B. smithi not eaten since Feb...

[nocturnalpulsem]

Ok, I know these critters can go a long while without eating, but this is just plain silly. I've offered every type of food I could think of, and she just aint eating.

She's not looking deathly ill, but she's definately shrinking. Any ideas? I mean, 6 months???

N.

Also- feel free to look up my past post about how much the little cuss was eating around Jan/Feb.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

What do you mean by "shrinking?"

Paul

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Originally posted by phoenixxavierre
What do you mean by "shrinking?"

Paul

Her bum

N.

 

[Tamara]

I had a rosie that didn't eat for almost a year, and in the course of about three years it only ate maybe four or five times. I often wonder about rosie's being recommended as the "beginner's" T - they're just plain weird.
I wouldn't worry too much about your smithi. Check for any obvious ailments, like white stuff around the mouth or external parasites and make sure the housing is clean with suitable substrate. If everything looks normal, it probably is. After the eating spree you spoke of, this is probably just a prolonged build up to a molt.

 

[phoenixxavierre]

If her bum is shrinking that's usually not a good sign. Could be a sign of a small injury where she possibly has a slow bleed, or could be parasites. Then again, she could just be being her "weird" tarantula self. The shrinking abdomen would worry me, though.

On a side note, it's the rainy season in both Acapulco, and Colima, Mexico (usually extends from June/July to October). If she was wild caught she may still be adjusting to the change, expecting more moisture. During this season I try to up the humidity in my B. smithis enclosures. Just figured I would add that in.

Here's an excerpt from the current weather there over the next ten days (just in case anyone is interested):

Of the following ten days there are nine days of thunderstorms and one day of scattered thunderstorms. The temps are ranging from 73F at night to 88F during the day. The chance of precipitation over the following ten days is as follows: one day of 70%, two days of 80%, six days of 60% and one day of 50%. Humidities are ranging from 70% during the day to 90% during the evening.