A 3 year experiment

[Marcostaco]

They May have been Attacking the "Surrogate Sponge" not as Prey, but as an Invasive Creature in Self Defence so to speak.

Not really, you can see and differentiate a defensive response vs food response.

Also, if you read the above mentioned; there was an instance where I've put a prekilled superworm and the sponge and the tarantula picked the sponge. Another is when my T. blondi took a sponge it actually did a "happy dance" which only occurs when a tarantula is readying up to eat its prey.

 

[Brewser]

I'm just saying anything that enters It's Domain is Fair Game. lol
Maybe You could introduce other Stimuli to induce further Responses.
Millions of Years of Instinctual Behavior... Being Kept Incarcerated/Captive can produce Unnatural results.
Do You really think a Wild/Free Tarantula would attack a Sponge?
Territorial Behavior.

Another observation from one of my Aphonopelma mooreae -

Yesterday, I saw it digging out some substrate from its burrow or so I thought. It would carry out some substrate out of its burrow and then pick up the same clump and put it back in, pick up the same clump, put it back in, pick up the same clump and put it back in. I watched it do this cycle for 30 mins straight. After 5 hours, as I was doing my final checks before going to bed; it was still doing the same cycle.

The expression " Stir Crazy " comes to mind.
Restless and Agitated.
Common Behavior among Prisoners.

 

[TheDarkFinder]

Lol. You basically learned that the feeding response is automated. You learned nothing about learning or training.

Yep they can learn and they can learn to know you.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

"My tarantula recognizes me, my tarantula recognizes my voice, he walks up to me when I come"

These are some of the most ridiculous things I've read people claim on social media about their tarantulas. These claims irritated me so bad that I conducted a little experiment.

3 years ago, March 14, 2020, just at the start of the pandemic and just at the beginning of lockdowns; I had an idea to have a little experiment of my own to see if tarantulas can really "learn". To challenge their cognitive ability if you must.

I wanted to see if my specimens will be able to differentiate prey with something unedible. I have a steady supply of superworms and this is what I feed my tarantulas 99%, of the time. On the other end, I wanted to make it a bit easier for them and went with a sponge that I've glued on the tip of a paint brush. My thinking was the texture of superworms and a sponge are so different that if they do possess some capabilities to learn and remember things outside of their instincts, this would be easier.

The tarantulas that were involved in this experiment were single specimens of T. blondi, T. apophysis, T. epicureanus, P. victori and L. parahybana.

Every time before feeding, I would use the tickle method that researchers use in the field to lure out tarantulas and I would use the sponge multiple times. For 3 years, I have done this and for 3 years my specimens have failed to recognize that the sponge is not prey. The only time they would run away from the sponge is when they are in premolt.

So in conclusion, if tarantulas can't even recognize a sponge from a superworm; how the heck are people claiming theirs can recognize them?
NO! TARANTULAS CAN'T RECOGNIZE YOU!

No experiment needed i could had told you that . But I’m bookmarking this hilarious in depth study to tell new users who claim there spiders recognize them. Like too see you make more threads like this . Grab your popcorn !!! I remember pet shops using sponges for Ts but I went and researched it and found out it wasn’t irrelevant to do so. And could cause bacteria .
One person had a tarantula attack a carrot . And happy dance like it was a worm.

 

[TheDarkFinder]

No experiment needed i could had told you that . But I’m bookmarking this hilarious in depth study to tell new users who claim there spiders recognize them. Like too see you make more threads like this . Grab your popcorn !!! I remember pet shops using sponges for Ts but I went and researched it and found out it wasn’t irrelevant to do so. And could cause bacteria .
One person had a tarantula attack a carrot . And happy dance like it was a worm.

Having kept tarantulas for more then 40 years, I can directly tell you, they can tell. My wife does not feed, when she walks past them, they don't move. When I walk past them, they move to the their feeding areas if they are hungry enough.

I have tarantulas that where nothing but hair kicking machines, to not even bothering 10 years later. I have tarantulas go from bolt machines, to coming to the door to get fed. If they don't change behavior, this behavior would be impossible. Yes, it might be just general size of the person. It might that I produce movement they understand to be food. But they do.

 

[Dry Desert]

Having kept tarantulas for more then 40 years, I can directly tell you, they can tell. My wife does not feed, when she walks past them, they don't move. When I walk past them, they move to the their feeding areas if they are hungry enough.

I have tarantulas that where nothing but hair kicking machines, to not even bothering 10 years later. I have tarantulas go from bolt machines, to coming to the door to get fed. If they don't change behavior, this behavior would be impossible. Yes, it might be just general size of the person. It might that I produce movement they understand to be food. But they do.

It's not behaviour changes, it's adaptation.

Being used to different or similar vibrations, having keepers feed at the same time of day, same period of days etc.

If a person passes by out of " their routine period " there will probably be no response, if that same person passes, or stays, during " their routine period " there will be a response.

Nothing scientific about it, just purely adapting to a routine.

I've had young snakes initially bask for much of the day, now they bask for a couple of hours early morning, then disappear, only to reappear when they think it's feeding time.

As for recognising me, they recognise the time of day, due to light, air pressure, vibrations etc.

They don't recognise,or talk to me, they have just adapted to conditions and timings.

 

[TheDarkFinder]

It's not behaviour changes, it's adaptation.

Being used to different or similar vibrations, having keepers feed at the same time of day, same period of days etc.

If a person passes by out of " their routine period " there will probably be no response, if that same person passes, or stays, during " their routine period " there will be a response.

Nothing scientific about it, just purely adapting to a routine.

I've had young snakes initially bask for much of the day, now they bask for a couple of hours early morning, then disappear, only to reappear when they think it's feeding time.

As for recognising me, they recognise the time of day, due to light, air pressure, vibrations etc.

They don't recognise,or talk to me, they have just adapted to conditions and timings.

It is learning. You understand what you said basically equates to they learn your behavior and adapt their own behavior to it. But are you not just what other perceive of you. A blind person would tell you by your air pressure, ie sound. A deaf person might tell you by the light you reflect, sight. The tension hairs on spiders are soo good they can determine the smallest vibration in webs. And know the difference between natural and prey. Is this them not recognizing something and changing behavior? why is it ok to say your cat does know you, but not your tarantula, if they show the same level of recognizing? And do if they do not, then what level do we have to give it to them anyway?

god if feel like the history channel.

"If these marks where not cut by ancient people, could it be that they where down by aliens?"