spider behaviour questions

[Laura Watson]

Hi there, Just a few questions, firstly I've had my little B.smithi for a few months now it's about 4cm, and hoped i would be able to handle it when it grew, as i've held other peoples, however mine is the most nervous creature i've ever seen and if i even touch the lid to try and open it, it flicks hairs everywhere, i have to wear gardening gloves when i move cricket remains or spray and feed it, it even covers the poor cricket in hairs, I keep it in the same cupboard as all the other T's so it's not experiencing more stress or anything, have i just got a really neurotic specimen or will it calm down as it gets older?

Also I recently rehomed my A.avic and am no longer using substrate just a large water bowl, i'd noticed the cricket remains always seem to end up in the water bowl and thought it was just how they'd fell, then one morning i watched her carefully carry the ball of remains down from her roost and test with her forelegs that she was by the water and then deliberately place the remains into the water, then walk back up to her nest again. Why does she put the remains in the water? it then just spoils the water. I assume she thinks it's a stream or something that will be washed away with fresh water, but does anyone know?

[Phil Rea]

I have a B. emilia female that is much the same. Hair kicker from hell. She hasn't calmed down at all as she's moulted and grown older, and I doubt yours will either. On the other hand, I have another larger one that's very docile.

No idea regarding the avic, but personally I would use some sort of substrate in the enclosure to retain moisture if nothing else.

[Nicola Dolby]

Brachys can have strange behaviour. My B. baumgarteni used to web over his waterbowl and use it like a plate! Also it did yoga!!! Now he has a new post petpal and rarely comes out of his hide except late at night My B. smithi is also really skittish and I can only guess at what my B. bohemi will turn out like!

[Elaine Ross]

My B. boehmei is exactly the same. I just need to breath in the wrong direction and there is a hair cloud lol. My calmest one is my emilia. I could probably put my hand in and scoop her out if I wanted to and she wouldnt even ruffle a hair.
My mystery Brachy also uses her waterdish as the trash can so I tend to change water the day after feeding. I have to fight her for the dish though using forceps lol.

Elaine

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

From my experience B. boehmei and B. auratum both are the most hair-kickers. And as I've noted the smaller possible size enclosure maintainence - the calmer the tarantula is.
And it is also a rule as I believe that the older it gets the calmer it bacames - this is also characteristic for the reptiles as well.

[Laura Watson]

I do hope my b.smithi calms down, he is in a cricket tub the same size as my other 2 slings his size, should I try a smaller enclosure? I put a film pot in there for a hide, but I've never seen him in there, he is even out through the day, unlike my others, should I try a different shaped hide?

And has anyone any ideas about my A.avic with the water bowl? I got the idea of not using substrate from a good tarantula behaviour book (sorry don't know the name/authors off hand) they recommended tree climbing ones don't need substrate and it just makes the cage harder to clean, and just to use the largest possible water bowl to retain moisture, so the whole base of her tank is a large water bowl, and from her behaviour she seems quite happy to go down to it to drink (and throw remains into it!) and the humidity is fine.

Thanks for your comments so far!