How long can tarantulas live without food?

[Jayson09]

Hi ya'll guys, im away for 2 to 3 months and i am very worried about my tarantula to get starve and die. Any suggestion that y'all can give me?

 

[Teal]

What species? What size?

Water is more important than food most of the time. If you can feed the T up to plumpness before you leave and have someone provide water, you may be fine if the spider is out of the fragile stage for its species. Some Ts voluntarily go months/years without eating as adults.

 

[Whitelightning777]

Dehydration is by far the more deadly threat then a lack of food. Put the T where the water dish can stay full, maybe even use a bigger water dish.

Then place it in a cool location to lower it's metabolism slightly.

 

[Jayson09]

What species? What size?

Water is more important than food most of the time. If you can feed the T up to plumpness before you leave and have someone provide water, you may be fine if the spider is out of the fragile stage for its species. Some Ts voluntarily go months/years without eating as adults.

I have 2 T's one is juvenile 8cm acanthuscuria genelculata 1 and half years old and the other one is sub adult 6 inch lasiodora parahybana. Do you think that kind of species will be able to survive? Ok ill give them a bigger water bowl or something that can last for 3 months. Thanks.

 

[Theneil]

Can you find somebody in the area to check in on it every couple weeks?

As others have said, size and species has a large impact on the answer. if its an adult rose hair or something then it should be perfectly fine without food for that long.

 

[Jayson09]

Dehydration is by far the more deadly threat then a lack of food. Put the T where the water dish can stay full, maybe even use a bigger water dish.

Then place it in a cool location to lower it's metabolism slightly.

Yess Thanks. Ill put em on a place where a bit cooler. Hopefully they'll be fine.

Can you find somebody in the area to check in on it every couple weeks?

As others have said, size and species has a large impact on the answer. if its an adult rose hair or something then it should be perfectly fine without food for that long.

I dont want to bother them bcoz i know they will not do it bcoz there perspective on Tarantulas ar different. Not like us. If you know what i mean

Can you find somebody in the area to check in on it every couple weeks?

As others have said, size and species has a large impact on the answer. if its an adult rose hair or something then it should be perfectly fine without food for that long.

one is Lasiodora parahybana sub adult one is acanthuscuria geneculata juvenile

 

[Jesse607]

The New World arid land/desert species like most Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, Grammostola, Euthlus, etc, would be fine if well fed beforehand, anything else with faster metabolism, and not fully grown, 3 months is a stretch, but maybe not impossible.

 

[Minty]

Why take the risk?

Find someone to look after your tarantula, better to know it’ll be in safe hands than coming back to a dead animal, through your own actions.

 

[Teal]

I have 2 T's one is juvenile 8cm acanthuscuria genelculata 1 and half years old and the other one is sub adult 6 inch lasiodora parahybana. Do you think that kind of species will be able to survive? Ok ill give them a bigger water bowl or something that can last for 3 months. Thanks.

The LP should be fine if provided big meals beforehand and left with water.

I have not kept A. genic so I cannot say with confidence that it will be okay, but from what I have read/seen posted they are a hardy species.

Why take the risk?

Find someone to look after your tarantula, better to know it’ll be in safe hands than coming back to a dead animal, through your own actions.

How do you propose one "finds someone" to watch their Ts? Do you give a stranger your house key to come check on them? Or do you let a stranger take the Ts to their home and risk never getting them back? I am truly curious.

 

[Theneil]

Might da

The LP should be fine if provided big meals beforehand and left with water.

I have not kept A. genic so I cannot say with confidence that it will be okay, but from what I have read/seen posted they are a hardy species.



How do you propose one "finds someone" to watch their Ts? Do you give a stranger your house key to come check on them? Or do you let a stranger take the Ts to their home and risk never getting them back? I am truly curious.

I would ask one of my friends. "Hey, can you fill the watter dishes in my T enclosures every week or so." And then i would make sure that every enclosure could be watered without the lid being removed. As for food, i would just stuff them With a couple oversized meals before leaving.

 

[Teal]

I would ask one of my friends. "Hey, can you fill the watter dishes in my T enclosures every week or so." And then i would make sure that every enclosure could be watered without the lid being removed. As for food, i would just stuff them With a couple oversized meals before leaving.

Well, I guess that would work if you have local friends...

... and ones willing to care for tarantulas, at that.

 

[cold blood]

At those sizes their molt cycle can/should be fairly long...so if they molted fairly recently, you could easily induce a long fasting period by fattening them up till they stop eating (or don't need more food)...large prey items frequently.

On the other hand, if they are already plump and its been a while, you could end up with a t molting while you are gone...and several months could be fatal after molting. Do you know the length of their molting cycles...this would be pretty important info to know. You do not want them molting while you are gone for that length of time.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Can you find somebody in the area to check in on it every couple weeks?

As others have said, size and species has a large impact on the answer. if its an adult rose hair or something then it should be perfectly fine without food for that long.

+1
I don’t see a tarantula surviving 2-3 months without water so do I thiS!!!

 

[Ungoliant]

Hi ya'll guys, im away for 2 to 3 months and i am very worried about my tarantula to get starve and die. Any suggestion that y'all can give me?

I wouldn't be worried about a juvenile or adult tarantula that doesn't feed for 2-3 months, but that's longer than I would feel comfortable leaving them without water.

Do you have any friends or relatives who are at least not terrified of the tarantulas who would be willing to top off the water dishes once a week (and add a little moisture to the substrate if it dries out completely)? Maybe offer a little money for their trouble? Watering once a week is not bad at all compared to the petsitting needs of more conventional pets.

Are your enclosures set up in a way where they can be watered without removing the entire lid? (This might be reassuring to someone who is on the fence.)

 

[The Grym Reaper]

On the other hand, if they are already plump and its been a while, you could end up with a t molting while you are gone...and several months could be fatal after molting.

The Lasiodora girl isn't going to moult any time soon (the OP got her from me, she only moulted 3 months ago and is currently going at least a year between moults).

 

[Minty]

How do you propose one "finds someone" to watch their Ts? Do you give a stranger your house key to come check on them? Or do you let a stranger take the Ts to their home and risk never getting them back? I am truly curious.

Friends, family, partners would be the first option. Neighbours are an option too.

If that's not a possibility, then there are plenty of businesses or reptile/invertebrate shops that offer boarding of arachnids.

Failing that, take out an advert and pay someone to board them at their house. Include a contract that both parties sign in the event that they attempt any funny business with the spiders.

There is no way that I'd risk leaving a pet alone for three months, it's animal abuse in my opinion.

 

[Teal]

Friends, family, partners would be the first option. Neighbours are an option too.

If that's not a possibility, then there are plenty of businesses or reptile/invertebrate shops that offer boarding of arachnids.

Failing that, take out an advert and pay someone to board them at their house. Include a contract that both parties sign in the event that they attempt any funny business with the spiders.

There is no way that I'd risk leaving a pet alone for three months, it's animal abuse in my opinion.

Hmm, that must be what it's like to have human interactions and not be a recluse. Sounds terrible

My personal solution is to just... not leave for 3 months. Lol

 

[buzz182]

Honestly I would look for someone to take care of it, for your own sanity and peace of mind. would happily offer to spidersit if you were nearby.

 

[Zaire]

I don't know what the temperature/relative humidity is in the OPs location but I would not leave my spiders completely unattended for three weeks, let alone three months. I use pretty large/deep bowls (relative to the size of the enclosures) and I guarantee that if I ignored them for a week and a half or so the bowl would be bone dry.

Is there anyone who can at least water the spiders if you rig something up with a syringe and some aquarium airline tubing so that they can fill the water bowls without opening the enclosures?