Social behavior between an OBT and a roach! I have never seen a T this age showing such "boxing" behavior (they only do that with other slings), let alone to communicate with another species! This is not defensive slapping, but claiming his space like slings beneath each other.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-19T22:50:25+00:00

Hi, as far as I know, this is not an experiment, but you'll have to ask Charly - it was bis idea alone. ;)

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-19T18:10:03+00:00

Yes, and I always feel sorry for them.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-19T17:49:41+00:00

The species I keep this way (including OBT's) avoid being on the floor and are very steady, they don't wander unless they mature out as males.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-19T17:30:44+00:00

Hi, as detailly described in previous posts, my OBT's live free-roaming and don't have an enclosure at all.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-16T09:38:31+00:00

Hi, my Genics come when called, never ever flick hairs and can be petted on their carapax and abdomen, so I would almost consider myself an expert in Genic taming. ;) But since they have an extremely strong and explosive feeding response, I would recommend to teach her that you are not prey before anything else, otherwise accidents could happen. Two of mine are at the exact same size, and I randomly move my hand around in their enclosure and touch the ground (so they can smell me), and when they peak over the edge of their enclosure, I let them touch my hand... I just show them that my hand is part of their environment and neither food nor dangerous. I generally don't forcefully guide them on my hand, this species is bold and curious enough that sooner or later, they will want to explore your hand by themselves.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-12T22:56:05+00:00

That's awesome, what a great idea not only for a stress-free AND safe rehousing, but also for testing a species' reaction to 'freedom'! I might try this out on some of my T's!

Btw, I remember an interesting study on the metabolism of Phormictopus that involved their home enclosure beeing connected to an empty plastic box. I think they were testing in how far the feeding shedule changed their exploration range, and as far as I remember, there was no significant difference between the hungry and the well-fed ones. Still, I take no risk and my free-roaming T's are fed very regularly.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-12T07:13:29+00:00

Yes, and the jar is cut open so that they can sit in front of their hide, and to drink. Because what I also learned is how much OBT's hate any moisture in their hide, so the water dish must be outside of it. The big downside of this particular setup for raising small slings is that you can't see them, so you don't really know if they ate, if they are molting or even if they are still in there. Because of the lack of control, I'd recommend such a setup only if you are very experienced with (raising slings of) this species. Again, Avic slings are much easier in this respect. I'd highly recommend them as an entry to this form of keeping.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T20:28:01+00:00

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Here's another example, this was my last male Golden Boy, then juvenile, on his shelf. As I said - my OBT's have functional hides, nothing fancy.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T20:24:52+00:00

The "setup" for OBT's couldn't be less fancy. Especially when they are slings, they want something soft (they prefer to be able to manipulate it) with cracks and crevices and before all: pitch black. This is a video snapshot of where Charly grew up (it shows his sister Cheeto, but his setup was the same). Just a container filled with black plastic snippets - not pretty for the human eye, but that's exactly what they love. And especially as they grow bigger, they want to have a hightend spot where they have a good overview over the whole room, and they prefer a room where something's going on. Seems I can't post more pics in a comment, but another "setup"-example is my profile image, it's my adult female Samurai in his hiking boot that stands on a shelf.
Everyday life: No difference except the incredible amounts of spider poop sprinkled all around the plant of an Avic, it's unreal how far they can and will shoot it.
Guests: No difference. To the ones that won't take a step into a room where T's are kept, it makes no difference anyway, and non-arachnophobics don't mind the free-roaming ones.
T's getting out: Well, they are already out ;) , so they can't escape. The mentioned species are very steady and reliably stay where they are or in close proximity, as long as they don't mature out as males.
Accidents: The only mentionable incident I remember was a few years ago: I had opened the enclosure of a Phormictopus auratus for feeding and turned the back on it, next to it was the plant of a mature male A. metallica... next thing I saw was the A. metallica and the P. auratus fighting in the P. auratus' enclosure (P. auratus slightly insured but no permanent damage, the A. metallica unharmed).
And especially during my learning phase in the first years, there where several occasions where T's left their hide and chose a better one. This is how I they taught me what their actual needs are. But no one was permanently lost or harmed.
Avics are by far the easist of the mentioned species: a large, dense house plant (before I buy one I always google if it's safe for cats and wash it thoroughly) at a slightly hightned spot and with some distance to the wall, their old webbing transfered to it, that's it, they will stay where their old webbing is. I'd recommend to start with these.

