blah! freaking crickets blah! freakin tarantula blah!

[LirvA]

So I've had my A. metallica for a couple months. All this time I've known it to have eaten only two crickets. It was munching on one at the store when I bought it, and it ate one like a month ago in my care. I still haven't seen it grab a cricket yet though and it's pretty damn frustrating.

A few times now, something has happened. The T (which also hasn't webbed up the enclosure any) is sitting on the side up high, right by a vine I've got propped up. (pic for reference)

So the cricket gets up on top of the vine, and starts feeling around with it's antenna feelers. It feels the tarantula, running it's antenna all over the T's legs. The T DOES NOTHING! EAT THE DAMN CRICKET <edit>

EAT THE DAMN CRICKET

Seriously though, shouldn't that trigger a feeding response or something? Maybe it's in premolt and refusing food? How can I tell if it's in premolt?

 

[bobusboy]

Could be stress, could be pre moult, could be fasting, could going "dude! do you have any grey poupon?" and you just cant hear him.

They'll eat when they are hungry and they'll drink when they're dry. Leave it be and keep offering it food every week.

I'd wait a week then try feeding again to see if its a moult or something.


Afterthought: My Ts often refuse to eat until I am not looking (obviously this isn't the case but it feels like it some days, same with moults) , they'll just sit there with the food looking at them till they get tired of being stared at by it and then kill it and leave it for an hour or so.

 

[LirvA]

That seems like what happened when it ate that cricket a month ago. I put it in the enclosure, saw it go up and didn't get eaten, went to do something and then when I came back the T had gotten it and was starting to eat it.

 

[bobusboy]

I wouldn't worry about it, just make sure the humidity and the temperature are within the right thresholds. If I recall correctly avics. can be a little temperamental if they're not just right.

 

[DawgPoundSound]

Sounds like premolt to me. And if it just started doing this you'll have a little over a month depending on the size of the T. My A. metallica was in premolt about 5 weeks before it finally did so. Does it have a dullish look to it? If not then if it starts to get more dullish looking over the next week or so it's in premolt. Don't worry about it.

 

[web eviction]

My A. Versi only eats if tong fed she's so lazy I have left crix in for like three weeks never touches them I can reach in pick it up with the tongs and offer it and she nails it every time! My P. Irminia on the other hand is a killer drop a crix in and she rushes out like lightening and murders the poor thing and leaves it lol

 

[LirvA]

I wouldn't worry about it, just make sure the humidity and the temperature are within the right thresholds. If I recall correctly avics. can be a little temperamental if they're not just right.

I don't have any gauges yet, I need to get some. I think the humidity is probably ok, I keep the water dish full and I spray the substrate pretty regularly too, but the temperature is probably low.

Does it have a dullish look to it? If not then if it starts to get more dullish looking over the next week or so it's in premolt. Don't worry about it.

I'm not sure. This is my first T

What do you guys think?

Edit: here's a pic of when I just got it like two months ago for comparison.

My A. Versi only eats if tong fed she's so lazy I have left crix in for like three weeks never touches them I can reach in pick it up with the tongs and offer it and she nails it every time! My P. Irminia on the other hand is a killer drop a crix in and she rushes out like lightening and murders the poor thing and leaves it lol

I've tried tong feeding it and no luck so far.


Also, interestingly, when I opened up the enclosure to take that pic, I put a cricket right there on top of the vine, right underneath the T. The cricket moved around and the T went to try to grab it but the cricket got away. The T didn't do it instantly but after feeling around on the cricket a little. Maybe it's cold and sluggish?

 

[DawgPoundSound]

premolt. From the pics that's the clear indication for me. Don't fret it. It'll be back pretty in no time.

 

[tarantulagirl10]

My A metallica is doing the same thing and it's driving me CRAZY! When I first got her in Novemeber she ate like 4 crickets that week. Acted like she was starved. Then, ate one a week for a few weeks, and hasn't eaten since. I'll put a cricket in and it will climb up the cork slab, walk all around her, nothing. Anyway, I keep offering once a week. Hopefully both of ours are just premolt. She is not as fat as my other ts, but I know that they aren't usually as fat as the terrestrial ones anyway. So, let's both cross our fingers that it's just premolt.

