Aphonopelma gabeli fasting for nearly a year and a half now...

LucN

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
315
I haven't posted on this forum in years. I do read threads daily, but haven't logged in to add my own views since well... my collection is small and kinda bland. Just two Brachys (boehmei, smithi/hamorii), a G. porteri and this suspect A. gabeli which I've created this thread for.

I've been keeping Ts for over 8 years now. I've had my G. porteri sub-adult female fast for maybe 3-4 months at the most. This is a new record for me. Neither of my Brachys fasted except in premolt. The A. gabeli is most likely a WC since she's 4" LS. Had her since December '13. Possibly an old female. She has been confirmed by both ventral and molt. Molted once in May/June '15 and stopped feeding altogether around Jan '16 and keeps on ignoring all prey items. I feed every 3-4 weeks. She refuses both crickets and superworms. I catch her drinking occasionally. My room is kept at 72F year round. All my Ts are kept in Large Kritter Keepers. Furnishings are only several inches of coco fiber substrate, a small cave as a hide and a small-sized water dish.

There's not much else I could do, right ? Anyone that owns US native Aphonopelma had theirs fast this long and suddenly got their appetites back ?

Thanks for looking !
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
Aphonopelmas are notorious for this sort of thing. Post a picture of the T. If she's drinking she's just fine. She won't eat until she needs to.
 

LucN

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
315
Well, it is certainly irritating when every other T I own is a more regular eater. I don't have any pics handy right now and she's currently in her hide. I'll try to get a good pic of her later tonight. She definitely has a triangle on the front of the carapace like you'd see on B. emilia, but this one has a greenish tinge to it.

Thanks for the reply.
 

Tanner Dzula

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
190
i wouldn't worry too much. Aphonopelmas really are notorious for fasting. almost as bad a Gramastola's.

i currently have a A. Chalcodes that i got a year ago, the las towner said she hadn't molted in the 8 months he had her, and she just not went in to premolt and closed off her hide.

she had refused food for a good 6 months before this, and she's not even mature yet (technically this should be her Maturing molt, so fingers crossed the she finally crawls out that there was not problems)

and especially if your girl is a old female, she might only eat a few times over the next couple of years until her never eventual molt.

like stated as long as she is still drinking and staying hydrated i wouldn't worry too much. still offer food every few weeks just in case she decides she's hungry but other then that, she should be good.
 

LucN

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
Messages
315
So in the end, I probably don't need to even worry ? I can't get my camera to cooperate unfortunately. The transfer of data from the camera to the PC isn't going through. Not sure why, everything is connected as it needs to be, but I'm not getting anything. Guess I'll keep attempting to feed her every 3-4 weeks. Should eat or molt eventually. Will update once something changes. Thanks for the replies, folks.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
I haven't posted on this forum in years. I do read threads daily, but haven't logged in to add my own views since well... my collection is small and kinda bland. Just two Brachys (boehmei, smithi/hamorii), a G. porteri and this suspect A. gabeli which I've created this thread for.

I've been keeping Ts for over 8 years now. I've had my G. porteri sub-adult female fast for maybe 3-4 months at the most. This is a new record for me. Neither of my Brachys fasted except in premolt. The A. gabeli is most likely a WC since she's 4" LS. Had her since December '13. Possibly an old female. She has been confirmed by both ventral and molt. Molted once in May/June '15 and stopped feeding altogether around Jan '16 and keeps on ignoring all prey items. I feed every 3-4 weeks. She refuses both crickets and superworms. I catch her drinking occasionally. My room is kept at 72F year round. All my Ts are kept in Large Kritter Keepers. Furnishings are only several inches of coco fiber substrate, a small cave as a hide and a small-sized water dish.

There's not much else I could do, right ? Anyone that owns US native Aphonopelma had theirs fast this long and suddenly got their appetites back ?

Thanks for looking !
I have a female B. albo that when 4" DLS decided not to eat for about 18 months, no change in behavior other than that, drank some water even w/her fat abdomen, then magically started eating again.
 
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