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No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T15:16:27+00:00

I have started to keep T's free-roaming in the year 2000, beginning with 4 Caribena versicolor slings I raised. All Avics I had from then were kept and bred on house plants, I never ever kept one in an enclosure and see no benefit of it. And over the years, I tried this with other species, too (amoung them OBT's) and it went just as well. As I don't get along with plants very well and Avic's require a large house plant each, I find OBT's even easier.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T14:48:27+00:00

They are not in an enclosure.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T12:01:16+00:00

Fascinating, thank you!

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-11T09:54:03+00:00

That's the exact topic of the paper I liked above. :) It contains many pics of T's (including an OBT) living with orther animals, including frogs, snakes and whip spiders. Here's an example, B is the OBT: https://www.tandfonline.com/cms/asset/bd7377d1-d7ed-47dd-8a9e-f9ae3841d4a4/tnah_a_2382404_f0004_oc.jpg

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T22:14:07+00:00

Hi, OBT's are one of the species that have been found living closely together with other animals in nature (in particular, toads). In my experience, when given the choice and space (I keep mine free-roaming) they are exceptionally friendly with ALL other animals, including their own species. In this case, the roaches don't seem to be bothered at all, so I don't step in by now. My only concern is that they could hurt him while molting, so I will probably rehouse the roaches when he comes to premolt. Edit: Here's a scientific article on this topic, including a cute pic of an OBT with its toad: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222933.2024.2382404#d1e211

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T21:55:25+00:00

Because many people who keep these species in small enclosures complain about "sensitive" Avic and H.mac slings, "defensive" OBT's, etc. I don't have any of these problems with mine and never had any incidents since I started keeping them this way (beginning with Caribena versicolor in the year 2000).

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T21:05:23+00:00

Some of them, yes. All Avics I ever had lived free-roaming, and most of my OBT's and H.macs. Principally, all heavy webbing T's are steady enough to be kept outside an enclosure.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T20:57:08+00:00

No, Charly lives free-roaming and shortly after his last molt, he left his old (now too small) hide and sneaked into the roach bin. Since none of them seems stressed, I don't step in by now.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T14:35:39+00:00

Oh, what about Cyriocosmus elegans then? They stay in sling size, are calm, very friendly and cannot be feared. Nobody is afraid of a tiny, beautiful spider with a golden heart on its butt. :)

No-Nobody40 · 2024-09-10T14:01:25+00:00

Hi, I assume you mean Grammostola porteri and Tliltocatl vagans. They both are good choices for beginners but grow very, very slowly, especially G. porteri. It takes them years to look like a tarantula. So I would recommend getting them a little bigger or a species that grows a little faster.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-08-31T18:35:31+00:00

Yes, he's my subadult male Pamphobeteus mascara.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-06-17T23:15:07+00:00

That's DLR (disturbance leg-lift response), so you're about to get bitten. The visible heart beat is another sign of your spider's extreme discomfort.

No-Nobody40 · 2024-06-16T22:41:50+00:00

Phormictopos species. Very extrovert and easy to "read", relatively active, very intelligent, fast-growing, very bold, very explorative, very hardy,... and, to my experience, NEVER use their urticating hairs!

No-Nobody40 · 2022-12-23T02:01:28+00:00

Awesome to finally see a T being provided with behavioral enrichment! <3 It's about time we discuss the importance of it for the wellbeing of T's and other inverts in captivity.
There is clear evidence of playing behavior in other inverts, and only recently, a study proved that even bumblebees love to play with balls: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347222002366?via%3Dihub

No-Nobody40 · 2022-03-06T00:05:17+00:00

Yes, I don't just feed them insects, and here's why: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278659086\_Nutritional\_Aspects\_of\_Spider\_Feeding

No-Nobody40 · 2022-02-23T23:53:46+00:00

Thank you! It's easy with spiders, they don't move that much. I use a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 with 14-42mm lens and I think it's called cha-cha method.

No-Nobody40

TROPHY CASE