Squirt from the Avicularia avicularia

[Yinnon Dolev]

HI,
I own a coupple of avicularia and I noticed from time to time a few small white egg-like grains stuck to the glass of the enclouser.
Thinking those to be eggs or fetus of the roches I feed it, I kept cleaning it.
The other day, I noticed the Avicularia raising it's abdomen and squirting this substance on the glass some 40 c"m away.
Now the spider is quite small - only about 5-6 c"m leg span, so I don't thing the egg-like grains are sperm-sacks, but I could be mistaking.
Has anybody else observed such a thing and can enlighted me as to what it is the avicularia is trying to tell me?

Thanks.

[Mark Pennell]

HI
No just normal avic doo doo's... they all do this! to keep there home clean I guess.
Regards
Mark

[Yinnon Dolev]

thanks a lot Mark.

I wasn't aware that tarantulas do that... I always figuried that since T's digest externaly, there would be no leftovers to extract.
You learn somthing new everyday!!

Yinnon.

[Yinnon Dolev]

While we are on this subject, can any one referance me to an artical about T's physiological and antomical systems?

Thanks,
Yinnon.

[Richard Gallon]

Dunlop, J. A., Altringham, J. D. & Mill, P. J. 1992. Coupling between the heart and sucking stomach during ingestion in a tarantula. Journal of experimental biology. (166): 83-93.

There are loads more out there! Try Google for "Tarantula & Physiology".

[Carl Portman]

Avicularia defence

Not only that, they can squirt faeces for quite a distance as a defence mechanism. It is amazing to observe...but not too closely you understand.
I take it you know they are excellent swimmers, jumpers and runners too?

[Yinnon Dolev]

I had no Idea that they swim!!
do you have any Idea how they prevent water entering their trachea?

[Carl Portman]

SWIMMING AVICULARIA

I had no Idea that they swim!!
do you have any Idea how they prevent water entering their trachea?

Good question, well presented. They must have some sort of closing mechanism but this question is thrown open to all. Mr Gallon...any comments?

[Graeme Wright]

Re: Avicularia defence

Not only that, they can squirt faeces for quite a distance as a defence mechanism. It is amazing to observe...but not too closely you understand.
I take it you know they are excellent swimmers, jumpers and runners too?

I descovered that the hard way and got a face full

[Chris Sainsbury]

I had no Idea that they swim!!
do you have any Idea how they prevent water entering their trachea?

Ok heres the smart arse answer!
Tarantulas don´t have trachea to let water into!

Maybe its the hairs around the abdomen that trap air and form a kind of air pocket that prevents the water from getting in the book lungs.

[Yinnon Dolev]

as far as smart answers, that one is a keeper.
Though it is still worth investigating.

[Layla McInnes]

So they wont drown in water bowls then?

[ricktheartist]

Me too!

My Avic, Pixie (My wifes decition) comes out of her web, sticks her bum in the air and launches her daily load accross the tank. She sticks her bum up like that and aims it at you if shes desterbed too, ready to fire one off i presume.
Also to again show they like a tidy web, she hangs the chewed cricket remains from a strand of web outside the entrance. Lovely!

[Yinnon Dolev]

As for the raising of the abdomen when the Avic is nerves, this could be related to the fact the the Avic family has urticating hairs that cant be flicked.
Insted they press their abdomin to the threat and thus protect themselves.
But I have had the same experiance with being "shot at" (though he missed). So I guess we have observed another protection machenisim the speices has.

And now for somthing (somewhat) diffrent:
What exacily is the diffrance between book-lungs and trachea?

thanks,
Yinnon.

[Yinnon Dolev]

I found a nice website explining some of the issues:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/InfoNed/blood.html

It's worth a read.