B. smithi sling EXTREMELY aggressive feeder, normal?

[loyaluntodeath]

Ello all, i feed my B. Smithi sling (almost 3 inches now) just about every day and it attacks the crickets like crazy! i drop in 1 at a time untill it stops taking them, (usualy 2-5 crickets a feeding) its done things from drop from the top of the cage in an attempt to snag a cricket (always seems to miss) to lunging at them quicker then my eyes can track....it uses liberal amounts of venom it seems (a small drop off the tip of its fangs and venom around the bite area is quite obvious) im just wondering if this is severly abnormal behavier or if i just have one heck of a great feeder!

i have several B smithi slings and this is the only one that eats with such gusto and so aggressively....


wow makes me feel kinda stupid asking...but oh well, the road to knowledge makes everyone feel stupid for their own ignorance and im here to learn so time to feel stupid! *puts dunce cap on*:wall:

 

[Talkenlate04]

Tarantulas are like camels. They will eat and eat when its offered. In nature they have high food availability times and low times. They take advantage of those high times storing energy for the low times.
Feeding like that all the time is not the best of ideas, it opens the door for falling injuries, only because the abdomen will be swollen with food so a short fall could cause a rupture.
Its plenty normal though for them to feed like that when given the chance to.

 

[Pociemon]

I think it is pretty normal for them. My Theraphosa Apophysis is totally crazy and eat everything, including my fingers if given the chance

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Yeah, you're feeding it WAY too much. One cricket a week.

 

[SpiderZone2]

I would choose to feed it once a week.......3 to 5 crickets..... Every day is a little much.......but then they say they can never over eat........I only feed any of mine once a week. That is how I was taught and that is what I do. Exeptions are only for pre-molts or much larger T's. They do not require as much prey as when they were younger. Just an FYI.

 

[Merfolk]

I sometimes feed on consecutive days, but then the prey item is smaller...

Usually I have my bug fast whenever they look plumpy!

 

[loyaluntodeath]

Meh, i prefer feeding my T slings 2-3 times a week, i have been testing how much this smithi will eat and so far...shocking, lol...it finaly stoped eating today, now i'll wait about a week and offer food again. my T's seem to grow rather quickly and are alot plumper then the majority of the ones i've seen. i'd rather have a fatty then an anorexic T =) but hey, to each their own ya know? everyone has their own method of raising T's i wont knock yours cause it works for u, mine works for me =)

 

[Talkenlate04]

As long as you are aware of all the risks you put them in, knock yourself out. Whatever is clever. Fatter is not better never has been never will be not with any critter.

 

[Pink_tarantula]

i over feed mine because when i'm gone ( 2 weeks a month) they don't really eat because i can't feed em

 

[Pink_tarantula]

I really overfeed my spider lings (red-rump pink toes,rosehairs and red-knees) because there small and vunerable

 

[mr_jacob7]

Think of it as proportions. the cric is abourt a third the size of it's body. would you eat 3-5 lab retreivers every day?

 

[Mister Internet]

I really overfeed my spider lings (red-rump pink toes,rosehairs and red-knees) because there small and vunerable

Keep in mind that keeping them very overweight makes them even more vulnerable... they are FAR more prone to death by fall/ruptured abdomen.