Fussy Mexican Red Kknee won't eat

[Sharnoot]

Hi all,
I have a captive bred Mexican Red knee that I estimate is about 5 years old. I believe she is female.

She has always been a very good eater. Just recently she started refusing crickets. In addition, she is seen crawling up the sides of her aquairium every night.

She is not due for a molt -- I don't think she would be molting for about another 2 months at least.

I have had her almost 3 years and this is unusual for her. Is there anything about females and seeking males that might make her act this way? Should I keep introducing food to her to see if she will take it? It is very odd for her to suddenly change this quickly. Any help would be appreciated.

S.

 

[KoRn]

hmm, I maybe be wrong. but I would have to take a good guess that your T is a male, and has matured, and is now looking for a female.

could be somthing else tho.

 

[BBlack]

I would agree with KoRn on this. Males will go to lenghts to get themselves some lovin' when the time is right.

How long have you owned this T?
Have you read up on sexing them?
if so, can you see the tibial spurs on the first pair of legs indicating a mature male?
if no do a quick search and you'll find tons of goodies on the boards.

Can you post a pic?

Can I stop asking questions?


Welcome aboard!

 

[Sharnoot]

Originally posted by BBlack
I would agree with KoRn on this. Males will go to lenghts to get themselves some lovin' when the time is right.

How long have you owned this T?
Have you read up on sexing them?
if so, can you see the tibial spurs on the first pair of legs indicating a mature male?
if no do a quick search and you'll find tons of goodies on the boards.

Can you post a pic?

Can I stop asking questions?


Welcome aboard!

Thank you.
I have had her (him!?) for 3+ years. I am fairly certain she's female based on her size and color but have not sexed her, I don't take her out of the cage for the most part. I suppose I will do that tomorrow to be sure. From what I understood the females tended to be bigger and beefier? I had several T's a few years ago and had them all sexed at a breeder, and I thought she was just barely at the age where they could tell, and confirmed her as female. Perhaps that was my other Mexican Red Knee.

She still isn't eating. T's are not affected by moving, are they? We moved into a new location but her substrate was not affected at all. The only other thing that is different is that the occassional cat walks through the room where they are, but they are high enough that the felines never even get close enough to sniff them (of course they'd get a face full of hairs), so I don't think she even knows about that.

Thanks for the input.

 

[luther]

Where are you in the world? My adult female smithi is off her crickets at the moment, but I am putting it down to the seasonal change. I'm in the UK.

I dont think its unusual for smithi to take a break from eating for a few weeks and mine has always liked an occasional wander. Of course yours may be coming up to a molt. When did she last have one? Are there any crickets in the tank? She may be trying to get away from them so she can molt safely.

Or she may be male. If she is the tibial spurs are VERY clear and easy to see on a mature smithi.

 

[BBlack]

The assumption that she may be a male is based really on the fact that s/he suddenly is trying to get out of her tank.


But T’s not eating can be a mysterious thing and for no apparent reason. As many have said it the ab (opisthosoma) looks ok then try not to fret. (pretty much nice and roundish).


And luther PM and I’ll jes waste you on worms3d. no not really but still be good to play against a guy instead of those cheeting machines

 

[MrFeexit]

Brachys are nototrious for changing their eating habits so I would not worry too much, if at all. at any given time one of my Ts will be either fasting or holed up in a fortress of solitude, or start doing somthing that they havn't done before. Unless we have had the opportunity to spend 5 to 10 years observing a T in the wild we really don't know what all their actions at any given time indicate. One of my B albopilosums has excavated a subterranian bunker and jammed the entrance shut. I might see her in the spring sometime. (although I can see her plainly through the glass, just don't tell her) Ts are weird..they do weird things and they have weird owners

 

[L_mactans]

I've had my B. smithi female for a little over 5 years, and she will slow her eating habits dramatically when she is 4-5 months for her moult. By then she is usually more than well fed, she is large and she really dosen't need or want too much more to eat. She may take a large cricket every other week, then stop completely a month or two before her moult, even if she isn't showing color changes.

Don't worry so much. A T will eat when she is hungry.

Kelly (L_mac)

 

[Kali]

my fem G.rosea likes to refuse food and occasionally climbs the walls before a molt. does she have anpther option for a hide? this worked for my A.seemani when she started acting similarly. my B.albopilosum also refuses food and climbs the walls near molting time, but she is still a juvie.

Kristin

 

[Mendi]

I doubt you have much to worry about with it not eating, my immature male has went on long fasts before. Sometimes he'll go 4-5 months without eating and it being winter, he's up to it again. He's right up there with my G.rosea on the fasting... Well, he's not went quite as long without eating as they have, but still long enough to worry me. I've got an adult female and not had her long, but she seems to be not eating as well. But then I look at the season and find that there are a lot of mine not eating as well as they had been due to season and try not worry about it. It should be eating by Mar/Apr or soon there after

 

[Sharnoot]

I did take her out and sexed her, and I do not see signs that she is male. Unless I am absolutely blind.

Thanks for all the input. I have dealt with lack of appetite before, but never seen it in combination with overactivity in the cage; she climbs the walls constantly and is moving around quite a bit. That is what's odd.

She had her last molt about 2 months ago.

She is larger now, and does not have as much space to "hide" ; could it be that she's seeking somewhere more secure/secluded to molt? I might have to move her into a larger enclosure because the place she used to hide in is too small for her now.

Still, I find it hard to believe she would be ready to molt again. She was molting about every 6-9 months.

Thanks again for any advice.
S.

 

[JDS]

female behavior

This sounds similar to behavior I have seen with with mature females, including B. smithi, where they are laying down threads of silk crisscrossing their enclosure. The threads are used to attract and detect males as they would pass by. I find, if you probe around touching the threads they can get quit excited. I also find it very easy to identify the sex of B. smithi by examining the molt as long as you remove it when its new and spreading it out.

 

[poirot63]

smithi juvenile not eating

smithi juvenile ( molted 3 weeks back ) hasn't eaten since...problem? i have seen him/her going for crickets but either misses or runs away.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Its typical after a molt for a T to not eat for a period of time, and I have found with some bigger smithis they refuse food for a few months after sometimes. Just make sure there is water in her dish and all will be well.

 

[BassMan]

One of my B albopilosums has excavated a subterranian bunker and jammed the entrance shut. I might see her in the spring sometime. (although I can see her plainly through the glass, just don't tell her) Ts are weird..they do weird things and they have weird owners

My B. smithi did the same thing 2 weeks ago. I still have left over crickets chirping in my kitchen.