...but as soon as go for the lights, camera, touch the enclosure etc. they retreat into the safety of their burrows so quickly it makes me chuckle. In a blink of an eye they almost look like a reef of anemones fleeing at the hint of danger.
I have to admit they are pretty darn cute! I am having a lot of fun with them however, getting good photos for the blog is easier said than done!
January 10th:
I put about 10-12 pinhead in the enclosure and lightly misted.
There is some webbing starting to accumulate around high-traffic areas such as the cork tube and the moss tunnel that runs along the outside of the bark.
This little one grabbed a pinhead that ran by the entrance to the cork tube:
Upon misting this one came out (from the moss tunnel area) to drink:
January 13th:
The amount of webbing this colony has laid over the past 3 days is pretty impressive. These little guys have been working hard on turning their new house into a home:
This one grabbed the unsuspecting roach in a blink of an eye!
The enclosure had already dried out (after 3 days) so another light mist:
January 15th:
There is even more webbing! A few colony members ate today.
January 17th:
More and more webbing
Dinner with the family:
January 21st:
I have had a few contact me to ask about cannibalism. I typically don't have issues with M. balfouri but I won't know how many are in this colony until it comes time to rehouse. That will be about a year down the road. Even so a missing sibling could have been a result of a complication such as a bad molt. Tarantulas prefer not to be disturbed when they molt. I wonder if the commotion of a colony increases the chance of a bad molt?
So why are some tarantulas communal? Most species you'll just end up with one (very fat) spider!
I have noticed when feeding the community members can very easily tell the difference between a prey item and a colony member. If a sibling misses the initial attack the roach typically flees right into the fangs of another colony member. Almost like they planned it...
I have also seen colony members "fighting" over food. Think of two dogs playing tug-o-war you'll get the idea. Usually the bigger one gets the snack, but sometimes the prey is ripped apart and the little one gets something, too. I have seen them share a large kill for a short time but it always ends in one sibling getting the better end of the deal.
If a community member kills multiple roaches and can't hold them all, a community member might come by and snatch up the unguarded snack.
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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