Oscar grows up

[Catherine]

Some of you will remember me bringing home a young Tarantula.
Oscar is a Mexican Fire legs. I have had him in a small container so that he would feel safe and actually be safe. Now that he has grown and shed a few times I have been able to transfer him to a 5 gal tank. It is a much nicer set up for him and he has room to move around and explore.

Tarantulas are conservative. At first he clung to the glass and wouldn't come down.

Exploring


I gave him a cave, He can sit on top or he can go inside.

He spends a lot of time in the cave so he must feel safe sleeping in there.
You can see why he is called a Firelegs. He really is quite magnificent and now that he is bigger, I can watch him and get to know him better. Maybe I will get to see him shed next time.

[Tobi]

Wow....I never got to know a Tarantula before. Now I kind of know one -at a distance -and by proxy.

But he is certainly handsome.
Aw! At first he was a bit insecure, but appears to be getting used to his new surroundings. I bet he will like that cave. Many creatures do like getting into a 'den'. I don't think I have known one yet who doesn't. Even the little cat I look after likes it if I make a little 'den' for her with 2 beds so she can get under cover. And Misty used to have a cave-like bed (before she ended up in my bed -which was like a cave anyway)

[Catherine]

Oscar likes his den. I hoped he would. It is just the right size for him. He can walk in easily and has room to spread out. Those legs of his need plenty of room.

I feel that now that he is in a proper tank and has room to move, I can start to understand him. I know very little about the behavior and personality of a Tarantula.
I think I can tell if he is hungry, maybe. I know to check the water dish is he is hanging around it. I do not know how he drinks. I have seen him eat, but I have never seen him shed.

So much to learn about Oscar. I think he is not fully grown, but I am not sure. He grew so fast this year, but maybe they slow down once they get bigger.