he hides in his burrow...

[Mark Shingleton]

hi people, got a question. Sorry if there's a really obvious answer to this but if i don't ask ill never know.
My little new river rust rump is very timid and darts down his burrow every time i lift the lid of his enclosure, he wont come out if he knows I'm still about. i was just wandering, when i come to change his substrate and he inevitably charges down his hole, what do i do? do i try for hours to coax him out or just get on with it. i cant see it being the later because i could injure him shoveling away while he cowers beneath... any advice?
Once again i apologise if there's a simple solution i have not considered... i am new to this.

[Kurt Baird]

How long has he been in there?

T's don't particularly need their substrate changing all too often really. As long as you are removing the left over food remains it should be relatively clean in there anyway.

Although, I personally just get on with it, using a fairly small spoon just dig away. Others may growl at me for this but its the quickest way.

[Mark Shingleton]

thanx, just good to get a second opinion.
he's not down the burrow all the time and i do see him drinking and stalking the odd cricket so i know he's fine, its just when i go to get in the enclosure he hides. it dosent worry me, i read somewhere a tarantula you dont see is a happy tarantula, i was just worried about destroying his burrow with him inside while i changed the subsrate, incase of injury. his substrate is not going to be changed yet, i take out all the leftovers, but i thought id ask while it was on my mind. Thanx, ill get a small spoon and keep the scoop for fluffy.

[Kurt Baird]

i read somewhere a tarantula you dont see is a happy tarantula,

Thats a pretty good way to look at it, at least he has somewhere to hide if he feels threatened.