Avicularia Husbandry?

[Mauri]

p.s I hope mine doesnt want me to drop baby mice into her web...yikes. Hopefully the giant pinktoes etc arent like the T stirmis etc..

Or maybe giant Hawkmoths? (actually large fat moths make a lot more sense for the larger arboreals or arboreals in general).

In fact that's probably what we should be feeding them on no? I mean crickets arent their natural foodsource no? (well for slings ok).

 

[Abyss]

p.s I hope mine doesnt want me to drop baby mice into her web...yikes. Hopefully the giant pinktoes etc arent like the T stirmis etc..

Or maybe giant Hawkmoths? (actually large fat moths make a lot more sense for the larger arboreals or arboreals in general).

In fact that's probably what we should be feeding them on no? I mean crickets arent their natural foodsource no? (well for slings ok).

Mice are a treat for the larger ones, too much risk imo to be a staple diet

 

[viper69]

p.s I hope mine doesnt want me to drop baby mice into her web...yikes. Hopefully the giant pinktoes etc arent like the T stirmis etc..

Or maybe giant Hawkmoths? (actually large fat moths make a lot more sense for the larger arboreals or arboreals in general).

In fact that's probably what we should be feeding them on no? I mean crickets arent their natural foodsource no? (well for slings ok).

I don't feed my adults mammals. I feed all my Ts gut-loaded crickets. Roaches are a hassle to me, and some Ts just didn't like them.

 

[Crone Returns]

I hope you will be saying 2 yrs from now, followed by "my AF Avic is..."

Hope so too. I just want to know how a fasting T can still squirt poo
against the opposite wall of her home. I really hope she's just in premolt. I despise premolting. It's a nerve wracking thing.

 

[viper69]

Hope so too. I just want to know how a fasting T can still squirt poo
against the opposite wall of her home. I really hope she's just in premolt. I despise premolting. It's a nerve wracking thing.

Not for me at all. I find pre-molt great because I only have to water them! No feeding necessary. It's the molting (when they are 2" and larger) I find nerve racking at times. One thing to know about Avics. While they will drink from a water bowl, not every specimen will do so. Especially after molting. I have found when they build a canopy up top (they get a bit lazy IME), and typically form a funnel to the sub floor. They will not necessarily come down to drink on their own IME. Some individuals need to have some water placed on their canopy so they will drink from that spot. Once they drink a bit, and recuperate, they will position themselves at the bottom of the funnel (head first) legs out when they are hungry.

 

[Crone Returns]

Not for me at all. I find pre-molt great because I only have to water them! No feeding necessary. It's the molting (when they are 2" and larger) I find nerve racking at times. One thing to know about Avics. While they will drink from a water bowl, not every specimen will do so. Especially after molting. I have found when they build a canopy up top (they get a bit lazy IME), and typically form a funnel to the sub floor. They will not necessarily come down to drink on their own IME. Some individuals need to have some water placed on their canopy so they will drink from that spot. Once they drink a bit, and recuperate, they will position themselves at the bottom of the funnel (head first) legs out when they are hungry.

She hasn't made a web but she's been drinking water. She leaves footprints! For real. She stays hidden on the inside of the curl side of her cork bark. I understand about the molt. Too much can go wrong. When my B. albopilosum molted I was sleeping. Then I woke up and watched her. It's the most amazing thing to see.

 

[Crone Returns]

Actually I just discovered her cutesy human name.
Squirt

 

[Venom1080]

p.s I hope mine doesnt want me to drop baby mice into her web...yikes. Hopefully the giant pinktoes etc arent like the T stirmis etc..

Or maybe giant Hawkmoths? (actually large fat moths make a lot more sense for the larger arboreals or arboreals in general).

In fact that's probably what we should be feeding them on no? I mean crickets arent their natural foodsource no? (well for slings ok).

lol moths are the pinnacle of T feeding, arboreals will jump and catch them in mid air. just make sure to know which are poisonous in your area.

 

[mistertim]

lol moths are the pinnacle of T feeding, arboreals will jump and catch them in mid air. just make sure to know which are poisonous in your area.

Seems like moths would be a pretty tough feeding source to keep any stock of though...unless you have a pretty large enclosure for them.

 

[Venom1080]

Seems like moths would be a pretty tough feeding source to keep any stock of though...unless you have a pretty large enclosure for them.

nah, i catch mine on the porch at night with the light on. they flock to it and then i pick at leisure. then put it in the Ts/geckos cage right away. never tried to keep any.

 

[Poec54]

nah, i catch mine on the porch at night with the light on. they flock to it and then i pick at leisure. then put it in the Ts/geckos cage right away. never tried to keep any.

That works if they don't spray for mosquitoes where you live. In some states aerial spraying of malathion is the norm.

