Suntiger Sling Eating or Not?!

[SpiderMonkey87]

Hi guys,

I'm a little worried about my Suntiger Sling, Firstly she's (not sure what sex it is yet obviously but in my head she's a she) an Arboreal and yet has chose to make a burrow under the substrate and make a funnel of web on the side of the tank. I know she's in there becuase when i move the tub slightly i see her legs retract.
My main concern is about her eating, at the moment i'm feeding both my slings on bean weevils and small mealworms. I normally put about 3-4 been weevils in each tub at any one time and the weevils in my Suntigers tub just literally walk about for days and just disappear all of a sudden, i think there dying off rather than being eaten by my sling but it's hard to find there remains as the substrate is 75% Coco fibre and 25% Vermicilite.
Also i have crushed a mealworms head and put it on the entrance to her lair but yet she chooses not to take the bait, after a day i remove it and replace it for a fresh one and have done so for nearly 3weeks!

She's in a 16oz tall deli-cup with about an inch of mixed substrate, she has a little stick to climb and also peat moss around one half of the tub. Temp and Humidity levels are fine and is well ventilated, I spray the deli-cup once to twice a week and she doesn't have a water dish as she's a sling and will get plenty of hydration from her food (if and when she eats!) or off of the side of the tub.

I really cant see why she's not eating but if any of you can help with this it'll be really appreciated! Thanks a lot.... SpiderMonkey. ::

 

[salmonpink]

I went tgrew this with my lp sling. Sge would not eat for weeks. It turns out she was in premolt niw she eats like a pig and very rarely she leaves anything i can find. Ny guess is she wad eating and maybe not now cause she is about to molt.

 

[SpiderMonkey87]

Hey,

Thanks for the reply i'm not too sure if she's in pre-molt or not as i cant see her anymore due to her hiding in her burrow but hopefully your right!
Will she be okay for not eating for nearly three weeks though?
My other sling moulted last week and is also eating like a pig she was fasting for around 6-7days and then moulted.

 

[SamuraiSid]

In regards to your Sun Tigers (P. irminia) web and den, they are right. P. irminia is semi-arboreal, meaning it digs a burrow and has a tube web sticking up, and out. Sometimes they will also cover the tube web with substrate, and other times still they will completely seal off the openings with silk. This is all normal behaviour. As they mature, they might give up the burrow, and just live a foot or two off the ground (In the wild).

If its not eating, it could be that its in pre-molt. The only other thing I could possibly think of is that it doesnt like been weevils. I only say that because Im not familiar with been weevils. Your T can go for months without eating if need be. Possibly try feeding it pinheads. or throw in an adult cricket leg.

 

[peterUK]

As you might have noticed, bean weevils are totally useless for anything, mealworms arent much better either.
Throw them away and use either crickets or roaches.
Irminia slings can and will take crickets 3/4 their own size with ease, I have 9 irminia and have had them from about 1/2 inch size.
They took size 3 brown crickets immediately without any problems. Irminia slings/juvs always make burrows with a small web tunnel up the side of the container or bark etc, as they get bigger the web tunnel will be enlarged and made to go higher and higher.

You can just see the irminia above the label

 

[SpiderMonkey87]

Thanks SamuraiSid the way you have described the burrowing and tube webbing is exactly what she has done, I think i'll definately try a change of diet too! Hopefully she is in pre-moult but i won't be able to remove the old skin as it'll be in her burrow, unless I destroy her home. What should I do in that sense?

---------- Post added 04-04-2012 at 02:38 AM ----------

Nice one Peter i'll buy me some small crickets and see how they get on, my other sling my GBB might also like a change of diet too although she does seem to be quite keen or her mealworms, she doesn't bother with the weevils as they end up just walking over her with ease and she doesn't do anything other than turn to face them to see where they're going. Bean Weevils are getting thrown away tomorrow

 

[Storm76]

My irminia sling hasn't eaten for a bit over 2 weeks either, I recon it's in premolt, as it as completely sealed it's hide. Don't fret, they'll be lurking at their hideout entrance when hungry again

 

[Sedition]

My little P. Irminia (the first and only one I've ever worked with) is housed in a small arboreal vivarium with a cork bark flat, some artificial foliage and approx. 1.5 inches of coconut coir as a substrate. It's (sex unverified) also created a nice burrow, but has not webbed beyond the entrance.
I've only had mine for 2 weeks, so I don't have long-term experience. Mine has eaten a couple of sm. crickets, which seems like an average intake. I'm sure yours will eat again when ready...
Good luck, and congratulations on your new Sun Tiger! 8)

 

[Boatman]

I believe the 2" juvenile that I've had for about 3 weeks now has eaten. She certainly is taking food. About once a week I've thrown a roach nymph in the enclosure and she shoots out of her burrow, grabs it and drags it down the hole like a monster in a horror flick. It's pretty cool to watch. However, I wonder what she does with the remains and whether I need to dig them out....

 

[rasulsimakshah]

I believe the 2" juvenile that I've had for about 3 weeks now has eaten. She certainly is taking food. About once a week I've thrown a roach nymph in the enclosure and she shoots out of her burrow, grabs it and drags it down the hole like a monster in a horror flick. It's pretty cool to watch. However, I wonder what she does with the remains and whether I need to dig them out....

hahah nice irminia! i'm getting my the end of this week. i don't think you need to dig out the remains (what little might be there), just keep regular maintenance, no mold, etc. if there's a ton of roach carcasses sitting around, enough time might have passed that you could justify digging them all out.

 

[Storm76]

I've always been under the impression that these jars are great for housing, but pretty annoying for maintenance. For example: If you want to remove food boluses and stuff from the jar, there's a good chance the spider gets spooked by accident and comes running out, since they always like to go UP - being arboreals. A front opening cage is a bit easier in my experience, as my irminia just stays behind the artificial plants and doesn't care what I do in front of them. Admittedly, I got my 4th ever threat-posture today from her when I removed the cricket remains that she threw into the waterdish (where else...*sigh*). While putting back the waterdish, she ventured on top of her hideout there and sat there letting me know she is NOT happy about the disturbance, lol

 

[SamuraiSid]

I've always hated top opening enclosures for arboreals, and currently have my two avic avic slings in bottom opening enclosures. (Old maxwell instant coffee containers, upside down) When they hit juvie, Im going get side opening containers.

Thanks SamuraiSid the way you have described the burrowing and tube webbing is exactly what she has done, I think i'll definately try a change of diet too! Hopefully she is in pre-moult but i won't be able to remove the old skin as it'll be in her burrow, unless I destroy her home. What should I do in that sense?

Just leave the old molt in the the enclosure. Your sling might eat it, it might bury it, it might take it out of the burrow/tube web so that you can dispose of it.

 

[Boatman]

I haven't had to do any maintenance yet, only misting. but you may be right. I may transfer her to an Exo Terra "Tall" Nano . I do like the front-opening enclosures better.

 

[SpiderMonkey87]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all your replies and past on experience. Now i'm not worried in the slightest about my P.Irminia A.K.A Gollom i'll leave her to do her thing and in the mean time just keep popping in some food for her to eat when she's ready. SamuraiSid.....your a legend!

Thanks again peeps!