Hey all. I'd like to run a couple of probably silly questions by you.
1. What does my T want? She is a g. rosea, about 4-4.5". When she is active and moving around in the cage, she often paces the outer edge and appears to want to climb the sides. I'm not worried about her falling and hurting herself, because it's a very shallow container with the substrate in it, but this makes wonder if something is wrong. The substrate is completely dry (I understand that is the way to do it with a desert species?). Her abdomen seems to be slowly shrinking in size over the past week. She hasn't been eating since I got her, either. I have had a jar lid full of water in there, and keep it full of fresh water. It is about 3" in diamter and maybe 1/2" deep. I haven't ever seen her drink from it, but I have found bits of substrate in it sometimes, and I have seen her legs step in it when she is walking around, so I reckon she knows it's there. I have another rose that I have seen drinking from a water dish the same size, and he's a bit smaller than she is. Anyway, I read somewhere that a shrinking opisthosoma is an indication of dehydration so I put a much smaller jar lid in there just now in hopes that that is the problem. Should I be concerned? Any advice?
2. I have often seen it mentioned that in sexing tarantulas, some indications can be found by examining the underside of the spider. Just how does one go about that? Wait until it is climbing on the side of the cage and look through the plastic/glass?
Thanks!
Scott
1. What does my T want? She is a g. rosea, about 4-4.5". When she is active and moving around in the cage, she often paces the outer edge and appears to want to climb the sides. I'm not worried about her falling and hurting herself, because it's a very shallow container with the substrate in it, but this makes wonder if something is wrong. The substrate is completely dry (I understand that is the way to do it with a desert species?). Her abdomen seems to be slowly shrinking in size over the past week. She hasn't been eating since I got her, either. I have had a jar lid full of water in there, and keep it full of fresh water. It is about 3" in diamter and maybe 1/2" deep. I haven't ever seen her drink from it, but I have found bits of substrate in it sometimes, and I have seen her legs step in it when she is walking around, so I reckon she knows it's there. I have another rose that I have seen drinking from a water dish the same size, and he's a bit smaller than she is. Anyway, I read somewhere that a shrinking opisthosoma is an indication of dehydration so I put a much smaller jar lid in there just now in hopes that that is the problem. Should I be concerned? Any advice?
2. I have often seen it mentioned that in sexing tarantulas, some indications can be found by examining the underside of the spider. Just how does one go about that? Wait until it is climbing on the side of the cage and look through the plastic/glass?
Thanks!
Scott
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