How much food Tarantulas eat?

SergioCR

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Windchaser said:
I would be careful using wild caught prey. They can easily introduce parasites to your T which could potentially kill it.
Umm, well i founded it at my backyard so probably there would be no problems with the common insects found at backyard too... :) (i think) however i'm doing research on how to build some "crickets farm" and solve the problem about "find something the T can eat" at night... :p
 

Windchaser

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I don't think that the pill bugs would stress the T out very much. Crickets bouncing around do stress T's. Also, crickets will eat just about anything, so they can and will make a snack out of a T if they have the chance, such as during a molt.

As far as wild caught prey, it is true that you found the T in your yard. However, if your are going to keep it as a pet, I assume that you would want to maximize its life span. In the wild, it is safe to assume that their life spans are much shorter than when in captivity. I am sure that many T's fall victim to parasites in the wild. However, if this is going to be your pet, why risk the exposure. Stick to prey that you know is safe, such as purchased from a reputable breeder or your own stock that you breed. Though, I will admit, I hav eno idea how many cricket breeders you have in Costa Rica. Here in the states, there are quite a few and purchasing clean prey is not a problem.
 

SergioCR

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Windchaser said:
I don't think that the pill bugs would stress the T out very much. Crickets bouncing around do stress T's. Also, crickets will eat just about anything, so they can and will make a snack out of a T if they have the chance, such as during a molt.

As far as wild caught prey, it is true that you found the T in your yard. However, if your are going to keep it as a pet, I assume that you would want to maximize its life span. In the wild, it is safe to assume that their life spans are much shorter than when in captivity. I am sure that many T's fall victim to parasites in the wild. However, if this is going to be your pet, why risk the exposure. Stick to prey that you know is safe, such as purchased from a reputable breeder or your own stock that you breed. Though, I will admit, I hav eno idea how many cricket breeders you have in Costa Rica. Here in the states, there are quite a few and purchasing clean prey is not a problem.
Good point... that's why i'm thinking about growing some cricket farm for my personal use... and maybe re-grow the crickets around here... there used to be plenty and now it's difficult to be found outside... have never seen any "cricket store" around here in Costa Rica...
 

csherman

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Good point... that's why i'm thinking about growing some cricket farm for my personal use... and maybe re-grow the crickets around here... there used to be plenty and now it's difficult to be found outside... have never seen any "cricket store" around here in Costa Rica...
I thought I would have problems finding crix in my city, but it seems that every pet store that I walk in to has a bin of live ones under the counter ranging from pinhead to medium to large. Usually $1 to $1.50 per dozen
I'm sorry to say I've never been to Costa Rica but any pet store in the states that sells Lizards or any semi-exotic animals like that should also have crickets.

As far as cricket farming there are a bunch of internet based sources for getting started doing just that. I believe the links are on this site in one of the beginner "sticky" threads.

Incidentally, my little guy is powering down a dozen pinheads a week and still rarely comes out of his "hidey hole."
 

David Burns

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SergioCR said:
I forgot something, i think it is a Metriopelma as well because it looks pretty much like the metriopelma pictures but how do i identify at what "family" it belongs? is there some info about that here?
I don't think it is possible to tell what exact species it is without sending it to somebody who can identify it properly. Even then I think there are a few unamed species in the genus Metriopelma. From the pictures the best I personally can guess is that it might be a M.sp "orange" I have to repeat here it MIGHT be. The lighter colored legs seem to be closer to pics I've seen of that species. You probably will have a hard time finding a care sheet on this genus at all.

I have raised crickets for a few years now. I have had great success with domestic "gray" cricks. But have never been able to get wild "black" cricks to hatch in my care. You might have to get a few from a pet store to start a colony.
 

Garrick

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David Burns said:
I don't think it is possible to tell what exact species it is without sending it to somebody who can identify it properly.
Send it? Sergio has Valerio, probably the most cited living scholar of new-world theraphosids, a bus ride away.

