G.Pulchra Growth Rate

[xguard]

Doesn't crushed heads equal to pre killed? I mean i know they live a while but if the tarantula doesnt eat it right away that technically is the same as pre killed is it not? Sorry but this is my first Tarantula and I appreciate the responses

 

[fcat]

Doesn't crushed heads equal to pre killed? I mean i know they live a while but if the tarantula doesnt eat it right away that technically is the same as pre killed is it not? Sorry but this is my first Tarantula and I appreciate the responses

Yes, I like to maim the heads of crickets so the legs twitch a little and pique the interest of a hungry T.

Mealworms/superworms I completely cut off the head. I've seen too many survive to maturity with maimed heads.

After 24 hours check to see if the prey has been eaten, if not, pull it out and toss it.

This makes sure the feeders don't eat your T if it is molting.

 

[xguard]

Yes, I like to maim the heads of crickets so the legs twitch a little and pique the interest of a hungry T.

Mealworms/superworms I completely cut off the head. I've seen too many survive to maturity with maimed heads.

After 24 hours check to see if the prey has been eaten, if not, pull it out and toss it.

This makes sure the feeders don't eat your T if it is molting.

Do you maim everytime or just when they are in pre molt? What do you call a 2.5" G pulchra? a sling? Juvenile? Sub adult?

 

[kingshockey]

just accept that you bought a slow grower and any young kids you have might be ready for college by the time it reaches full size

 

[xguard]

just accept that you bought a slow grower and any young kids you have might be ready for college by the time it reaches full size

Not particularly concerned for her growth, More so her health.

 

[kingshockey]

Not particularly concerned for her growth, More so her health.

it looks nice and chubby

 

[fcat]

Do you maim everytime or just when they are in pre molt? What do you call a 2.5" G pulchra? a sling? Juvenile? Sub adult?

On a G pulchra that I can see (not burrowed) I don't maim crickets, but ALWAYS worms. Those things have strong mandibles(?) and like to whip back and start biting.

I also don't overfeed, so when I do feed, there's a 99% chance they are going to take it. They are opportunistic feeders though, so it's easy to overfeed. They will also scavenge, why pre killed works.

Personally, if I'm feeding something I haven't seen any proof of life for an extended period of time, wax worms are my favorite. They seem harmless, pupate into little moths that everyone goes crazy for (if the T doesn't eat it initially). I'm also dribbling water at the entrance of the burrow on a regular basis but that's another topic.

I'm pretty sure I once posted a video of a horn worm eating a pre killed super worm. So I don't even trust those. They turn into giant moths that my Ts go absolutely primal over, but they poop. Oooh do they poop.

 

[Gevo]

Doesn't crushed heads equal to pre killed? I mean i know they live a while but if the tarantula doesnt eat it right away that technically is the same as pre killed is it not? Sorry but this is my first Tarantula and I appreciate the responses

More or less, though as fcat said, worms with crushed heads can sometimes still survive. What I mean is that very small slings are the ones that require things like a cricket “drumstick” or slice of mealworm because they’re too small to hunt and eat prey of that size.

Prekilled insects can serve a few purposes: 1). To feed small slings, 2). To offer food to a tarantula who may be molting soon, but you’re not sure, 3). To ensure that a mealworm or superworm doesn’t burrow and turn into a nasty beetle that can harm your tarantula.

I’m just letting you know that at 2.5 inches, your tarantula isn’t a small, delicate sling that requires prekilled insects. But, super worms and mealworms should always be maimed or beheaded (“prekilled”, if you will) for other reasons and for tarantulas of all sizes, and crickets can pose a threat if your tarantula is molting, recently molted, or about to molt, so that might be why you’d prekill or maim a cricket first, but not because your tarantula is too small to hunt them

Do you maim everytime or just when they are in pre molt? What do you call a 2.5" G pulchra? a sling? Juvenile? Sub adult?

These aren’t definitive life stages for tarantulas and are just terms that keepers use for their own purposes, so definitions vary. For most Grammastola and Brachypelma species, I think of slings as being the small spiders that look kind of nondescript—if you didn’t already know what they are, they’re gonna look pretty much like any other drab spider out there. I think of juveniles as having a bit of size on them (2 inches plus, maybe?) and they look like mini versions of adults, with their coloration having all or mostly come in. I don’t know how I’d distinguish between subadult and adult, but probably by sexual maturity, though I don’t ever plan on breeding and am not too concerned about that.