Brachypelma auratum sling not eating for 5 + months - how average is this?

[Vulpes Unicorn]

Hello,

I've read some posts about slings not eating for months on end and I read that it is normal. However from what I also read it can vary depending on the species of spider.

I only have the one Brachypelma auratum sing so I'm writing this post to please ask for advice from other people with more experience on them than myself.

Please can you let me know if not eating for 5 + months as a sling is average for this species and if it's not and my enclosure could be causing problems please could you give me advise how I can improve?

Sling:

• DLS: 1.5cm
• Last known meal: September 12th 2022 (I have offered it food at 5 other times, whilst I can't 100% say it hasn't eaten a small amount this the first three meals it had with me where completely consumed, other food doesn't seem to have been moved and it has even walked over some of the other food seemly ignoring it).
• Movement: It moves about within the enclosure. I've witnessed it by the water bowl, it moves about within it's burrow a lot. Last night it was above ground near the entrance to it's burrow.

Enclosure:

• Temperature: 73F
• Substrate: Sphagnum moss (on top) + coco fibre.
• Water dish: bottle cap checked for clean water at least weekly.
• Moisture: Checked weekly. If needed I tend to take a pipet and put water on the moss and also coco fibre but do not put any down it's burrow.
• Vent holes: All four walls of the enclosure (please see pictures), no top ventilation.
• Size: LxWxH = 10cm x 10cm x 7.5cm

Please can you let me know if you need more information to help

I'm sure the spider is perfectly fine and it's in pre-molt but I'd be upset if it died due to a lack of appropriate care and I could have prevented a death by taking advice.

Thank you in advance for your time in viewing this and any comments will be gratefully received.

 

[mack1855]

abdomen looks fine.Keep doing what your doing.What are you feeding?.Prekilled mealworms are a good way to go,but you probably knew that.There may be some who have an issue with the enclosure size.But thats another issue.

 

[cold blood]

Fat ts do not require food, even as slings, especially slow growing slings....how long they fast will depend on their feeding schedule...the heavier the feeding schedule, the longer the t will fast.....your t is plenty plump, if it goes another 5 months it would still be a non-issue.

 

[Vulpes Unicorn]

abdomen looks fine.Keep doing what your doing.What are you feeding?.Prekilled mealworms are a good way to go,but you probably knew that.There may be some who have an issue with the enclosure size.But thats another issue.

Sorry I didn't hit the 'reply' on your comment (I've read that it won't let you know I've responded). I'm new to this and learning

Thank you for your reply ​

​

It's eaten three small (less than 1cm in body length) pre-killed crickets. I've offered it additional pre-killed crickets and also two cricket legs from larger crickets.​

​

Would the size be too big or too small? I do have other enclosures I could move it in to if this is bad. ​

 

[Cmac2111]

From looking at it, Its not going to die of hunger that's for sure (it is plump). Brachypelma are slow growers, long periods of fasting/premolt can and do often happen as a result of feeding schedule (as mentioned above). Nothing about its behavior sounds concerning.

In future, I'd recommend keeping small terrestrial slings as seen in the following link: https://arachnoboards.com/gallery/img_0472.38389/

- Keeping them in way similar to the picture of Cold Blood (with just a small deli cup, a little bit of substrate & a water dish) will allow the sling to adopt the entire enclosure as a burrow rather than digging one out itself in deeper sub. The end result of this is better eating, faster growth rate and a spider that is easy to monitor as it is out all the time.

 

[mack1855]

No,i would not move it now.It just is smaller enclosures help with a sling to find prey.Try mealworm pieces,Cut a small worm in half,and feed the rear piece,(not the jaws).

 

[cold blood]

. I've offered it additional pre-killed crickets and also two cricket legs from larger crickets.Would the size be too big or too small?

There is no such thing, you can feed small prey, large prey and anything in-between.

 

[Vulpes Unicorn]

Fat ts do not require food, even as slings, especially slow growing slings....how long they fast will depend on their feeding schedule...the heavier the feeding schedule, the longer the t will fast.....your t is plenty plump, if it goes another 5 months it would still be a non-issue.

Thank you for your reply - that's such a relief to know it can go another 5 months without eating and it would be a non-issue. That's great piece of mind for me. Thank you

There is no such thing, you can feed small prey, large prey and anything in-between.

I'm sorry - I should have written more. I meant is the enclosure too big or small.

No,i would not move it now.It just is smaller enclosures help with a sling to find prey.Try mealworm pieces,Cut a small worm in half,and feed the rear piece,(not the jaws).

Thank you for your reply. Ah I see what you mean. It could be too big.

In terms of feeding the food is always placed at the entrance to the burrow and it does go out and about so hopefully it can find the food. It has walked over the pre-killed food before so I was hopeful that if it was hungry it would eat.

