How often do Tarantulas eat in the wild?

[MissHarlen]

I feed my tarantulas under 1" every 4 days, and my midsize ones (1"-3") every 7 days, then my largest every 14 days. As we know, some species like Grammostola and Aphonopelma are prone to fasting for weeks to months.

My question is how often do tarantulas get to eat in the wild? Many burrowers are opportunistic feeders, so they only get to eat when something tasty wanders into their burrow, but I imagine there could be weeks between meals in some regions of the world.

 

[nicodimus22]

Depends on a lot of factors. Basically the answer is "the most that they can eat without having to wander around and hunt for food." They're very energy efficient that way. Slow metabolism and not moving a muscle allows them to go for a long time with no food.

 

[spotropaicsav]

Whenever they can get it!

 

[viper69]

I'd be surprised if there's any scientific study on frequency of eating as the focus of study. However, a DVM did do a study on how much food it takes for a T to gain mass.