Burrowing Pokies

[Craig Mackay]

Hi,

I just got my first pokie on Tuesday. It's on ornata sling and the first thing on it's agenda when it got put in it's new home after a quick bite to eat was to make a burrow. I had read that this was normal for a lot of arboreals as slings but I was wondering what kind of size/moult do they tend to start living as arboreals? Does it depend on the individual involved and how secure they feel?

Cheers
Craig

[Rich.Harrington]

Craig ive found that even my adults will burrow a fair amount, sure i read somewhere that they do tend to do so alot when in captivity. At a guess i can only think this is due to them not living a life in the trees, in a natural habitat they would be finding holes and hollows inside a tree but rarely ever actually hit the ground, this would obviously prevent any burrowing.

Once we stuff them into a tub and stick in some tiny 12" or so tube its really nothing compared to 30-40ft trees, so perhaps burrowing is simply an instinct thing for all T's and we just give them the opportunity that their natural enviroment denies them????

[Peter Lacey]

Craig, I usually find the first thing on any Ts mind when received is either to run or hide and when it comes to hiding they'll take whatever they get. I'd suggest your ornata is doing exactly the same thing but will soon adopt whatever arboreal furnishings you have.
Its not unusual for Pocilotheria to use the ground, they certainly use substrate to disguise their webbing and I've found a number of large Pokies take to the ground on disturbance, despite having tubes within the enclosure that they'd normally reside in.
I've not yet seen any of my Pokies burrow but I have noticed that in the morning some will stay low and rise during the evening.

[Craig Mackay]

Thanks for the replies. I guess it may have just have been a part of the settling in process as it's been spending a lot of time higher up this evening. I didn't realise that adults will burrow too although I did know they'll often spend time lower down. I just assumed that it was something only the slings do. Considering it's an arboreal I was impressed with how quickly it excavated a good burrow. It could certainly give the burrowing species a run for their money, lol! I guess those chunky front legs help a lot.

[Lisa Baines]

my little regalis used to hide in the substrate until it's last shed.. it is now approx 1" legspan and currently resides underneath the juvi jar lid!!!

my rufilata and striata hide in or behind the bamboo during the day and seem to seek the highest point when the lights go out on an evening.
although some days they just stay out regardless, they are both between 4-5"

[Craig Mackay]

it is now approx 1" legspan and currently resides underneath the juvi jar lid!!!

I bet thats a pain when you have to open the lid, lol!

[Phil Rea]

I think it could well be to do with them having a natural aversion to light. In the wild, they live in dark tree holes and emerge at night. I've also seen them carry substrate into webbing in captivity, presumably in order to keep out the light. Burrowing would have the same end result

[Craig Mackay]

I think it could well be to do with them having a natural aversion to light. In the wild, they live in dark tree holes and emerge at night. I've also seen them carry substrate into webbing in captivity, presumably in order to keep out the light. Burrowing would have the same end result

They must be making curtains, lol!

[Matthew Baines]

I bet thats a pain when you have to open the lid, lol!

Nah its really quite well behaved and stays put in the lid whilst you finish what you are doing.

[Lisa Baines]

They must be making curtains, lol!

hehehe yeah when you look inside the bamboo it does kinda resemble curtains!!! It's kind of looks like the pokie equivalent to camo netting!!!

[Peter Lacey]

LOL, I have 3 P. miranda communally that often sit in the lid, and don't budge. So feeding is an interesting exercise.

[Lisa Baines]

hahaha i hear you on that one peter lmao!