Brazilian salmon pink bird eater!!

[GrotesqueGravit]

Hello. I'm new to arachnoboards and have a very important question! I just got a Brazilian salmon pink bird eater (very small sling) about a week ago and it hasn't bothered to eat anything I've tried giving it yet and it's just got me very worried. It seems healthy and active but the only thing is is that it just won't eat. I've tried a live cricket, a dead cricket and a dead and chopped up cricket. Is there anything I can do? :/ Please help me out.

 

[Gamebred]

It could be in pre molt. When's the last time it had a molt? And how dark's the abdomen?

 

[Poec54]

How big is the abdomen compared to the head? If the abdomen is pretty large (often the case with LP's), it may not be hungry. Slings molt often, and when preparing to molt will stop eating.

 

[GrotesqueGravit]

It hasn't eaten anything at all since I've had it (close to a month now) and hasn't molted yet or anything. Yet it seems to be doing just fine. It does drink water but the whole not eating thing just has me kinda worried, even though he/ she seems to be healthy and is pretty active. It's also pretty hard to tell whether or not it's going to be molting because it's a sling and still a beige-ish color.

 

[SuzukiSwift]

It sounds like normal behaviour, Ts go long times without eating, it's not unnormal at all so don't worry =) What size is the sling? If it's drinking then that's good

 

[McGuiverstein]

As Poec asked, how big is the abdomen? As has been said, slings molt often, and stop eating shortly beforehand. As long as the spider is hydrated, it will be fine for a while without food. Keep water available and offer food periodically. Make sure to remove uneaten crickets as they can pose a threat to a small sling, especially if it is molting.

 

[GrotesqueGravit]

Thank you all for the replies and I apologize for getting back to this so late. I never check it. It has eaten since I was last on here. Altogether it's about the size of a popcorn kernel.

 

[prairiepanda]

It's also pretty hard to tell whether or not it's going to be molting because it's a sling and still a beige-ish color.

For some reason my L klugi sling doesn't darken up at all before molting. She always surprises me when she molts, because the only sign I see beforehand is her refusing food. L klugi and L parahybana(that's what you've got) are generally very good eaters and usually won't refuse food unless they're in premolt. If your LP is anything like my LK, you won't necessarily see any darker colors on there before it molts

 

[GrotesqueGravit]

Thank you all for trying to help. Sadly that sling past away some time ago without eating or anything. I do have one more question unrelated to this topic (for some reason Arachnoboards is saying I can't post a separate thread) and my question is, are heat lamps necessary for Ts in 70+ degrees fahrenheit weather?

 

[cold blood]

Thank you all for the replies and I apologize for getting back to this so late. I never check it. It has eaten since I was last on here. Altogether it's about the size of a popcorn kernel.

Here you say it ate, latest post says it never did????

Heat lamps should NEVER be used for t's, they are a very dangerous way to heat a t enclosure...they're designed for reptiles which need significantly more heat....plus the lamps really dry the air out.

Sorry you lost the little guy, but if you had a heat lamp on it, that probably was more than it could handle. Slings are especially susceptible to dehydration.


Lucky you, Woodruff is a gorgeous area!

 

[Misty Day]

L parahybana(that's what you've got) are generally very good eaters and usually won't refuse food unless they're in premolt.

My 3" female LP is a terrible eater, just in general. I'd be lucky to get her to eat once a month. Each to their own I guess

To the OP, sorry you lost the little guy

 

[Poec54]

My 3" female LP is a terrible eater, just in general. I'd be lucky to get her to eat once a month.

Normally LP's are eight-legged vacuum cleaners.

 

[Misty Day]

Normally LP's are eight-legged vacuum cleaners.

Just my luck to get the one that isn't one!

 

[arrjay123]

its normal lots of LP keepers have the same problems

 

[Medusa]

Mine has decided it likes FFF. Great! Now I have to mess with those damn things.

 

[brianp]

I purchased four LP slings approx. seven months ago. They were very small. I fed them mangled crickets (S-M). They would
not eat live small crickets. I never saw them eat, but their abdomens always appeared to be full and firm. I also kept their little
vials quite humid. All are alive today and thriving. Make the food available, maintain a humid environment and that should be
sufficient. After the second molt, it should start to eat live, small crickets.