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Strange P. formosa behaviour

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  • Strange P. formosa behaviour

    I've have a group of 3 sub adult female P. formosa, which have been housed together since hatching. They are all approximately 3-3.5" in legspan and have been getting on fine so far - even huddling together when I open the tank and disturb them, removing left over food debris.

    However, last night I was awoken by the sounds of the little **** sprinting around their container. I had a look, and two of them were chasing each other. They settled in the light, and I watched as one sat on the bark and started drumming. Nothing further happened, so I turned off the light and went back to bed. Almost immediately, I heard a series of 3 loud drums, followed by 3 quieter ones (a reply), and then a pounce and more chasing.

    I decided that I should temporarily remove one of the spiders, just in case one of them decided they wanted brunch, so I watched them for a bit and moved the most active one into a plastic tub.

    This has not stopped them. I was just woken now to a series of 3 loud drums (coming from the tank with the 2 remaining P. formosa in), followed by 3 quieter ones coming from the tank with the removed P. formosa in. It seems as though they are still communicating, despite being in separate tanks. The third pokie, in the main tank is not joining in with the drumming.

    Can anyone make a guess as to what is happening here, or has anyone seen this behaviour before? I'm absolutely sure it's not a mating ritual because, (1)they're all female**, (2) they're all juveniles & (3) it sounds nothing like the drumming I've heard when mating pokes before (I'm not sure if the drumming is the same for all pokes when mating, but what I've heard sounds like a drum roll varying in intensity) - it's a definite 3 bursts (tap tap.... tap tap tap..... tap tap tap).

    I'm also pretty sure that it's not just one getting hungry, because the drumming continued when I'd separated the spiders; added to the fact that they're all pretty plump.

    Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Are these animals actively social?? I'm tempted to put them back together since I don't think they're trying to eat each other, but I'm going to re-home them into a larger, less knocked-about tank with more hides first.

    ** Identified female by myself, Leon Lane, Andy Matthews and Ray Gabriel. However, I understand that Mr Gabriel's females have an odd habit of maturing into males, hence the reason that a second (and third) opinion was sought

  • #2
    And my s/a males growing spermatheca.............LOL

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    • #3
      Ah yes.. that too

      I've rehomed them now in a semi arboreal set-up now anyway. A fair bit more room for them to play in, and several places for them to hide should they feel like having some 'me' time.

      As it is, they're all huddled together in the same tube of cork bark, bums touching. I guess this means they're all mates again

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