TABLE 1. Tarantula species studied in these experiments, numbers of individuals involved (F/M = females/males), range of lengths of the specimens, the environments and geographic locations that the tarantulas inhabit.
| Species | # Individuals (F/M) |
Length (cm) |
Environment | Location |
| Hysterocrates gigas | 5/3 | 6 | Subtropical to tropical forests | West Africa |
| Pelinobius muticus | 6/2 | 2 | Scrublands and grasslands | East Africa |
| Aphonopelma chalcodes | 5/3 | 5 | Semi-arid desert | Western North America |
TABLE 2. Experimental parameters used for each tarantula species including terrarium size (in liters), sediment content and depth (in cm), air temperature, and sediment moisture. Sediment components include organic matter (OM), clay (CL), and sand (SA).
| Species | Terrarium Size (L) |
Sediment | Sediment Depth (cm) |
Temperature (°C) |
Moisture (%) |
| Hysterocrates gigas | 114, 212, 246 | OM, CL | 35, 50, 55 | 25-32 | 60 |
| Pelinobius muticus | 114, 212, 246 | OM, CL | 35, 50, 55 | 25-30 | 40 |
| Aphonopelma chalcodes | 114, 212, 246 | CL, SA | 35, 50, 55 | 25-32 | 20 |
TABLE 3. Quantitative measurements of tarantula burrows. All measurements in cm or degrees (slope only); W/H ratio, complexity, and tortuosity are unitless. HG# = Hysterocrates gigas burrow cast identification number; PM# = Pelinobius muticus burrow cast identification number; AC# = Aphonopelma chalcodes burrow cast identification number.
| Hysterocrates gigas | ||||||||||||||||||
| ID | Openings | Depth | Length | Max Width | Min Width | Mean Width | Max Height | Min Height | Mean Height | W/H Ratio | Max Circ | Min Circ | Mean Circ | Max Slope | Min Slope | Mean Slope | Complexity | Tortuosity |
| HG1 | 1 | 12.0 | 24.0 | 9.6 | 6.8 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 24.5 | 20.5 | 23.2 | 90 | 25 | 49 | 3 | 1.26 |
| HG2 | 1 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 8.1 | 2.3 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 24.5 | 9.5 | 16.5 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 4 | 1.09 |
| HG3 | 1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 13.0 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 2 | 1.00 |
| HG4 | 1 | 14.5 | 17.0 | 8.1 | 3.2 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 3.8 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 24.5 | 12.0 | 19.5 | 90 | 70 | 80 | 4 | 1.06 |
| HG5 | 1 | 31.0 | 36.0 | 9.7 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 28.0 | 10.5 | 17.4 | 90 | 40 | 83 | 3 | 1.16 |
| HG6 | 1 | 19.5 | 26.0 | 8.9 | 2.5 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 24.5 | 8.5 | 17.7 | 90 | 0 | 60 | 4 | 1.16 |
| HG7 | 1 | 31.0 | 70.0 | 10.2 | 1.2 | 5.3 | 8.7 | 1.4 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 28.0 | 4.0 | 15.8 | 90 | 0 | 46 | 5 | 1.56 |
| HG8 | 1 | 46.0 | 59.0 | 8.3 | 5.8 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 25.0 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 80 | 40 | 60 | 4 | 1.28 |
| HG9 | 1 | 53.0 | 84.0 | 11.6 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 8.7 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 31.0 | 14.0 | 21.0 | 90 | 0 | 80 | 6 | 1.53 |
| HG10 | 1 | 20.0 | 25.0 | 7.7 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 8.1 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 1.0 | 27.0 | 15.0 | 19.5 | 90 | 70 | 85 | 3 | 1.25 |
| Pelinobius muticus | ||||||||||||||||||
| ID | Openings | Depth | Length | Max Width | Min Width | Mean Width | Max Height | Min Height | Mean Height | W/H Ratio | Max Circ | Min Circ |
Mean Circ | Max Slope |
Min Slope | Mean Slope | Complexity | Tortuosity |
| PM1 | 1 | 30.0 | 42.0 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 13.5 | 10.0 | 11.8 | 90 | 20 | 60 | 3 | 1.40 |
| PM2 | 1 | 27.0 | 45.0 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 12.5 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 90 | 10 | 54 | 6 | 2.06 |
| PM3 | 1 | 48.5 | 53.0 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 8.8 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 0.7 | 14.0 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 90 | 0 | 67 | 3 | 1.10 |
| PM4 | 1 | 34.0 | 64.0 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 16.0 | 7.5 | 10.5 | 90 | 0 | 48 | 6 | 1.52 |
| PM5 | 1 | 41.0 | 72.0 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 5.4 | 1.0 | 20.5 | 10.5 | 16.5 | 90 | 0 | 55 | 4 | 1.57 |
| PM6 | 1 | 34.0 | 46.0 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 80 | 0 | 60 | 3 | 1.07 |
| PM7 | 1 | 38.0 | 73.0 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 14.2 | 6.5 | 10.1 | 90 | 10 | 50 | 4 | 1.22 |
| PM8 | 1 | 41.0 | 60.0 | 4.8 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 17.5 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 90 | 0 | 80 | 6 | 1.62 |
| Aphonopelma chalcodes | ||||||||||||||||||
| ID | Openings | Depth | Length | Max Width | Min Width | Mean Width | Max Height | Min Height | Mean Height | W/H Ratio | Max Circ | Min Circ | Mean Circ | Max Slope | Min Slope | Mean Slope | Complexity | Tortuosity |
| AC1 | 1 | 9.5 | 17.9 | 7.6 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 22.2 | 11.1 | 19.1 | 55 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 1.04 |
| AC2 | 1 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 10.9 | 7.1 | 9.5 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 0.98 |
| AC3 | 1 | 7.5 | 13.5 | 6.0 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 19.2 | 7.4 | 16.6 | 35 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 1.00 |
| AC4 | 1 | 9.8 | 21.3 | 8.3 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 8.2 | 4.6 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 25.4 | 17.6 | 21.7 | 62 | 21 | 35 | 3 | 1.84 |
| AC5 | 1 | 8.6 | 14.9 | 7.9 | 3.5 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 23.3 | 9.9 | 19.1 | 28 | 21 | 27 | 2 | 1.00 |
| AC6 | 1 | 21.2 | 58.8 | 11.6 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 55 | 17 | 28 | 3 | 2.50 |
| AC7 | 1 | 20.0 | 38.0 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 7.2 | 2.9 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 22.3 | 14.0 | 18.0 | 90 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 1.06 |
| AC8 | 1 | 16.0 | 35.0 | 9.3 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 5.6 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 23.0 | 13.0 | 19.3 | 75 | 40 | 50 | 2 | 1.03 |
| AC9 | 1 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 8.8 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 6.4 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 25.0 | 9.5 | 18.7 | 90 | 60 | 77 | 2 | 1.04 |