I do have mealworms in my fridge for the spiders. I'll gladly offer it a pre-killed slice of meal worm Please can I ask why you say not the jaws?

 

[FeralWitch13]

My G. pulchra ate the day I got her, then again a few days later. Then… she just stopped. The little wench refused food for about six months, and since she was my first sling, I was PANICKED. But like yours, her abdomen looked nice and chunky, and her energy level was fine (she’s a bit of a darter). She didn’t seem to be having any issues, but I sure was. Patience was the key for me. Now she’s a year old, and a fairly voracious eater. Hopefully yours is just being stubborn, too!

 

[Vulpes Unicorn]

From looking at it, Its not going to die of hunger that's for sure (it is plump). Brachypelma are slow growers, long periods of fasting/premolt can and do often happen as a result of feeding schedule (as mentioned above). Nothing about its behavior sounds concerning.

In future, I'd recommend keeping small terrestrial slings as seen in the following link: https://arachnoboards.com/gallery/img_0472.38389/

- Keeping them in way similar to the picture of Cold Blood (with just a small deli cup, a little bit of substrate & a water dish) will allow the sling to adopt the entire enclosure as a burrow rather than digging one out itself in deeper sub. The end result of this is better eating, faster growth rate and a spider that is easy to monitor as it is out all the time.

Thank you for your reply

"not going to die of hunger" yes I can see what you mean about the plumpness.

Thank you very much for the link and advice - it's really helpful. I'm afraid I put in a paintbrush at the side of this enclosure (before it was ever put in there) to make a starter burrow for it. Is this something I should not have done?

It is definitely very reassuring to hear back from more experienced people

My G. pulchra ate the day I got her, then again a few days later. Then… she just stopped. The little wench refused food for about six months, and since she was my first sling, I was PANICKED. But like yours, her abdomen looked nice and chunky, and her energy level was fine (she’s a bit of a darter). She didn’t seem to be having any issues, but I sure was. Patience was the key for me. Now she’s a year old, and a fairly voracious eater. Hopefully yours is just being stubborn, too!

Thank you for your comments.

I have a G.Pulchra too they're such lovely spiders. He was quicker between molts (if that's the right phrase) as a sling he only fasted for 1 -2 months at a time. He's a juvenile now and hasn't eaten since October 4th but he's "happy" and out and about. My little B.auratum has taken the award for longest fast by a long way in my little collection by far.

 

[Cmac2111]

I'm afraid I put in a paintbrush at the side of this enclosure (before it was ever put in there) to make a starter burrow for it. Is this something I should not have done

You can make one if you want. What you're keeping it in isn't bad or anything, the method of keeping/picture I linked was just a personal recommendation for future terrestrial slings (for better eating & growth rate) that's all. Enjoy your journey with the sling, don't worry too much if it goes for periods without eating

 

[Vulpes Unicorn]

You can make one if you want. What you're keeping it in isn't bad or anything, the method of keeping/picture I linked was just a personal recommendation for future terrestrial slings (for better eating & growth rate) that's all. Enjoy your journey with the sling, don't worry too much if it goes for periods without eating

Thank you very much for replying back

I think better eating and growth rates seem like a good thing so I'll give that a go for my future terrestrial slings as you suggest - I'm hoping to persuade my husband that 19 spiders is not enough and we have our anniversary coming up so hopefully I can put this technique in to practice soon

 

[greeneyedelle]

My teeny tiny itty bitty baby aphonopelma chalcodes, who I have had for over a year (still literally half the size of my pinky nail at most, and that's after one molt) eats once every 3-4 months... I offer a half a mealworm and it goes "nah, I'm good bro, I'm still working on that sliver of cricket from Christmas". So don't worry, they're virtually impossible to starve, and when it wants to eat, it will. It's weird, this whole, keeping a rock alive thing (or in Tiny's case, keeping a speck of dust alive).

 

[Vulpes Unicorn]

My teeny tiny itty bitty baby aphonopelma chalcodes, who I have had for over a year (still literally half the size of my pinky nail at most, and that's after one molt) eats once every 3-4 months... I offer a half a mealworm and it goes "nah, I'm good bro, I'm still working on that sliver of cricket from Christmas". So don't worry, they're virtually impossible to starve, and when it wants to eat, it will. It's weird, this whole, keeping a rock alive thing (or in Tiny's case, keeping a speck of dust alive).

Thank you for replying to my post Tiny slings are so lovely, I used to have a tiny (but now adult male) Hapalopus sp. Colombia Large but he didn't tend to fast at all. It's great to hear back that they can go for so long without food - they are such amazing animals!

I think mine like yours is also surviving on dust now.