Hi everyone!!

Just want to document some of the weird stuff i have seen in the last few weeks with my T's.

Foot in Mouth:

I got home the other day and my HeteroScodra Maculata (Togo StarBurst) was on one side of it's tank and something looked very wrong. I thought it had broken a leg and after closer inspection could still not quite figure out what was going on. So when I moved the tank a bit to get a better look, it moved, and only then realized that it had it's right rear leg (No.4) in it's mouth??? An when I moved the tank it went back to it's normal position. Was it cleaning itself? :huh:

The dance of joy:

I love feeding my Brachypelma Smithi's (Mexican Red Knee), they feed aggressively on crickets, and when they catch one, they make little movements all over the place like they are doing a little dance. I believe this is quite common with some T's.

The Itch:

Again the B.Smithi's - I was sitting staring at one the other day and it suddenly lifted one of it's rear legs and gave itself a lekker scratch just behind it's carapace on it's abdomen.

Thirsty T:

My Avicularia Avicularia (Pink toe) is a real drinker, it's only about 3cm now, and the other day i watched it drink about 5 drops of water from the side of the tank, it's ass got huge! It has a nice water dish but seems to be lazy and rather drinks off the side of the tank.

Anyone else seen some weird or interesting stuff?

HS

I have witnessed the Foot in mouth move a lot with my MM B vagans.
I watched real close. It actually pulls its leg underneath its fangs.
The B vagans is quite entertaining. Trying to clime the glass all the time and falling over. It has no grip on the glass what so ever, so always a foot on the ground.

The "dance" you are referring to after catching prey, it might be that it is webbing. I have seen them frequently webbing right after catching and subduing its prey.
I have also noticed the slings lifting the prey off the ground so the prey's legs can't touch the subtrate, they struggle less then.

I have noticed my A seemanni, C fasciatum and A geniculata (before it died) drinking straight from the water bowl. Was cool to see, but I think seeing their abdomen swell from it is bloody cute I have not noticed that.

Interesting behavior I have noticed:
My A seemanni is not visible until she is hungry, then she stalks the edge of her burrow. Then I know it's time to feed her, takes about 3 days between meals at this stage.

My C fasciatum has this neat trick where it lifts its whole body in the air and stands tippy toe if the crickets bother it. I read on Matt's page about this, quite cool to see. Will take some pics next time it happens.

My Lasiodora Difficilis (Brazilian Fire Red Bird Eater)female when i put in a roach she will attack it and i give her a minute or two then put in another roach and she will drop that one and attack the other roach. She will do it with about 4 roaches and then gather all of them and the feast is on. she will eat all of the roaches. I love watching her chow

I think everyone with a M.robustum has seen them doing a weird defence walk. My male does it whenever he is disturbed.

HeteroScuderia wrote:

Foot in Mouth:

I got home the other day and my HeteroScodra Maculata (Togo StarBurst) was on one side of it's tank and something looked very wrong. I thought it had broken a leg and after closer inspection could still not quite figure out what was going on. So when I moved the tank a bit to get a better look, it moved, and only then realized that it had it's right rear leg (No.4) in it's mouth??? An when I moved the tank it went back to it's normal position. Was it cleaning itself? :huh:

The dance of joy:

I love feeding my Brachypelma Smithi's (Mexican Red Knee), they feed aggressively on crickets, and when they catch one, they make little movements all over the place like they are doing a little dance. I believe this is quite common with some T's.

HS

I have seen the same "foot in mouth" behavior with my H. maculata juvenile. I also think this is a cleaning mechanism as jsut after this it used the foot that was in it's mouth to rub another leg.

"The dance of joy" is also something I see often, especially with my Grammastola pulchripes. It'll stand happily dancing and webbing with 3 or 4 crickets in it's mouth for an hour or so, rotating slowly in circles as it eats them.

I can only wish my Smithi would do the dance of joy for me to see but she never eats if im watching her no matter how hungry she is.

I also have a Trinidad Chevron which cant get enough of drinking water from the side of the tank rather than from his bowl