# Monocentropus balfouri care/feeding habits



## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

Hi all. 

Apologies if there are some stupid questions below however I have some concerns over my newish (to me) balfouri. 

I've had her a couple of months, believe it's a female due to leg colours (could be wrong.) I'm keeping her in a 6x6 cricket keeper, with plenty of soil, heat mat across the back and a small amount of heat mat underneath one edge. There's a good temp gradient of 35ish to 25 degrees across the tub

She's about 2-2.5" leg span. My concerns are as follows:

She is always underground, in her tunnels. I think this is fairly normal. Have seen her twice in two months but she does move around. (visible from underneath) 

She has only eaten two crickets since we got her, maybe 3 at most. 

This is both my first o/w spider and my first burrower so I'm hoping there's nothing too unusual, I'm just keen to double check. 

Also, does anyone know how big this species really gets? I keep hearing very conflicting reports. 

Many thanks all. I always appreciate your advice. 

Phil.


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## _TiMiSdRuNk_ (Aug 27, 2008)

Keep dry, but i would give a small water dish. And get used to not seeing them!


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## empirecook (Sep 1, 2009)

The m.balfouri was also my first old world burrower. (3 slings)

From personal experience, I have found that they like a really dry and deep substrate. And i just make there substrate damp once every fortnight.

Secondly, I have noticed that they are not keen on food as much as my other old worlds (p.chordatus, p.murinus). But they do very quickly.

Lastly, I (aswell as many others) would suggest to sex from a moulted skin, rather than by colouration.


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## durbans (Sep 16, 2009)

Stupid questions indeed Phil! :Na_Na_Na_Na: 

Well you know as well as I do that I can't answer your questions properly but here's my 2 cents...

Considering it's a burrower it sounds like you're experiencing very normal behaviour (apart from the eating, doesn't seem like much food for that length of time - was there a moulting cycle ongoing when you got it? Were the crickets as big as it's abdomen or smaller?) The tunnell structure sounds awesome, I'll have to come round for a gander sometime soon. 

I have a Ephebopus cyanognathus (you know, ol' Bluetooth) which is also an obligate burrower and I only ever get to see it through the sides of it's enclosure because it lives it it's burrow and is, to put it mildly, a bit of a recluse.

It's a good idea to try to arrange the enclosure (or get the right sized enclosure) so that any burrowing it does will eventually let you get a view into life within the burrow. This has been accomplished excellently by Ant Entusiasts who can create whole nests where everything is visible. I'd love to see an idea for burrowing tarantulas inplemented to see how plausible this is (without leaving the T so little room that it can only burrow one way..) because some of the most beautiful spiders are burrowers and it would be fantastic to be able to observe what happens inside the burrow (answer = probably not much!)

Anyway, here's hoping some of the more experienced keepers can answer your questions about size etc.

Rest easy Phil,

DD


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

We keep ours in a 50/50 sand to coir mix with some hay to web up. They like it very dry so mist lightly every week. They eat like most baboons do but tend to be the typical pet hole so you dont tend to see much more than the front legs sticking out the hole lmao.


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## Mark75 (Jan 21, 2007)

I've had to stop feeding my _M_ _balfouri _because it eats like a pig and can't fit it's fat arse down it's burrow.


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## FOREST FLOOR (Nov 3, 2009)

I never see mine, she was a juvenile when I purchased her, I know she now has good colouration as a shed skin was dumped by the front of the tank, but I couldnt tell you how big she was now!! I occasionally see a cricket get dragged through some of the webbing she has filled in under some cork so I know she eats. Its kept on a plantation soil vermiculite mix kept on the dry side with heat mat along back wall, seems happy enough.


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

*Thanks!*

Thanks for all of your awesomely useful responses so far!

We're feeding crickets probably a similar size (legs inclusive) as the abdomen of the spider, perhaps a little smaller. I'm not too sure when it last moulted, but perhaps a moult is due (it seems to be Moult o'clock in our house at the moment, and it's nice and warm in there.)

