# Tapinauchenius violaceus (Purple tree spider)



## flutter (Jun 20, 2011)

This is my 1st tarantula. I'm more of a lizard person, I have a large collection of lizards, lizards are my thing.... not spiders. Tarantulas are my boyfriend's thing, and seen as I love most things purple he decided to buy me a purple tree spider. She was a small sling when we 1st bought her, now she has about 4cm leg span. I don't handle her at all as she's ridiculously fast! I don't even take the lid off unless it's essential. She needs a new, more suitable, home, so now I have the fun job of trying to get her from her old home to her new home. How do you get one of the fastest tarantulas known to man out of her old home and into her new without going via a run around my house?! Her old home won't fit inside her new home.


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## touchthesky (Jun 13, 2012)

First bit of advice: do it in the bathroom. Plug up all holes.


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## flutter (Jun 20, 2011)

Being trapped in a bathroom with a very fast small purple tarantula sounds like part of a horror movie :lol2:


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

flutter said:


> This is my 1st tarantula. I'm more of a lizard person, I have a large collection of lizards, lizards are my thing.... not spiders. Tarantulas are my boyfriend's thing, and seen as I love most things purple he decided to buy me a purple tree spider. She was a small sling when we 1st bought her, now she has about 4cm leg span. I don't handle her at all as she's ridiculously fast! I don't even take the lid off unless it's essential. She needs a new, more suitable, home, so now I have the fun job of trying to get her from her old home to her new home. How do you get one of the fastest tarantulas known to man out of her old home and into her new without going via a run around my house?! Her old home won't fit inside her new home.


Ive used a bag method for my huntsman and it works so well.
I use a large clear bag similar size to a bin liner so you can work with two setups inside, I put the new en closer in, and the old one at the open end of the bag, if they make a run for it, you can guide them back by closing the bag to make it smaller if that makes sense?

I used clear bag as you can see where they go, they also don't seem to like to be on it,so soon head back for the housing.

All the huntsman I rehoused the other day tried to do a runner, I did not have one escapee by doing this method, although, it gets frustrating, I did not fancy doing it in the bath as I know they can up most surfaces, and they are silly fast,And would not want one free ranging in my house, this option might be worth a try? I thought about it for my pokie but they are heavy big spiders so not sure if it will work as well.

You can also screw on the lid if using jars, from outside the bag, worked well for me


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## flutter (Jun 20, 2011)

That bag idea is a really good idea. I'll give it a go. Gives me a chance to have a proper look at her go. She'd definitely leg it up the side of my bath. When we 1st had her she use to freak out when we had to do anything with her (feed and water), she'd run up the walls of the pot and then run round in circles in the lid!


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## Oski1 (Jan 2, 2010)

It worked really well!
I will always use it for the quick ones the huntsman and other trues I have are so quick and change direction you cant physically focus on them, at least they cant go further than the bag.


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## muska2510 (Jul 12, 2013)

i do it in the bath with plug in and tape over the overflow keep a empty tub with you to catch a runaway if the old home fits in the new one put it in it and let it come out its self


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## gambitgareth (Sep 18, 2011)

i just put a catch cup over the lid, stick a pokey through the air holes, prod the spider into catch cup, place catch cup over lid of new enclosure or inside new enclosure, poke spider out into enclosure, remove cup : victory:


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## flutter (Jun 20, 2011)

Purple tree spiders are FAST. There's no chances of catching one in a cup! I've yet to find a video of a fully grown one running at full tilt, so if anyone finds one let me know.


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## gambitgareth (Sep 18, 2011)

ive used this method for a long time and i keep mainly asian fossorial and arboreals and baboon species that can be very fast and defensive and i have never been bitten - so perhaps its just that you cannot visualise the method. if i were you then i would ask another keeper to rehome it for me. otherwise there a few decent guides on youtube but imo you cant beat a catch cup and a bit of card.


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## flutter (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm not bothered about being tagged, I just don't want her to escape or for me to accidentally squash her trying to stop her escaping. I'm going with the bag thing it sounds safer. My partner transferred her last time she needed moving, but I want a go myself.


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