- Joined
- Nov 11, 2013
- Messages
- 239
A recent thread about G. pulchra husbandry got me really thinking about tarantulas and their moisture requirements as it pertains to substrate. In that thread, it sounded like some folks keep them on moist sub while other keep them dry. Although these are obviously quite different on husbandry needs, it sounds as if both set of folks are keeping healthy animals with no ill effect despite the opposing conditions.
When I think about moisture dependent species, T. blondi, H. gigas, and L. violaceopes immediately come to mind. These seem to be three species that require moist substrate to insure their good health. But what about some of the other species that many of us keep moist but others keep dry?
Poecilotheria, Asian terrestrials, South American tropicals, etc. are usually kept on moist substrate. However, I've heard of folks keeping Lasiordora and Phormictopus both moist and dry. I recently spoke to a keeper who had been successfully keeping pokies dry for years without issue. Then there are avics, who often hail from humid parts, but keepers have discovered that humid enclosures with improper ventilation can kill them. Personally, I used to keep my phormictopus species on moist sub, but I noticed that they would tend to gravitate toward the dry side and burrow. I now keep them on mostly dry with water dishes, and they are all still growing like weeds.
Are there physiological differences between species that make some more susceptible to dry conditions, or is it a case in most instances of tarantulas being hardy enough to tolerate a variety conditions? For example, I live in Connecticut where it can be 90 degrees with 100% humidity one day, and 50 degrees with 40% humidity the next. Even though I can survive in the high humidity, I certainly don't like it. Is it possibly like this for some tarantula species?
Now, obviously when breeding comes into play, some species require extra attention to environmental factors and closer conditions to their regions of origin. I'm talking about general husbandry here. Also, I am in no way advocating that we should desert what experience has taught us constitutes proper husbandry.
What are others' thoughts? I'm just really curious as to what other keepers think. Which species need to be kept moist in order to thrive, and which seem to do well in conditions different from the conditions in the wild? Are any of you folks keeping something differently and having success with it?
When I think about moisture dependent species, T. blondi, H. gigas, and L. violaceopes immediately come to mind. These seem to be three species that require moist substrate to insure their good health. But what about some of the other species that many of us keep moist but others keep dry?
Poecilotheria, Asian terrestrials, South American tropicals, etc. are usually kept on moist substrate. However, I've heard of folks keeping Lasiordora and Phormictopus both moist and dry. I recently spoke to a keeper who had been successfully keeping pokies dry for years without issue. Then there are avics, who often hail from humid parts, but keepers have discovered that humid enclosures with improper ventilation can kill them. Personally, I used to keep my phormictopus species on moist sub, but I noticed that they would tend to gravitate toward the dry side and burrow. I now keep them on mostly dry with water dishes, and they are all still growing like weeds.
Are there physiological differences between species that make some more susceptible to dry conditions, or is it a case in most instances of tarantulas being hardy enough to tolerate a variety conditions? For example, I live in Connecticut where it can be 90 degrees with 100% humidity one day, and 50 degrees with 40% humidity the next. Even though I can survive in the high humidity, I certainly don't like it. Is it possibly like this for some tarantula species?
Now, obviously when breeding comes into play, some species require extra attention to environmental factors and closer conditions to their regions of origin. I'm talking about general husbandry here. Also, I am in no way advocating that we should desert what experience has taught us constitutes proper husbandry.
What are others' thoughts? I'm just really curious as to what other keepers think. Which species need to be kept moist in order to thrive, and which seem to do well in conditions different from the conditions in the wild? Are any of you folks keeping something differently and having success with it?
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