If B. smithi females burrow in the wild, why not in captivity

Sharno

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I've read this before, and heard it, but here's a fairly scholarly article (I believe) that confirms it:

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Brachypelma_smithi/

Hobbyists consider these terrestrial, with hides offered for them to feel secure. If in the wild the females burrow, why does this not happen in captivity? Or, do they find shelter in the burrow of another animal that left the burrow?

From the article:
"They live in burrows in rocky areas at the base of thorny vegetation like cacti. Burrows usually have one entrance that is a little wider than the tarantula itself. A web carpet extends from the burrow out of the opening but is usually covered or coated in the substrate of the area. When the burrow is in use, silk can be found near the entrance. During the reproductive season, extra silk is present in the burrows of mature females."

I've never had a Brachypelma of any kind try to burrow, and even when offered a hide they often ignore it and sit out in the open - and they are widely admired as being favorable for those that want a colorful tarantula that stays in the open.

I can't recall if this is covered in the TKG or not. I will go check later.

Thanks.
 

AphonopelmaTX

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Think about the differences between captivity and the outdoors and the general disposition of the species of Brachypelma. My hypothesis is that given the generally tolerant nature of Brachypelma
species, they feel secure enough in an enclosure in captivity that they do not need to construct or use a burrow or hide. Outdoors, animals are exposed to the elements and a tarantula's
survival is dependent on having shelter. In captivity, everything that tells the spider to seek shelter and hide is removed. Climate is steady and optimal for survival, food is plentiful and falls from the sky,
no threat of predation, etc. Contrast to the "obligate burrowers" that readily and sometimes quickly build a burrow or use a hide in the same captive conditions. Their disposition is usually going to be more high strung
which to me appears that those have a stronger instinct to seek shelter and get out of sight for the purposes of self preservation.

Basically though, I think because Brachypelma species are hardy tarantulas, they don't have a need for the microclimate or protection of a burrow in captivity.

As an additional opinion, I have always loathed the terms "terrestrial", "obligate burrower", and "opportunistic burrower" to describe the different types of shelter
tarantulas use in captivity. They do not accurately describe the tarantula's true nature from their natural habitat. The literature and first hand observations by many show that the same taxa
can exhibit all three types of behavior.
 
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MissyMaguire

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Apr 13, 2015
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Thank you for your post. I don't have any T's yet but, I want to get a B Smithi and a P Metallica for my first breeds.

I'm gonna buy a Smithi first so, I'm trying to learn all I can
 

skippydude

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B smithi is an opportunist burrower in the wild and captivity. They rarely dig a hole, instead they make use of what is available.
 

cold blood

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I've never had a Brachypelma of any kind try to burrow, and even when offered a hide they often ignore it and sit out in the open
Funny thing is that the only Brachy that I've ever had that didn't burrow is my albiceps. My vagans was just re-housed the other day, today the entire bottom of the enclosure is cleared out. My female smithi lived underground from 1-3.5". After that it still used the burrow...after its last molt, however, its filled in the burrow and lived exclusively on the surface without any form of cover.

Well said TX, I see it very similarly....saved me a lot of typing:)
 

BobGrill

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Funny thing is that the only Brachy that I've ever had that didn't burrow is my albiceps. My vagans was just re-housed the other day, today the entire bottom of the enclosure is cleared out. My female smithi lived underground from 1-3.5". After that it still used the burrow...after its last molt, however, its filled in the burrow and lived exclusively on the surface without any form of cover.

Well said TX, I see it very similarly....saved me a lot of typing:)
I've never had a Brachy burrow.
 

SpiderInTheBath

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I have a tiny Smithi sling that burrows in for the occasional night and then reappears on the surface the next day. (Still fat and the same size, even.) He's the most neurotic of my slings, though. He's scared of live food and will only eat pre-killed. Once I put a bean weevil in there with one of its legs still moving, and he reacted like the priest in The Exorcist. Then, once it was dead, he ate for a while then stopped to clean his teeth, then ate again, and so on... then started throwing threat poses left and right like "I am the predator!!".

He's very entertaining.
 
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