 

[LirvA]

premolt. From the pics that's the clear indication for me.

Others agree?

 

[Royal_T's]

I agree.

My avicularias (aside from vresicolor) web the most just before molting. It may take a little time for it to get acclimated to its new enclosure. I think your tarantula is in pre-molt and should show some webbing activity soon. Make sure it is humid so it can hydrate itself properly.

---------- Post added at 01:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:37 PM ----------

Also in my experience, avicularias tend to hang out in the uppermost corners of their enclosure.

 

[Midknight xrs]

IMLE, when avic's are ready to molt, they will nip at their prey and then go back to where they were. They tend to refuse food, wait about 4-8 weeks depending on size and molt.

 

[bobusboy]

premolt. From the pics that's the clear indication for me. Don't fret it. It'll be back pretty in no time.

What are you talking about?

Others agree?

Based on what maudua said no. But it is likely with this genus that if it's not eating for an extended period of time that it's getting ready to moult, mind you several of my Ts (other genera) will eat up and right before they moult.


There is no visible indication of an impending moult, If there was webbing in the corners or on the substrate I would take that as in indicator, but your T doesn't look especially dark and there is no webbing in any of the photos.

Like I said, just keep offering food every week till it moults or it starts eating again.

Also i think its generally agreed on that spraying the substrate doesn't do anything long term because it doesn't make the the sub. wet enough.

 

[LirvA]

Will it definitely web when it's gonna molt? Is it possible for them to molt without webbing?

Also, where will it molt? Move down to the substrate (it's never been down there afaik) or???

 

[Spidershane1]

I have many T's that wont eat for months sometimes, premolt or not. Its all good as long as they have fat butts and water is availiable. Just keep offering food everyweek - if he needs food he will eat it, if he doesnt then he wont.

And my avics usually molt on web hammocks they make somewhere on their branches, or if you offer em a diagogal tube hide they usually molt in there if is big enough.

It could molt without webbing, but it most likely will web a bit beforehand.

 

[bobusboy]

In my experience they always lay down web when they're going to moult, Avics will moult on the ground like most Ts (this is in captivity) but I've also heard of them creating a hammock like web to moult in.

In my experience all Ts lay down web when they moult, all of mine have and every other T I can recall seeing moult laid down web.

I'll say it again; keep offering food once a week until it moults or eats.

 

[LirvA]

Thanks for the input everyone.


I have some good news. It ate a cricket! Woot!!!

I'm not sure if it's cause I turned on the heater and warmed up the room or not, but I went and looked at my T and it looked like it had JUST grabbed a cricket. It sucks that I missed it (again akldjf;alkfj) but I'm just glad it ate one.

Here's something interesting, and I'm not sure if it means it's in premolt or not. When the T started to do its little dinner dance and turn around and around spinning some web on the side of the enclosure, it slipped a couple times from the plastic up top. I saw it slip like 3 times or so. Does this mean it's ... feet (or whatever) are not grippy enough cause it's in premolt or something?

---------- Post added at 09:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 AM ----------

Yes! I did it! I did it! I poked and prodded a cricket up to my T with a wire and I saw my T grab it and now it's getting eaten!!! yesssssssssssssssssss!!!!


so awesome

 

[tarantulagirl10]

Yay! Glad that she ate for you!

 

[LirvA]

Now if I can just teach her to roll over the circus market will be mine!

muahahahahahahaha

 

[LirvA]

Just saw my avic get the 3rd and last cricket of the bunch. Its abdomen is so freakin big right now, I hope it doesn't burst!

It keeps slipping on the plastic walls though when turning around. I think it's because of the corner maybe, because it's like curved gradually instead of a 90 degree bend. Not sure. Either way, it keeps slipping, and I'm kinda starting to worry it might slip and rupture its abdomen on the vine.

Idk I hope not, but anyway that's the last cricket for now so hopefully it will be ok. I'll probably wait a week or so before offering it any more crickets, and then only one or maybe two.

Anyway, just happy as hell to see it eat all 3 crickets. It got pretty frustrating pulling dead crickets out of the enclosure.