Enclosure design can improve breeding of Pterinochilus murinus (Theraphosidae) by affecting defensive behavior

Abstract

Tarantulas (Theraphosidae Thorell, 1869) are usually mostly spiders who are fascinated by pets in private collections, exhibitions of public collections (such as Zoos), and research collections. Nevertheless, much of the information on the maintenance of tarantula prisoners is based on a trial and error approach, as typical of folklore care rather than evidence-based care. In addition to spider welfare, some species impose safety considerations on keepers due to biting, particularly aggressive defensive behaviors, including many Old World tarantulas. The orange baboon tarantula (Pterinochilus murinus Pocock, 1897) is a very commonly stored African halpactin tarantula, maintained in a diverse enclosure design, including arboretum, terrestrial and fossil set-ups. Here, we investigated experimentally how different designs of Captive Enclosure affect P. Murinus’ defensive behaviors and whether Tarantula welfare and keeper safety can be improved through care methods. Spiders escaped faster when stored in detrough-like enclosures, but when stored in ground enclosures they relied on more rapidly aggressive defensive behaviors (raising and chewing). Maintaining this species in the fossil enclosure design will result in relatively low tendency to escape, rear and bite, suggesting that this design may be optimal for the welfare of prisoner P. Mulinus and the safety of keepers.