Newbie A. Versi feeding question

[dorvaan]

So, I received my A. Versi this week. He is in a 2x2x4" enclosure with cork bark and fake leaves. He almost immediately went up to the top and started slowly working on his web. My question is this: Do I just throw a cricket down on the substrate, and let him hunt it out?

 

[406member]

It is personal preference really. You can put it in his web and it will take it right away if it is hungry or put it on the substrate and it will make its way down to find it in time. The bottom line is, if it is hungry it will find food and eat as long as your enclosure isn't too big for the size of the T, which it sounds like yours isn't.

 

[newspidermom]

You didn't mention how big it is, but from the size of the enclosure I'm guessing it's pretty small. ..1/2" - 1"? When they are that small jumpy crickets freak them out a little. Small spiderlings are scavengers and will eat pre-killed food. Since they web towards the top I usually take the pre-killed cricket (or barely moving) and stick it in the webbing. Some will take food right off the end of the tongs or tweezers, but others will come back and eat it if you leave it in the web. They are more likely to find it that way since they very rarely go to the bottom. I have five and love them to death. They are awsome! Have fun with yours!

 

[xStainD]

With mine I just toss the cricket right in his web and he'll take it right away. Not that I really have a choice since his webbing takes up the whole top of his vial lol

 

[cnapple]

I usually try to place the cricket directly in the web for my versi sling, but you don't need to worry if it falls out before the sling gets it. S/he'll find it eventually. You can definitely pre kill if you want, a lot of people recommend it, but my .5" versi has never been shy about taking live crix. I've seen her dive and tackle them from the top of her enclosure!

 

[Sukai94]

Try putting it in the substrate and waiting a few days to see if the cricket disappears and the spider is more plump. Make sure the spider has water. It needs all its strength to take down a cricket.

If the spider does not take the cricket on its own I would try pre-killed. I never feed my T's pre-killed unless they are sick or injured. I just use smaller food if need be and they eventually take it.

Also remember that it could take as much as a week for your sling to settle in and be comfortable enough to eat. It is usually more like 2-4 days for slings but each one is different.

I hope this helps!

Jamie

 

[dorvaan]

Yay! He grabbed a fruit fly today! Big load off my mind

 

[killy]

So, I received my A. Versi this week. He is in a 2x2x4" enclosure with cork bark and fake leaves. He almost immediately went up to the top and started slowly working on his web. My question is this: Do I just throw a cricket down on the substrate, and let him hunt it out?

Through many many millenia of practice honing their hunting skills, versis, like other arboreals, have become experts at snatching prey before it hits the ground. Many keepers on this forum, myself included, have told tales of our versis catching crickets and mealworms in mid-air. They're also greedy little buggers - I've had many an occasion where Speedy, my versi, has bolted and grabbed his prey before I even got the chance to release it from the tongs.

One of the great joys of this hobby is discovering our Ts doin' their own special "thang."

HAVE FUN WITH IT!