Durbans, you must come and visit the menagerie soon! The spiders have all changed so much since you were last over (apart from the chile, she's still big, brown and moody.)

Has anyone tried putting the substrate down at an angle, almost like a 'hill' to try and get a burrow into the side instead of straight down? I'd be curious to know what sort of an effect this would have?

Cheers again.

Phil.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

guruphil said:


> Thanks for all of your awesomely useful responses so far!
> 
> We're feeding crickets probably a similar size (legs inclusive) as the abdomen of the spider, perhaps a little smaller. I'm not too sure when it last moulted, but perhaps a moult is due (it seems to be Moult o'clock in our house at the moment, and it's nice and warm in there.)
> 
> ...


We have but it was accidental. We buried the hide so creates a natural type of gradient. However the spider never moves from its hole lol


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks everyone.

One thing I've realised last night is that I do think his/her tank is totally inappropriate.

I've got it in the breeding box it was given to me in by the previous owner, about 6x6 but only tall enough for about 2-3" of substrate. The balfouri is probably about 2-2.5" legspan so I'm sure that it's probably grumpy as heck.

I'm a big fan of the House of Spiders tanks, so I'll probably look at getting one of their arboreal top-loading tanks. 

Can anyone suggest an appropriate tank dimension for the spider? Either as an intermediate tank or perhaps one that she'll settle in? Needless to say I'd rather move her as seldom as possible but I know many people feel that spiders get deeply unhappy if their tank is too large.

Cheers all! 

Phil.


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## Blurboy (Feb 9, 2007)

Are you going for the arboreal set-up so you can get a good depth of substrate? I've housed my OBT in a set-up that means it will never need to be moved even though it's a juvenile and it's doing fine and I believe in moving them about as little as possible - hence it's home now. I don't think they stress out at all and it's just he fact that their food has more room for getting about and your spider might not find it's food that's more the problem.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

After seeing how our sling never moves from its burrow i would not want to put one of these in a big enclosure.


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

I've heard that they can make pretty elaborate burrows - at the end of the day they still need to surface for food!


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

guruphil said:


> I've heard that they can make pretty elaborate burrows - at the end of the day they still need to surface for food!


Yup they do but certain pet holes dont leave their burrows. We have ours in a medium sized clip top tub


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

Fair point. I just hope mine's ok, hasn't eaten in weeks. Perhaps it's due a moult!


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

guruphil said:


> Fair point. I just hope mine's ok, hasn't eaten in weeks. Perhaps it's due a moult!


Sneak into your room at night and dont turn lights on. Think you will find it sticking out its burrow then


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## durbans (Sep 16, 2009)

Yup the above works a charm :victory 2: Their photosensitivity makes the obligate burrowers pretty boring pets as even when they want to leave their burrow the light will usually make them shy away :-( however get your torch out and fumble about a bit in the dark (not too much though! Don't wanna be accidentally knocking over a Pokie tank or something!) and there's a lot more activity going on generally!  Top tip!


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

Yeah. Sadly the balfouri currently doesn't even stick their legs out of the burrow.. has not fed in ages! 

Will try roaches after SEAS. We're thinking of trying to breed some. Haven't decided for sure between dubia or turks yet but sounds like dubia are the way to go.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

guruphil said:


> Yeah. Sadly the balfouri currently doesn't even stick their legs out of the burrow.. has not fed in ages!
> 
> Will try roaches after SEAS. We're thinking of trying to breed some. Haven't decided for sure between dubia or turks yet but sounds like dubia are the way to go.


Have u checked its still alive???


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## guruphil (Oct 16, 2010)

Hehe yes, that thought crossed my mind too. Nearly had an escapee on Saturday!! 

Will put some pics up tomorrow. 

I suspect it's a boy now but was unable to get a clear ventral shot...


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

guruphil said:


> Hehe yes, that thought crossed my mind too. Nearly had an escapee on Saturday!!
> 
> Will put some pics up tomorrow.
> 
> I suspect it's a boy now but was unable to get a clear ventral shot...


You know what they say a happy spider is one you cant see lol


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