Is a Salmon Pink Birdeater OK for a beginner tarantula owner?

[Venom1080]

There's actually zero evidence that a t needs a variety when it comes to prey items.

Exactly. Hence "probably".

 

[Whitelightning777]

Variety is probably best. But they do just fine on crickets and worms.

& Roaches, earthworms, & anything else not offered in premolt!! In nature they are general predators. Vertebrates are unnecessary as feeders.

 

[Venom1080]

& Roaches, earthworms, & anything else not offered in premolt!! In nature they are general predators. Vertebrates are unnecessary as feeders.

Opportunistic is the word. They take whatever they can handle. Vertabrate, beetle, earth worm, doesn't matter.

By your own criteria, you should be feeding vertabrates. To increase the variety of prey.

But I haven't seen evidence of a variety being needed.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

They don't NEED variety, but it won't hurt them, feeding variety is more important with something like an omnivorous lizard (blue tongue skinks and crested geckoes come to mind). If anything it entertains the keeper and if one feeder is leaking in one nutritional aspect it can be made up for with a different feeder

 

[sasker]

They don't NEED variety, but it won't hurt them

And don't forget it's fun to watch your tarantulas munch on a variety of little critters

 

[Guy Moss]

I don’t feed mine mealworms those little buggers bury themselves in no time and turn into beetles. My LP is partial to a good locust

 

[Arachnophoric]

I don’t feed mine mealworms those little buggers bury themselves in no time and turn into beetles. My LP is partial to a good locust

Dead thread.

If you want to use mealworms but don't want them to burrow, crush the heads with tongs. It'll keep it from burrowing if the T isn't quick to jump on it.

 

[sasker]

those little buggers bury themselves in no time and turn into beetles

Just crush their heads with tweezers prior to feeding and that would solve this problem.

@Arachnophoric You beat me to it

 

[Whitelightning777]

Even without vertebrates, there's still lots of different feeders you can use. Mine do just fine without vertebrates. I've given mine the following.

Dubai roaches
Hissing roaches
Red runners.

Mealworms
Super worms
Horn worms

Crickets galore

& The monthly & first post molt earthworm (the really big ones).

And one or two others that I can't recall now.