Drunken LP likes to climb

Problem is, shes not very graceful, and tends to fall a lot.

The falls are never more than about 6-8 inches, but it still worries me.

She'll typically climb the walls, then use her fangs to get a good hold on the mesh top of her enclosure, and attempt to walk upside down.
What can I do to stop this behavior? I worry that she'll fall, hit her hidey log and rupture something =(

she also gets angry when she crash lands, and kicks a few hairs resulting in that fugly bald spot on her back.

Perhaps eliminate the mesh top? You could also add a good cushion of moss. Every tarantula seems to have it's own personality so she will climb, but you have to ask yourself why is she climbing. How is the moisture level of your substrate? What is the substrate composition and does it irritate her? Just cover the obvious and easy and if that doesn't work you may just have a climber and have to keep her in a shallower enclosure. Best of luck

What kind of enclosure and setup? None of my terrestrials have 6-8 inches of space that they could fall from...if I were you I would add more substrate. I only leave 3-4 inches from top of substrate to the top of the enclosure for my terrestrials.

ETA: I have also heard bad things about mesh tops and Ts..Ts getting feet caught in the mesh, Ts chewing through the mesh etc.

Could be that she isn't happy with the substrate. When bulky NW giant T's like a Lasiodora parahybana acts like that there's high % of substrate issue.
I received for free (but from my point of view i rescued her) almost a year ago, a female Grammostola pulchripes, housed in not even 5 inches of peat moss, with a fake (plastic made) wood for hide (hate those, i dislike too much, big and unnecessary, plastic stuff inside my T's enclosures btw).

She was very, very unhappy with that substrate, always climbing, using her fangs on the air holes for remain higher. Upside down walking as well. Ok, i waited a good month.. just for be completely sure, then i re-housed her on one of mine fav. terrestrial enclosures, using the bone dry, fine coco fiber, i use/d for all my T's in almost 25 years. Adding an old good piece of cork bark for hide.
Stopped that. Happy Theraphosidae.

Btw my personal advice for reduce to minimum the risk of a fall if that unwanted scenario happens, is to use LARGE enclosures with SHORT height for adult terrestrial T's.. since those doesn't need height unlike arboreals, nor height filled with substrate like i do for my NW - OW obligate burrowers.

All of my adults terrestrial, except for Pterinochilus murinus (because i don't view that orange lovely only as a terrestrial one) are housed in 30 cm Large, 20 cm Wide, but only 14 cm of Height, in cross ventilation enclosures.. of course 10 cm (height) are of substrate so a fall, let's say, from 4/5 cm wouldn't harm at all the T's.

That's been my experience with mesh tops--they seem to feel compelled to dangle upside down and gnaw on it. I'm not too fond of mesh because of that. The only one of my Ts I've observed doing so in a Sterilite or an acrylic enclosure has been my weird little immature male P.cancerides that seems to have gotten his wanderlust a little early.

simple solution...change the enclosure. 8 inches is a big enough height to cause damage to a large terrestrial. Plus, the mesh top is no good for a climbing T as the hooks on the end of the tarsus can get stuck.
I've done this myself in the past with a G. porteri female. She was kept in a high enclosure with a mesh top and after a few months began climbing and walking upside down on the mesh like yours. I just rehoused her into a new enclosure as I wasn't going to risk it.

I've heard they like to follow the air currents, mesh lids seem to encourage this behavior a lot.

Mine LP does this stuff wheater it's dry, humid, cold or warm...

borotasinisa said:

Mine LP does this stuff wheater it's dry, humid, cold or warm...

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Yeah call me crazy, but she seems to do this kind of thing regardless of dampness of her substrate

I have her in a 10 gal, with about 3-4 inches of substrate, and a half log for a hide.

Shes moved everything around though.

I would add more substrate.

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BobGrill said:

I would add more substrate.

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I'll do that right when I get home =)

I never know how much I should use.

Methal said:

I'll do that right when I get home =)

I never know how much I should use.

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Good. That's pretty much the best "prevention". As for the meshtop...I'd rehouse her into a different tank. Aside the fact that 10 gal is a waste of space really for that one IMO.

Storm76 said:

Good. That's pretty much the best "prevention". As for the meshtop...I'd rehouse her into a different tank. Aside the fact that 10 gal is a waste of space really for that one IMO.

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I may do that, though I hate rehousing, seems a good way to get bit. So i figured i'd put her in something big enough for her to grow into.