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T's and lights

~8-legz~

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ok do you guys/gals use flashlights when looking at your T's? do you think it bothers them? I don't have much lighting in the room my T's are in so if I wanna see them really well I have to use my flashlight... I cover a lot of the beam with my hand so its not shining directly at them unless the batteries are dying... just wondered if I could be stressing them out by doing this...
 

micheldied

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They are definitely bothered by it. But as long as you aren't doing it hours at a time, several times a day, you shouldn't worry about it. All the picking up of their enclosures, maintenance, and even opening to feed bothers them. They go through all kinds of stress in the wild, and as long as they feel like they have a safe place to retreat to, they'll be fine.
 

Tomoran

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I have a little flashlight I use when I want to get a better look. With the exception of some of my pokies who seem to be a bit more photosensitive, most don't seem to care too much. Most of mine will just stand there like nothing is going on as long as I don't keep it on them for too long.
 

~8-legz~

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I was watching one of my spiders that usually takes off at any disturbance for a couple mins with an almost dead light and he didn't even act like he knew I was there so I was just thinking about it.... I always leave them alone if they are in their hide or burrowed so they can just run in there if I am bothering them lol
 

Tomoran

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Ha! I used to be extra cautious, but the majority of mine will do the same thing. I've even taken video with the light on and the spiders usually just sit there through the whole thing like they don't notice I'm there. If they start to move or look like they're cowering, I would obviously stop, but normally there is no indication I'm bothering them.
 

RedCapTrio

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I won't disturb a molting T but I guess it would be awesome to get a video of the whole process with full lights on! :T:
 

kormath

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None of mine have seemed bothered by light. But I only shine a flashlight in the enclosure long enough to check on them. Sometimes it's the only way I can see the Rosea in the substrate as tiny as she is.
 

Fuzzball79

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Obviously I don't use my husband's 500 lumen flashlight, but the normal household one I have for them doesn't seem to bother any of mine. If it did, they all have enough opportunities to retreat into a dark safe place. Strangely enough, all bar my T. Gigas and at them moment post molt A. Sp. Amazonica sling, don't seem to bother with their hides during the day at all.
My B. Boehmei is a strange one anyway, it used to spend all night in his hide (once he came out of his invisible phase), now sits in his "quiet" corner on top of his hide and comes out during lunch time and spends the rest of the day at the front of his tank, as if he's looking out.
 

kormath

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Obviously I don't use my husband's 500 lumen flashlight, but the normal household one I have for them doesn't seem to bother any of mine. If it did, they all have enough opportunities to retreat into a dark safe place. Strangely enough, all bar my T. Gigas and at them moment post molt A. Sp. Amazonica sling, don't seem to bother with their hides during the day at all.
My B. Boehmei is a strange one anyway, it used to spend all night in his hide (once he came out of his invisible phase), now sits in his "quiet" corner on top of his hide and comes out during lunch time and spends the rest of the day at the front of his tank, as if he's looking out.
If the lights have been off in that area for a while i'll use a little keychain flashlight to check on them. If it's in the afternoon and the sun is shining in, or has been and the lights are on i'll use the LED flashlight.
 

Scoolman

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You are not bothering or harming them. If you want to watch them, unnoticed, get a red lens for your flashlight. Most tarantula are blind to the red spectrum. They are extremely sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum.
 

Kymura

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You are not bothering or harming them. If you want to watch them, unnoticed, get a red lens for your flashlight. Most tarantula are blind to the red spectrum. They are extremely sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum.
So just the lens would be sufficient?
Been looking around for a red flashlight just for this as I love watching them at night but don't want to disturb them.
I like to observe them when they are just being spiders, unstressed and acting more naturally.
 

Scoolman

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So just the lens would be sufficient?
Been looking around for a red flashlight just for this as I love watching them at night but don't want to disturb them.
I like to observe them when they are just being spiders, unstressed and acting more naturally.
Yup. Many of the headlamp style flashlights have red LED in them.
 

Kymura

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Wonderful, our local dollar store actually has some childrens lights with amber and red covers on them :)
 

kormath

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we used to get them at the army surplus store with red and blue lenses. Have to see if any of those old flashlights are still around at my parent's this weekend. Probably to much to hope the colored lenses have lasted 30 some years though lol.
 

RedCapTrio

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What about torches with incandescent bulbs? The ancestors of the LEDs... Are those okay to use?
 

kormath

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If you don't mind the smoke and setting the shelves above you on fire is OK then a torch is fine.

Incandescent bulb my first thought was Doc Brown holding one with that weird look he has studying a T
 

Chubbs

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None of mine have seemed bothered by light. But I only shine a flashlight in the enclosure long enough to check on them. Sometimes it's the only way I can see the Rosea in the substrate as tiny as she is.
It's mostly the old worlds that will flee if you shine a light on them for too long. Same goes for some new world species like Psalmopoeus and Tapinauchenius, and Ephebopus hate light. Some new worlds are a bit more tolerant of lights being shined on them.
 

SpiderDad61

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ok do you guys/gals use flashlights when looking at your T's? do you think it bothers them? I don't have much lighting in the room my T's are in so if I wanna see them really well I have to use my flashlight... I cover a lot of the beam with my hand so its not shining directly at them unless the batteries are dying... just wondered if I could be stressing them out by doing this...
T's are absolutely bothered by flashlights and bright lights. Ever notice if u shine it at them, they move around, or turn away? I have a flashlight with red light, which is just about invisible to them. U can shine it at them, and watch them all u want, and they'll sit there like nothing's wrong. There has been a test done, and it's proven that they cannot see the red light.
I bought a bright little red LED flashlight in ebay for $10. It's bright as can be, uses rechargeable batteries, and it's just less annoying to the T's
 
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