Garrick
eight

P.S. I don't know of any cricket places down your way, but I know of a good roach breeder. . .the hostel called La Estacion.
 

SergioCR

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csherman said:
I thought I would have problems finding crix in my city, but it seems that every pet store that I walk in to has a bin of live ones under the counter ranging from pinhead to medium to large. Usually $1 to $1.50 per dozen
I'm sorry to say I've never been to Costa Rica but any pet store in the states that sells Lizards or any semi-exotic animals like that should also have crickets.

As far as cricket farming there are a bunch of internet based sources for getting started doing just that. I believe the links are on this site in one of the beginner "sticky" threads.

Incidentally, my little guy is powering down a dozen pinheads a week and still rarely comes out of his "hidey hole."
That's a problem here in Costa Rica... NO ONE sells cricks, tarantulas, or insects like that.... cricket farm should be the way to go...

This one digged a hole at the darkest place on the box and keeps just one "hand" outside... but doesn't eat too much, in fact has eated only one pillbug since i found it... has water and small round stones inside...
 

SergioCR

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csherman said:
couldn't find exactly the link I was looking for, but here are a few articles about breeding crickets.
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/resourcesgeneral/a/crickets.htm
http://www.icomm.ca/dragon/crickets.htm#Keeping

I know there's a .org with a ton of information also. I thought I found it on AB... maybe not.

Sounds like a noisy pain to me but more power to you!
Thanks
I'm doing some research on my own too... but the more info i have better project it will be.... :)

if it doesn't work, well, at least i tried and learned :)
 

SergioCR

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David Burns said:
I have raised crickets for a few years now. I have had great success with domestic "gray" cricks. But have never been able to get wild "black" cricks to hatch in my care. You might have to get a few from a pet store to start a colony.
Thats good ! the thing is that i have not seen any cricks around here for years... probably they got all eaten at the backyard :D anyway... i must find male & female for this to work.. how do i know which one is male crick and which female?
 

SergioCR

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Garrick said:
Send it? Sergio has Valerio, probably the most cited living scholar of new-world theraphosids, a bus ride away.

Garrick
eight

P.S. I don't know of any cricket places down your way, but I know of a good roach breeder. . .the hostel called La Estacion.
Is he that good at spiders? i never even suspected that... :) good news to know!

I do know of some roaches breeders besides "La Estacion" jeje!! a lot of hotels at puntarenas for example!! one time i went to a hotel at playa panama in Guanacaste and it happened to be an scorpion breeder as well! about 1 hour re-cleaning the room....
 

Garrick

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SergioCR said:
Is he that good at spiders? i never even suspected that... :) good news to know!
Tico, that guy probably IS a spider haha.
There's a lot of people named Valerio, though. You're looking for Carlos "CE" Valerio.

These people have published his stuff and I think he worked there as an editor, too. They could probably point you in the right direction the quickest:

Revista Biologica Tropical

They might have back-issues of his papers (Aranas Terafosidas de Costa Rica, volumes I, II, and III) that you can look at.

You can try UCR and INBio (in Santo Domingo) too. They might have info on him.

Hope that helps.



Garrick
eight
 

SergioCR

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That's what i was thinking... jejeje... he probably is a spider.... :)

Great info, i'll send some e-mails and wait for an answer... i have the INBio page link here with some info as well, actually some t's from here are added to the list by Valerio...

The little fella here it's growing... {D digged a bigger borrow and sleeps all day with a couple of "hands" out, now it looks more like a big t...

Thanks!

Garrick said:
Tico, that guy probably IS a spider haha.
There's a lot of people named Valerio, though. You're looking for Carlos "CE" Valerio.

These people have published his stuff and I think he worked there as an editor, too. They could probably point you in the right direction the quickest:

Revista Biologica Tropical

They might have back-issues of his papers (Aranas Terafosidas de Costa Rica, volumes I, II, and III) that you can look at.

You can try UCR and INBio (in Santo Domingo) too. They might have info on him.
 
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