 

[mistertim]

Wouldn't wild caught moths have the potential for parasites, etc?

 

[Venom1080]

That works if they don't spray for mosquitoes where you live. In some states aerial spraying of malathion is the norm.

im in canada, never heard of that. been doing it for a year or so now and havent ran into any problems. i live in outin the country where theres not alot of chemical spraying going on.

and yeah, mistertim, theres always a chance.

 

[darkness975]

nah, i catch mine on the porch at night with the light on. they flock to it and then i pick at leisure. then put it in the Ts/geckos cage right away. never tried to keep any.

The biggest problem with this is the fact that moths can fly significant distances. Just because no one around you is spraying any pesticides does not mean that someone else a few miles away is not doing so. Combine that with the risk of parasites and the whole mix is simply not worth it in my opinion.

p.s I hope mine doesnt want me to drop baby mice into her web...yikes. Hopefully the giant pinktoes etc arent like the T stirmis etc..

Don't feed Tarantulas mice.

 

[Abyss]

nah, i catch mine on the porch at night with the light on. they flock to it and then i pick at leisure. then put it in the Ts/geckos cage right away. never tried to keep any.

Dont you fear pesticides/chemichals?????

We spray for mosquitos in Georgia so i would be so afraid that any wild caught insect from my deck would be "contaminated"

 

[Abyss]

Don't feed Tarantulas mice.

Plz elaborate as to why?
I hear both extremes from its the best meal to the worst and everything in between.

 

[darkness975]

Plz elaborate as to why?
I hear both extremes from its the best meal to the worst and everything in between.

Unlike crickets/roaches/etc, mice are vertebrates and do feel pain. The Tarantula receives no additional "health benefit" from eating mice. There is also a huge risk that once grabbed the mouse out of instinct can whip around and bite the spider before the venom takes effect. Such a large bolus full of meat is also an unpleasant item; especially if it is dropped into the water bowl and left there to fester overnight.

I realize that in nature it happens and nothing can control such meetings, but in captivity there is nothing to be gained from dropping a mouse into a Tarantula enclosure and watching the results. Ever notice how a large percentage of the "Feeding Mouse to Tarantula (or piranhas or some other predator)" videos on Youtube involve one or more clowns swooning over the activity?

 

[Abyss]

Unlike crickets/roaches/etc, mice are vertebrates and do feel pain. The Tarantula receives no additional "health benefit" from eating mice. There is also a huge risk that once grabbed the mouse out of instinct can whip around and bite the spider before the venom takes effect. Such a large bolus full of meat is also an unpleasant item; especially if it is dropped into the water bowl and left there to fester overnight.

I realize that in nature it happens and nothing can control such meetings, but in captivity there is nothing to be gained from dropping a mouse into a Tarantula enclosure and watching the results. Ever notice how a large percentage of the "Feeding Mouse to Tarantula" videos on Youtube involve one or more clowns swooning over the activity?

Got ya, risk to the spider i mentioned above as well, oustide of that (which to me is plenty reason to do it sparingly or not at all) i dont see a valid (imo) point as to a reason not to do it. Risk of bite to your T i can fully go with but "the mouse feeling pain" is well, im not an animal rites activist (quite the opposite so i wont start that debate here).
I do however have to believe that they eat them occasionally in the wild when large enough and get a great source of nutrition.

My stance is if the risk to your T from a defensive bite is not an issue, then there is no teson to not treat them on occasion (at least until evidence of other health risks are offered up of course)

Exit:
Agree fully about the bolus but i clean mine directly after every meal which i encourage others to do as well

 

[Sana]

That works if they don't spray for mosquitoes where you live. In some states aerial spraying of malathion is the norm.

Yep. They spray here in Colorado once every couple weeks. They keep a schedule for what neighborhoods they spray on what dates and we have to be super watchful for when we're getting sprayed so that we can close up the house.

 

[darkness975]

Got ya, risk to the spider i mentioned above as well, oustide of that (which to me is plenty reason to do it sparingly or not at all) i dont see a valid (imo) point as to a reason not to do it. Risk of bite to your T i can fully go with but "the mouse feeling pain" is well, im not an animal rites activist (quite the opposite so i wont start that debate here).
I do however have to believe that they eat them occasionally in the wild when large enough and get a great source of nutrition.

My stance is if the risk to your T from a defensive bite is not an issue, then there is no teson to not treat them on occasion (at least until evidence of other health risks are offered up of course)

Exit:
Agree fully about the bolus but i clean mine directly after every meal which i encourage others to do as well

I'm not an activist either, but I digress. We all keep our spiders differently.

Yep. They spray here in Colorado once every couple weeks. They keep a schedule for what neighborhoods they spray on what dates and we have to be super watchful for when we're getting sprayed so that we can close up the house.

That much spraying affects the surrounding neighborhoods too.