Ephebopus Murinus and Poecilotheria Metallica behaviour

[Richard Harper]

Hello everyone,

I'm just looking for a bit of information on 2 of my tarantulas as I can't seem to find what I'm look for on the web or on the forum. It's possible that I haven't looked hard enough. Also I'm not 100% sure if this is the correct forum for this thread, so if it isn't please forgive me. Now down to business.

My Ephebopus Murinus, I'll give you a little information on her.
-Recently added to my collection about 4 months ago.
-It is a wild caught tarantula.
- My first adult female at approximately 15cm.
-Slow moving and slow to react. Only leaves it's hide to go to the water dish or use the toilet then returns.
-Uses the bark/substrate hide I made for her but has put very little or no web, just dug a little hole under the bark and is at times seen just sitting in the hole looking out or looking into the hole.
-It allows prey (lobster roaches, locusts and crickets) to crawl all over it until they get towards its eyes then it goes into threat posture.
-Spent one days with it's carapace, cheliceraes and pedipalps completely submerged in it's water dish. I assumed that the substrate had gotten too dry so I misted and it now just remains in its hide.
-Had it's first meal, 2 lobster roaches, 23 days after it arrived. Hasn't eaten since (57 days).

My questions are:
-Are Ephebopus Murinus tarantulas known to refuse prey for long periods?
-Do they not place any web when they have hides provided for them?
-Is them not placing webbing a sign that they are not contented with their home?




The only question I'd like to ask about my Poecilotheria Metallica (13cm) behaviour is if it is know to go without food for periods (43 days) ? It's abdomen has shrunk that's the only reason I'm asking because it just approaches prey, pokes then smacks them away from its bark hide every time they get close. I've had her for 5 months and she has molted twice in my care.

Also if there are any concerns or advice you'd like to give on unrelated things I welcome it.



Thank you for your time .

[M Bills]

Re: Ephebopus Murinus and Poecilotheria Metallica behaviour

The murinus looks in desperate need of a moult so I wouldn't offer her anymore food until she has moulted. Just make sure she has access to water and leave her be.

With the metallica, I would keep offering every couple of weeks and she'll eat when she's ready

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[Richard Harper]

I was thinking it needs a moult, however, with my other t's their abdomens are usually massive when they go into pre-moult. Do e murinus moult with such a small abdomen?

okay will do on the metallica

Cheers

[M Bills]

Re: Ephebopus Murinus and Poecilotheria Metallica behaviour

Has it eaten since you've had it?

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[Peter Roach]

The substrate of the murinus looks very dry to me especially as it is a WC.

How deep is the substrate ?

A WC specimen would need at least 5-6 inches of damp substrate to be able to dig a decent burrow.

Spent one days with it's carapace, cheliceraes and pedipalps completely submerged in it's water dish.

This just SCREAMS out that the spider is in desperate need of moisture and a constant humid place to hide away. A bark hide is OK for a Chile rose or similar but of absolutely no use whatsoever for an almost swamp dwelling tarantula like a E murinus.

I assumed that the substrate had gotten too dry so I misted and it now just remains in its hide

Misting will do nothing apart from raising the humidity for a brief few hours at best, you would do much better just pouring a pint of water into the substrate.

If the substrate is deep (ie 5-6 inches) the lower levels will be (or should be) constantly damp, therefore providing a constant humid micro habitat for the spider.

This is how I keep my my Ephebopus >>> LINK <<<


If the metallica is slapping the prey insects away then it obviously doesnt like or want them near it for whatever reason.
IMHO, locusts are probably the worst prey insect. I have used them in the past and rate them at best 1/10 and only a few of my T's actually ate them whereas 100% will take red runner cockroaches.

[Richard Harper]

Thank you for the insight and helpful information. Seems I was mistreating my murinus. I'll get on fixing that right away.

Wow your t's hides look really cool. Hope you don't mind me borrowing the idea of using leaves .

Will have to find a website that has those red runners in stock. I was using lobster and dubia roaches but they like to hide alot, it's kind of annoying.

[david clarke]

Hi Peter,

Do you prepare, in any way, the leaves you use? I have collected some leaf litter for my own enclosures, and am just wondering if I need to do anything other than dry them...

David

[Peter Roach]

There are many people who will microwave or bake anything and everything that is not bought via a pet shop, strangely this seems to be an almost exclusively done in the UK and US.
Whereas most hobbyists in Germany, Netherlands etc seem to prefer the natural type enclosures with the micro fauna that comes with it (check out some of the German forums)

The leaves that are shown in the photo's are just dried Oak leaves that I got from the local woods.
I never do anything to the wood and leaves etc that I find in the local woods apart from a though look over to check for any unwanted guests.
Likewise I do nothing to the top soil, compost and other substrates that I get from B&Q, if I did it would destroy the springtails and other arthropods that come in it.
I've recently set up a breeding colony of springtails and tropical woodlice to add to my tanks. I'm impatiently waiting for the warmer weather so that i can go out and collect some native woodlice to get a colony going to add to my tanks.

[david clarke]

Cheers Peter,

Much appreciated. I shall check a few forums out. Makes perfect sense though. Much appreciated.

[michael connachan]

I would agree totally that your murinus is indeed requiring a molt and your P.Metallica looks fine, Iwould offer food periodically every two weeks i did notice that you were offering hoppers in my experience it's not a great prey item and a lot of T's just don't like them espescially with the kick they can give, I hope this has helped a little.

[michael connachan]

Don't collect stuff from the wild as they contain pathogens and other nasty stuff, all of the things like springtails can be bought online and are not full of toxins etc. It is a sure fire way of killing your beloved T's- BE WARNED!!!!!!!

[M Bills]

Re: Ephebopus Murinus and Poecilotheria Metallica behaviour

Don't collect stuff from the wild as they contain pathogens and other nasty stuff, all of the things like springtails can be bought online and are not full of toxins etc. It is a sure fire way of killing your beloved T's- BE WARNED!!!!!!!

Really? Have you checked out some of the European forums? They use nothing other than substrate and decoration from their local woods and forests. They actually refer to their substrate as "healthy soil".

I have used branches, twigs, logs, bark etc from a small wooded area behind my house for years and I have never put a death of a T down to that.

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[Richard Harper]

Hi Peter,

As per your advice on the enclosure for my murinus, I got a new terrarium that could hold the 6 inches of substrate and still have some space at the top for it to explore and it to not feel like it is in a massive burrow. Moistened the substrate etc.

I haven't had the chance to look at the bottom of the murinus since i got it so I don't know if this is a recent development or if it was there before but for some reason she positioned herself against the wall and I spotted this...



The orange spot which appears to be on one of it's booklungs. Has anyone seen this before? Is this a cause for concern?

[david clarke]

I have also used branches collected from the woods at the rear of my house, and never had a problem. I have oven dried them, in the past. My only concern are wood that contain insecticide, and anything evergreen.

[Peter Roach]

The orange spot which appears to be on one of it's booklungs. Has anyone seen this before? Is this a cause for concern?

I've never seen anything like that before, but as it is a WC specimen I'm not exactly surprised that there may be blemishes or physical defects. Unfortunately there isnt much that you can do that I can see apart from keeping an eye on it to see if it deteriorates in any way.


Have you started a burrow for the murinus ?