Attacking water

[Elaine Ross]

Something I have noticed with a few of my T's is that when I spray or pour water they attack it.
My 1 inch G. pulchra ran across from the opposite side of the tub when I sprayed and literally pounced. I dropped in a couple of crickets and he grabbed them both. My other G. pulchra sling run round in circles while spraying lol.
My B. vagans also does this when I pour water into his dish so am I right in thinking that its the vibration from the water they are feeling and thinking its food, they attack it? I have noticed this with my more voracious eaters and not at all with the slow feeders.

Elaine

[Michael Seils]

I also noticed this when I top up my spiders water dish. I always just assumed it was detecting the vibration and treating the water as a potential threat/dinner. Mine usually goes and flails at it abit then must realise its not a problem and just wanders away again.

[James Box]

mine get nervous when i pour water, but i've not noticed them willfully attacking it yet!
the story reminds me a bit of a dog attacking the stream from a hose, though!

[Elaine Ross]

Thats what made me wonder about feeding reflex when water is poured/sprayed. Is it actually hunting instinct or something else? I have found that the spiders that react to the water are the best eaters and if food is introduced while they are reacting to water, their feeding is more aggressive than usual.

My tarantula's are well fed so I cant see it being hunger that causes it.

I'm just curious really

Elaine

[Tomas Whitehouse]

Hiding

Hi,

When watering or feeding I get a rather scared T cowering in the corner. Considering A genic's are supposed to protest and show aggression I find this quite funny. Maybe she's only little and that will change after a few more molts.

Tomas

[Elaine Ross]

Hi,

When watering or feeding I get a rather scared T cowering in the corner. Considering A genic's are supposed to protest and show aggression I find this quite funny. Maybe she's only little and that will change after a few more molts.

Tomas

My A. genic is the complete opposite lol. He/she is only 1 - 1.5cm and does the big threat display. Funny wee thing I'm hoping it mellows as it grows.

It just goes to show how different each spider is even within its own species.
Elaine

[Tomas Whitehouse]

All change!

Ha ha,
This morning I went to change the water dish as it had a few clumps of sub floating around and.... low and behold the little un attacked it for the first time! Showing some grump and then stood in it before backing down and allowing me to continue with the removal! I figure it must be the fact she's had two good meals now after last tuesdays molt and now her strenght is back up. She attacked it again when I put it back in the enclosure too.
That's more like a Genic eh? ha ha.

Tomas

[George Santana]

A number of my T's attack the drumming of the water against their water dish. It must be the sound of the dinner bell to them. Today I replenished water in several cages, and was greeted by a number of attacks.
On some enclosures I use a straw to replenish the water and my little G rosea wrapped its legs around the straw until the water stopped running through it. Cute as heck.

[Mike_Strick]

Our big A genic always attacks her water dish when I fill it up. She then seems to get annoyed about getting wet. I generally put a cricket in first to distract her.

[Elaine Ross]

Strange behaviour indeed lol.

Speaking of A. genic's doing it too, my 1cm genic does the big threat display every time I spray the opposite end of the tub lol.

I'm so glad mine arent the only one's that have this water problem.
Elaine

[Bryan_Dennis]

The obvious answer as to why they attack pouring water has got to be because it represents a threat/prey item to them.

As you all know these characters don't see to well and rely largely on their sensory hairs...The jet/spray of water must be creating vibrations in the local air current that makes the spider react as if theres something in it's immediate vicinity.