foot drumming

[craig84]

Hi. I went to feed my dads redknee tarantula at night and I dropped a roach in there and I just kept watching him and then I noticed he started drumming its front legs like a mating call. it is 4" around and don't know if its male or female. DOes this sounds strange? I dropped the roach in there and he started drumming. Thanks. Craig.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Hi. I went to feed my dads redknee tarantula at night and I dropped a roach in there and I just kept watching him and then I noticed he started drumming its front legs like a mating call. it is 4" around and don't know if its male or female. DOes this sounds strange? I dropped the roach in there and he started drumming. Thanks. Craig.

He/she might have just been getting his footing while killing the roach. At 4" if it is a male there is no way it's mature yet so I don't think you saw mating drumming.

 

[craig84]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I never seen this behavior before so didn't know what was going on. This thing has eaten more than anything i have seen before. It ate 23 crickets in under 2 weeks!!! I just kept throwing them in there and it kept eating them. I feed him like 6 crickets a week though now. I suspect another molt coming up with all that it ate.lol. Thanks. Craig.

 

[dragonblade71]

"It ate 23 crickets in under 2 weeks!!! I just kept throwing them in there and it kept eating them."

Although I am no tarantula expert, I have read a number of times that it is possible to shorten the life span of a tarantula with overfeeding. If I were you, I would check with the more experienced forum members to see if the amount you are feeding your T is acceptable. 23 crickets in two weeks does sound like a lot.

 

[patrick86]

Not sure why it would drum with a roach in the tank. Maybe it's an immature male trying to rush things. Or maybe it just thought the roach was cute.

Your dad's B. smithi will survive and grow just fine on one or two crickets every week. It doesn't need two a day. Good luck with it.

 

[craig84]

I have been normally feeding it 2 crickets 3 times a week but I fed him one day ate them gave him more and then started feeding everyday and kept eating. I am back to feeding him 6 crickets a week. Iam surprised it would shorten his life:?

 

[ballpython2]

"It ate 23 crickets in under 2 weeks!!! I just kept throwing them in there and it kept eating them."

Although I am no tarantula expert, I have read a number of times that it is possible to shorten the life span of a tarantula with overfeeding. If I were you, I would check with the more experienced forum members to see if the amount you are feeding your T is acceptable. 23 crickets in two weeks does sound like a lot.

You can't over feed tarantulas they will ONLY eat until they full. They probably ate that much because he could have skipped feedings, the tempeture may have increased, whatever reason the tarantula is clearly hungry so I say let it eat.

Here are some pictures of one of my T's some people would might say only feed one or two crickets if they are adults some might say feed twice that if they are babies. I feed 3 big crickets even at this size until he/she stops taking crickets

 

[YouLosePayUp]

You can't over feed tarantulas they will ONLY eat until they full. They probably ate that much because he could have skipped feedings, the tempeture may have increased, whatever reason the tarantula is clearly hungry so I say let it eat.

Here are some pictures of one of my T's some people would might say only feed one or two crickets if they are adults some might say feed twice that if they are babies. I feed 3 big crickets even at this size until he/she stops taking crickets

Go ahead feed as much as you like, just don't think when it is retartedly massive that you can mate it without problems.

 

[ballpython2]

Go ahead feed as much as you like, just don't think when it is retartedly massive that you can mate it without problems.

I don't think I'll end up being a mating tarantula hobbyist. all i want to get is a female from every species (except the slow and extremly slow growers) and keep them until they die...After all my females die...I'm not getting any more because that would be wasting money especially if i dont plan on breeding the females I do have to save money on future Ts

Like I have a male OBT now but I'm trying to decide if I want obt slings and if I do either this week or next week I'll buy a ready to breed female from brandon ( I think his name is excuse me if its not) if i dont want slings after this male dies i wont be getting any more OBT but still want the chordea (sp) which is in the same genus