Fringed ornamental (Poecilotheria ornata)

[Mark Shingleton]

hi guys... i was just out shoppin and saw a cool t for £12... so i bought her, didnt know what she was ( scientific name ) i new fringed ornimental. turns out shes a pokie, woo! My first pokie!! any way, their ment to be agresive so i was gunna swap her from the tub i brought her home in into her house over the bath cuz tarantulas cant climb baths... but then i remembered she's aboreal... can she climb the side of a bath, i dont want her running away... not had an aboreal before so not seen this speed yet and dont wanna be tacken by surprise... got an avic avic comin from tss but not here yet due to snow
thanx

[Peter Lacey]

P. ornata is reputed to be one of the more aggressive of pokies. Personally I find they are not as skittish as other species so they'll stand their ground as if to say "whatever!". Ive had communities of these and found feeding them a little unnerving as they won't move off the lid, Ive given up a few times and just chanced it.
The best way to rehouse anything with a reputation is to put the old enclosure into the new one, eventually they move out.
Don't be fooled by the "cant climb the bath" myth, the reason people suggest a bath is this room usually has less places to hide and its a large environment. They certainly can climb the bath, no matter what size, they can also climb glass in the same manner.
How big is your ornata? If its a sling I wouldnt worry about it, just use a paintbrush to lightly touch its back legs and it should come out, I do the same for most species, but obviously the bigger the T the longer the paintbrush LOL.
The one trick to use, assuming its large and you're wary of it, is to place the existing enclosure and the new one aside each other on a platform within the bath. pour in an inch or 2 of water and then try to encourage it out. As long as you're slow but methodical you should be able to coerce it out of the enclosure and into the new one. They'll most likely avoid the water so you've limited its escape route.
If your ornata is showing signs of aggression Id leave the moving til another day. You could also you the art of diversion by feeding it a large cricket before trying to move it.
One of the best methods, if feasible, is to empty the enclosure of arboreal furnishings, place a tube (kitchen towel or toilet roll) with one end blocked up and wait a few days. Its very likely to set up residence in the tube. Block the opening and pick up the tube to place in the new enclosure. Remove the blocking and it should eventually come out and set up home in a more suitable arboreal hide (cork or bamboo tube).

[Mark Shingleton]

thanx for the reply... some good ideas their, i sometimes put the tub in the enclosure but thats not gunna work this time. the t is only about an inch, so the enclosure she is going in is not a full size home and the tub they put her in for me is wider. i like the toilet tube idea... seems the way tgo for me. thanx again.

[Mark Shingleton]

used the toilet tube, worked good untill she was in her new home and out of the tube, i picked up the tube to take it out and i think a bit off bark or summet fell of an hit her... i saw the speed, bloody hell!!! she did about three laps of the house in like a second then shot up to the open lid. luckily i managed to get the lid on before she got their. this is going to be a fun tarantula
thanx again.

[R Thomas]

I often wonder if people suggest the bath also so they can put the enclosures in a bath with a small amount of water in as a barrier against some species making a dash for it. I am sure spiders sense fear so whatever you are going to do I suggest you set about it as though you are fearless (but take all necessary precautions 'fearless is not the same as being reckless')

Richard

[Mark Shingleton]

i like the water in the bath isea... got a few more t's coming when weather improves so might get a chance to try that. i was surprisingly calm during the pokie rehousing, evan when she toak off. surprised my self, i thought i would be nervous. just told myself it was like any other t, if i treat it with care things shuld go fine, just tryed to ignore what i heard about speed and agression. dont give it a reason to be threatend and all shuld go well... then i drop bark on her head.... oops
oh, well shes in now, had a cricket yesterday, stretched out on the side of her house i thik she probably more 2 and half inch... maybe even three
thanx for the replys

[Dave Grace]

I posted this a while ago after i decided to buy a pokie for the first time ........

To say they are quick would be an understatement, this little fella has Jedi powers.. So after it had done at least 6 laps of the sink, disappeared under a chopping board, made my other half shout and have a go at me, go in the housing then straight back out I decided to corral it in a cricket tub with the aid of my wife... It is now where I wanted it to be

Have fun !!!

[Mark Shingleton]

lmao... its gunna be fun.

[Mark Shingleton]

just got my avic avic threw the post this mornin... shes so cool and calm, just chillin at the side of me watchin me write this, pointing out my spellin mistakes. im gunna go house her then trot back of to work... she went in the sandwich shop wi me on my way home and eveyone fell in love with her...... the lass who lives next door works their, lol, you shuld have seen her face when she found out how many spiders live next door,lmao! shes not too keen on spiders.

[Dave Grace]

glad to hear that your A.avic is well, they can be pretty fast too if the need arises... I too dont think my neighbours would be too happy if they found out how many T's lived next door to them either, but what they dont know, wont kill em !!!