Can it be overfed?

[Mikeymike]

I just recently got a t. blondi sling from Martin at TC, and the thing eats every time i throw a cricket in its container, its about 3 inches, and its eaten 4 adult crickets, one a day.

im just curious if tarantulas can overeat?

thanks

Mike

 

[Randy]

IME , yes, a tarantula will tend to overeat.. i am not sure what'll happen if they over eat but thier abdomen will become big and fat like its going to burst..

 

[Pixie]

From what I know, a tarantula will not over eat to the point of killing itself by exploding. Over feeding will keep your T's abdomen very big and very fragile. It would be much more suceptable to an injury due to a fall.

I feed my Ts according to the size of their abdomens. I like keeping them plump but not too plump, a nice full butt but not a huge one. Depending on the species, my feedings will occur twice a week to once a month for a particular T.

Pixie

 

[Brian S]

A 3 inch blondi is still a youngster so you can feed it as much as it will eat. I feed all my youngsters as long as they accept food. Usually if food is unaccepted they are getting close to a molt. The more you feed 'em the faster they will grow.

 

[Professor T]

I just recently got a t. blondi sling from Martin at TC, and the thing eats every time i throw a cricket in its container, its about 3 inches, and its eaten 4 adult crickets, one a day.

im just curious if tarantulas can overeat?

thanks

Mike

When you overfeed a T, their abdomen swells up like a balloon. The danger is that if they climb and fall their abdomen can rupture, which can be fatal.

I have gotten some of my Ts to this point, and I back off the food. Not easy for me to do, because I love watching them eat. It makes me happy.

 

[luther]

All my Ts seem to know when enough is enough. My seemani is usually willing to take anything that lands in the tank, but right now she's golf ball fat and trying hard to ignore a locust that's been in the tank for 2 days. Luckily there's a freshly molted B.smithi in the next tank that's in the arthropod garbage can phase. Fall damage is only a risk if there is too much head room in the tank in the first place. Trust your tarantula to know when it wants to eat.