor.
 

DannyH

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
350
I was pondering this issue the other night in the shower: We have certain tarantula's that are great display specimans in captivity, but in the wild are they also out on display? Or do they spend more time in burrows, hides, etc? I had an A. genic that was out ALL the time. If I were to go into its home habitat would I see that A. genic outside it's burrow more often than not? Does having tarantula's in captivity do something to them to make them display tarantula's? (ie: no predators or real competition for food)
This is mostly just a guess, but I think it would be that the temperature is good, so there is no need to burrow because its too hot. They also don't have too much movement around them, so they don't have any reason.
 

Hobo

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Staff member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
2,208
I think it's mostly because they adopt the entire enclosure as a burrow, or at least know it is an enclosed, safe place. In the wild I assume most would always be near their burrow.

In addition, most of us don't really provide adequate "burrowing" conditions (deep dirt burrows or otherwise), but from those who have, I've seen even typically "bold" species act like typical pet holes.
 
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