How to know if tarantula has eaten?

[Kamobeas fan]

So my T has recently become super skittish after taking a couple months holed up in his burrow and runs straight back to it at the slightest vibration, so when I try to feed him he runs away, how do I make sure he's eating? Do I just drop a dubia roach in there and trust he'll find it eventually?

 

[The Spider House]

Pretty much yes. Dubias can burrow under the sub though so you may not get to see it to either be reassured you T is eating, or remove the dubia.

Has your spider moulted or is approaching pre moult if in the burrow all the time.

A pic of your set up and species of spider would also help for more specific advice

 

[Kamobeas fan]

Pretty much yes. Dubias can burrow under the sub though so you may not get to see it to either be reassured you T is eating, or remove the dubia.

Has your spider moulted or is approaching pre moult if in the burrow all the time.

A pic of your set up and species of spider would also help for more specific advice

It's a juvenile A. Hentzi, I think it may have molted but I'm not sure since they blocked the entrance to their burrow leaving only a small gap that I can't see through, here is my setup though

 

[mack1855]

Try crushing the head of the dubia,then place at the entrance of the hide.And observe what happens.

 

[The Spider House]

Set up looks fine. Advice above is what I would have suggested next too

 

[viper69]

Bolus

 

[Smotzer]

You can always sit mindfully and watch to see if it takes the prey.

Also if the abdomen gets bigger after you’ve droppped prey in the tank then it is eating! And if it’s already very plump it may not need to eat again.

 

[The Spider House]

Bolus

That's cr@p advice....literally

 

[Smotzer]

That's cr@p advice....literally

He’s know for it

 

[Kamobeas fan]

You can always sit mindfully and watch to see if it takes the prey.

Also if the abdomen gets bigger after you’ve droppped prey in the tank then it is eating! And if it’s already very plump it may not need to eat again.

That's another thing that confuses me, he went away for months and when he finally emerged he had a super large abdomen, either he didn't molt and he's in premolt or he managed to catch a loose dubia while he was hiding in there

 

[gabrieldezzi]

That's another thing that confuses me, he went away for months and when he finally emerged he had a super large abdomen, either he didn't molt and he's in premolt or he managed to catch a loose dubia while he was hiding in there

He probably did eat. My OBT does the sam thing. He hides for months and randomly appears with a huge abdomen lol

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

If I’m not sure if my T wants to eat, I’d leave prekilled at the entrance. Generally though, I’d wait to see toes. A major sign for me if they take the prey down into the hovel and I don’t see them feed, is poop. That’s how I know for sure some of my more reclusive are eating.

 

[Gevo]

I have a skittish juvenile B. hamorii, and I have to leave prey in and assume she got it if I don't see it anymore in a day or so. I use crickets because she likes them, they make a lot of movement that I know will get her attention when it's quiet and she feels safe enough to come back out, and I don't have to crush their heads or worry about them burrowing. I don't have experience with dubias.

I find it helps greatly to keep the setup for this spider simpler so her prey cannot hide under a lot of leaf litter or stay holed up in a fake plant's leaves. My setup isn't totally barren and looks a lot like yours, but it's something I had to watch for and adjust.

 

[Kamobeas fan]

I have a skittish juvenile B. hamorii, and I have to leave prey in and assume she got it if I don't see it anymore in a day or so. I use crickets because she likes them, they make a lot of movement that I know will get her attention when it's quiet and she feels safe enough to come back out, and I don't have to crush their heads or worry about them burrowing. I don't have experience with dubias.

I find it helps greatly to keep the setup for this spider simpler so her prey cannot hide under a lot of leaf litter or stay holed up in a fake plant's leaves.

I would deffinatley like to use crickets, but the main problem is that they are very loud and smelly, and really the only place I can keep them is in a cupboard next to my bed, mabye ill try them soon though

 

[Tentacle Toast]

That's cr@p advice....literally

My man's on a roll today...

 

[Gevo]

I would deffinatley like to use crickets, but the main problem is that they are very loud and smelly, and really the only place I can keep them is in a cupboard next to my bed, mabye ill try them soon though

I hate crickets too, but I live close to a pet store that will sell me just a couple at a time so I don't have to keep a container with a lot of crickets around. I keep a jar of cricket change now just for that purpose!

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

That's cr@p advice....literally

For once the proper use of the word “literally”!

 

[nicodimus22]

That's cr@p advice....literally

No, it's not. Tarantulas do not crap boluses. They crap crap. Boluses are the rolled up exoskeletons of feeders.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

No, it's not. Tarantulas do not crap boluses. They crap crap. Boluses are the rolled up exoskeletons of feeders.

While blouses are not excrement, they are refuse. Guess it depends on how you define a slang word, lol. If I say, “What is this crap on my desk?” I’m not referring to excrement, but trash, unwanted, useless stuff.

 

[Smotzer]

While blouses are not excrement, they are refuse. Guess it depends on how you define a slang word, lol. If I say, “What is this crap on my desk?” I’m not referring to excrement, but trash, unwanted, useless stuff.

And blouses on T's actually is crap @IntermittentSygnal over here having dress up parties with their T's