Can my tarantula eat a wild rat?

[nicodimus22]

Also, even if it doesn't have parasites, poison, etc, it would take a long time for your T to eat it. That horrible SMELL...the worst.

 

[Gman32176]

Isn't it best to just avoid vertebrates in general as a food source for Ts..? Ive always read that the excess calcium can cause complications with molting?

 

[nicodimus22]

Isn't it best to just avoid vertebrates in general as a food source for Ts..? Ive always read that the excess calcium can cause complications with molting?

As far as I know, that's a myth. There have been no studies done on the subject that support that premise. Worrying about calcium is a reptile thing...they get MBD if they don't have the proper lighting and supplements.

However, I am not in favor of feeding mice/rats/birds to tarantulas. There's really no good reason to do it. You can get insect feeders quite easily almost everywhere.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Isn't it best to just avoid vertebrates in general as a food source for Ts..? Ive always read that the excess calcium can cause complications with molting?

That's a myth, nothing more. Either way feeding vertebrate prey is unnecessary, let alone wild rats, there's much better alternatives that aren't going to stink up your T room.

 

[Jones0911]

Isn't it best to just avoid vertebrates in general as a food source for Ts..? Ive always read that the excess calcium can cause complications with molting?

Myth

 

[Venom1080]

How are hornworms by the way? i have never used them myself, i tried a few years back for my beardie but he hated them. I assume you cant really keep them, as they turn into moths, but like you said monthly or bimonthly keeping them wouldnt be much of an issue

They're extremely large superworms without the mandibles, are very soft, slow, but like to move. They look nice too. Just watch the juices when the spider bites down, it can get a little messy. Ime, they're really great.

 

[Ungoliant]

Ever corner a rat? I would imagine that even a sickly one could do some damage. And that's just the beginning of the "bad idea" department. It is almost certainly sick or poisoned, and at the very least simply injured, which would make it no less potentially dangerous.

Even if the rat were perfectly healthy and harmless, I would not feed one to a tarantula. I have to imagine that external digestive process would look and smell revolting, resulting in the world's most horrifying bolus. (It may also create unsanitary conditions in the enclosure.)

 

[viper69]

Hi my dog just found a rat outside in my backyard and I wanted to know if it would be safe for my LP to eat it
Thanks

I'd feed the rat and your neighbor's dog to your T, in that order. There's a theory if you feed them larger prey, they will get as large as a car. Keep us posted on your experiment.

 

[JoshDM020]

I cringed. I cringed hard and think my face is frozen that way

 

[Crone Returns]

Yeah, I'd be checking myself for cooties the rat gave you and the dog. I, too, cringed. My 1st thought was "rabies", but that's because I've seen an active case of rabies. Never want to see that again.

 

[IamKrush]

No it would not be safe . Nor is it even a good idea. If your T is hungry go to the store and buy it food. Or breed your own. Dubias are easy to breed.

 

[darkness975]

Hi my dog just found a rat outside in my backyard and I wanted to know if it would be safe for my LP to eat it
Thanks

No

 

[Jason Brantley]

Go for it, see what happens.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I live in a very old city (go figure, I'm Italian) and there's in certain area rats everywhere. Big ones. Once a friend of mine, out on the streets, after midnight, kicked a rat so badly that almost reached the second floor: muahahahahah, after that fly, the rat started to chase him (and he deserved that).

One of my dreams btw is to have a huge sewer rat able to deliver (to others, of course) every kind of disease, 101% tamed, as a pet. Lovely and kinda intimidating at the same time

 

[Nightstalker47]

I live in a very old city (go figure, I'm Italian) and there's in certain area rats everywhere. Big ones. Once a friend of mine, out on the streets, after midnight, kicked a rat so badly that almost reached the second floor: muahahahahah, after that fly, the rat started to chase him (and he deserved that).

One of my dreams btw is to have a huge sewer rat able to deliver (to others, of course) every kind of disease, 101% tamed, as a pet. Lovely and kinda intimidating at the same time

Of all things one could want you choose a huge rat that can pass on diseases? Lol...

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Of all things one could want you choose a huge rat that can pass on diseases? Lol...

Sure, but to others, of course. The one of my dream needs to be able to deliver Ebola virus tho