Xenethis Immanis....

[Paolo Trabucco]

Hello there can anyone look at this pics below, and tell me if this is an healthy or i should say normal pose, or its rather a unhealthy pose?
I ask you this, because my "Sosa" here below, its always more then active, and interesting to watch, but as i came back from work tonight, and i had my routine check over my furry friends, to make sure everything is ok, well i have found him like this, i have checked if some webbing has been made, just as sign of a pre-molt situation, but there's nothing there.

If anyone could have an opinion on this, it will be very much appriciated thanks

[Michael Olsinia]

It looks like it's just scrunched up and trying to hide. My immanis does this quite often when disturbed.

[Dave Grace]

It looks like it's just scrunched up and trying to hide. My immanis does this quite often when disturbed.

Have to go with what Michael says, my B.smithi and A.geniculata do this quite regularly, i often see them like that 1st thing in the morning.

[JensFalk]

You really need to change that substrate to a thick layer of peat or similar. A X. immanis cant burrow in that stuff you are using.
A webmat does not have to be a sign of premolt because an adult can be in premolt (apolysis) for months and the mat is started a few days before the molting procedure.

But first of all change the setup immediately, it should have atleast 20cm of substrate to burrow in.

[Paolo Trabucco]

hi there! excuse me if i say this, but i don't think that my set up its at all wrong, and also my T's its very happy with it thank you.

I really dont know how a sling should have a 20 cm deep substrate for a start and second i will suggest that you check this care sheet out :

http://www.alanmommerency.be/xenesthis_immanis-1.html

[JensFalk]

Come on, they cant dig a burrow in that!!!

[Joanna Pendleton]

yeah, but X. immanis is terrestrial and not a burrower. My x immanis shuns even a hide let alone a burrow and just sits in the open lol x

[JensFalk]

yeah, but X. immanis is terrestrial and not a burrower. My x immanis shuns even a hide let alone a burrow and just sits in the open lol x

Well Joanna do some reading about them. They live in deep burrows and they are real bulldozers. Terrestrial species do dig burrows but not like Haplopelma spp. that dig tunnels, a sertain differance =)

[Elaine Ross]

Having kept a couple of these with around 6-7 inches of subtrate to give them ample opportunity to burrow, I found that neither burrowed but tended to live in the open. They even had hides to use if they so wished but those were discarded also.

[JensFalk]

All the ones ive had and also my friends have dug deep burrows. All pets should be kept as natural as possible.

[Paolo Trabucco]

Well Jens....i think you most have a special Xenethis Immanis, coz by the looks everyone else exept you think different.
By the way i can say that my Xenethis , never ever burrowed, and spend the most of the time out the hide.
I really think that to my opinion my set up its more then appropriate to this Terrestrial species.

[Nick Ashley]

So..back to the pose question. This is a typical pose when a spider is trying to hide from the light... the way the front legs are all closed up it actually forms a shade over the eyes. When you go to a show, as the spiders are in plastic tubs in a bright environment with no where to hide, that is the most common pose you will see.

I see you have bark in the tank for the spider to hide under if it wants to, so wouldn't say there is anything to worry about.

[R Thomas]

You can purchase 5 slings of the same species, all born at the same time and some will just burrow a major tunnel network, others will climb and spend time on the enclosure wall and others will just sit there on the substrate.

No matter what is said about the general arboreal/terrestrial nature of the average species, there is always likely to be those that do not obey the normally expected rules.

Tarantulas like humans have their own agenda most of the time and behave accordingly.

If they did not then we may as well just place a rock in the enclosure and keep that as our living picture lol

Richard

[JensFalk]

Give them enough diggable substrate and they will burrow as most terrestrial species do.

[Grant Brown]

I have an adult female of this species, and if provided with ample substrate she will burrow. Having tried several temporary containers in the past with her, she now seems most relaxed with a burrow.

In the wild there are reports of these species co-habiting burrows with frog sp. (see below).

My own specimen displays the typical behaviour of extending legs III and IV out of the burrow entrance at dusk - dawn, unless disturbed whereupon she scampers back into her (massively enlarged) burrow. I keep my specimen in a 45cm exo terra cube - with plants, and the burrow is approx 5" diameter at the mouth and at least 10" long, tapering as it reaches the back. The burrow itself is somewhat L shaped and (probably due to lack of depth) does not extend particularly deeply into the substrate. As testament to the burrow behaviour, I use small chunks of Oasis to grow moss into which forms part of the tank scultural support - she has removed some of this bright green material herself from the inner burrow to suite her needs and scattered it about the floor of the enclosure (which is fine, as it quickly seeds with moss and integrates into the decor anyway).

Just my opinion, but a thin film of substrate is less than ideal. As in all burrowing tarantulas I have seen (in captivity), if they are not provided with ample burrow site opertunities, they will stand out in the open. This is not however, a reliable guage of "natural" behaviour, as where else can they go if not provided ample burrowing substrate and choice of burrow construction sites?!

This reference is worth a look:

Cocroft, R.B. & K. Hambler. 1989.
Observations on a commensal relationship of the microhylid frog Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata and the burrowing theraphosid spider Xenesthis immanis in southeastern Peru.
Biotropica 21: 2-8.