What does Tarantula poo look like?

[Andrew Ferguson]

Title says it all really. Pic too would be helpful. I've noticed that in a corner of my Smiffy's tank, a little bit of the substrate has been dug and in the middle is a little whitish ball. Is this poo? I tried doing a serach but poo is too short a word for the search facility.

[Leanne King-Smith]

It probably is poo. My T's poo's are white, like bird poo, and usually just under the substrate surface. Yuk, lol.

[Peter Lacey]

The poo I've noticed is white, similar to bird poo, squirted in liquid form. Strangely enough when I've wiped it off the glass with a wet cotton wool bud its turned a subtle shade of mauve!

[Kate Arbon]

Yeah it's white goop. Usually dribbles down the glass and turns to concrete, lol. Nice. But then I don't know if any animal has poo you can call 'nice'. At least T poo doesn't smell.

Edit to add: If you ever get an Avicularia you may find out rather directly what T poo is like as I've heard they are quite proficient at shooting it at people! lol.

[Andrew Ferguson]

Edit to add: If you ever get an Avicularia you may find out rather directly what T poo is like as I've heard they are quite proficient at shooting it at people! lol.

Ewwww!!!! I've only seen projectile poo once before and possibly again in a few months when baby number 2 is born.

Plus, GBB is my next purchase

[Richard Shah]

Apparently the droppings evaporate after a while; hmm, I am so delighted to think that while I sleep and supposedly repair, grow and recharge my body, I'm breathing in a load of, well, excretion!

[Peter Lacey]

The moisture from the poo evaporates but the white marks are most definitely left behind.

[Richard Shah]

The moisture from the poo evaporates but the white marks are most definitely left behind.

Great... so would I leave it if it was in the substrate and then wipe it if it was on the glass?

[Peter Lacey]

I tend to remove anything that resembles a solid whenever I find it. You'll find your T produces a bolus - inedible bits of the insects which are crunched up and made into a pellet, similar to an owl's droppings. The white marks are unsightly but don't take much to remove, devote an old flannel to your cleaning equipment. Simply wipe it off the glass. You should think aboout cleaning your substrate out every half or full year but simply removing some top substrate where there's evidence of excrement is good practise. On the bonus side you'll prob find you T excretes in the same area.

[Tom Forman]

should i be worried about red poo at all.

One of my spiders I am sure produces red poo...

[Richard Shah]

I tend to remove anything that resembles a solid whenever I find it. You'll find your T produces a bolus - inedible bits of the insects which are crunched up and made into a pellet, similar to an owl's droppings. The white marks are unsightly but don't take much to remove, devote an old flannel to your cleaning equipment. Simply wipe it off the glass. You should think aboout cleaning your substrate out every half or full year but simply removing some top substrate where there's evidence of excrement is good practise. On the bonus side you'll prob find you T excretes in the same area.

I will use an old flannel, so thank you. I will do as you informed me of how you do it; I will take your words into mind and follow through with them.
Cheers!
Tom, red droppings could be like some pigeons drooping white stuff while others drop green??
Or am I wrong and your tarantula is bleeding or spewing blood while supposedly doing a number two??

[Andrew Ferguson]

Or am I wrong and your tarantula is bleeding or spewing blood while supposedly doing a number two??

Spider blood isn't red like in mammals. Hemolymph (spider blood) is a pale blue in colour due to its high copper content. Mammalian, birds and fishes blood has a high iron content and that is why it is red.

[Richard Shah]

Spider blood isn't red like in mammals. Hemolymph (spider blood) is a pale blue in colour due to its high copper content. Mammalian, birds and fishes blood has a high iron content and that is why it is red.

Damn it I knew that! I feel stupid cuz I obviously wasn't thinking about what I was saying; thank you for correcting my stupidity - and for the facts. I did know the colour but not the reason why it is a pale blue, although I did for humans.
Cheers!