Is it okay for a tarantula to eat a mouse

Ijk24

Arachnosquire
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Apr 24, 2016
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Hi I was wondering if it would be safe for me to feed my LP a mouse or would it have negative effects. Btw she is 8 or 9 inches
 

Chris LXXIX

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Dec 25, 2014
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Safe for you, yes. Not sure for your Theraphosidae. Remember, you never know what can happens; do not think that a mice will remain like nothing when hot full of venom chelicerae pierce his/her skin.

It's a IMO worth nothing sadistic "Russian roulette". Christ, a couple of well hydrated crickets or adult B.dubia do the job perfectly.
Zero risks, zero issues, happy Theraphosidae.

But do as you want.
 

Andrea82

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Jan 12, 2016
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Oh man....some people just want to watch the world burn. This question again?..OP, there are hundreds of threads about this. Use the search function of this forum, or type the question in Google search and add 'arachnoboards' to it.
 

Bugmom

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May 28, 2012
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646
I would never feed a live mouse to a tarantula; there is a legitimate risk that the mouse will hurt the spider.

Thawed mouse? Go for it, if you want to. It'll be gross to cleanup after though.
 

14pokies

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Oct 25, 2014
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Some people feed mice to there females after they have been bred to get them to drop a sac or to fatten them up before breeding.. Many don't.. Either way there is really no risk as long as the mouse has no teeth ( feed pinky mice or prekilled only)

On the very few occasions( less than 5) that I have fed mice to Ts my LP at the time seemed disinterested in them the most.

Unless you have a specific reason to feed rodents, big roaches are a much better more nutritious treat.
 

louise f

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Jul 8, 2012
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Why oh just why do anyone want`s to feed mice to their T`s. There`s soo many great feeders out there. !!! Mice not included !!!
The worst possible thing that can happen is that the mice get a chunk of your T. And most likely injure it so much that it dies from the wounds + It is not good for the T with all the calcium in the mice. From what I`ve heard.
 

Bugmom

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May 28, 2012
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Why oh just why do anyone want`s to feed mice to their T`s. There`s soo many great feeders out there. !!! Mice not included !!!
The worst possible thing that can happen is that the mice get a chunk of your T. And most likely injure it so much that it dies from the wounds + It is not good for the T with all the calcium in the mice. From what I`ve heard.
The calcium thing is a myth, AFAIK. People use to say it would interfere with molting. Well tarantula exoskeletons contain no calcium. Maybe the myth got started because crabs and other crustaceans have calcium carbonate in their exoskeletons.
 

basin79

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Sep 14, 2013
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FT one no problem once in a while.

I fed my T .Stirmi a FT whole fish before. It was a small roach. Took her over 24hrs to reduce it to a couple of piles of silver scales.
 

CarbonBasedLifeform

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Apr 28, 2009
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Please don't feed it a mouse. There is no reason for it. As others have said, a roach would be a much better treat. The mouse can fight back and kill your T. Plus it is just cruel to the mouse. I don't even feed my snakes live mice or rats for the same reasons and they're built for that type of prey. For a spider that is built for other inverts as prey, feeding a mouse just does not make sense.
 

Ijk24

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Apr 24, 2016
Messages
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Please don't feed it a mouse. There is no reason for it. As others have said, a roach would be a much better treat. The mouse can fight back and kill your T. Plus it is just cruel to the mouse. I don't even feed my snakes live mice or rats for the same reasons and they're built for that type of prey. For a spider that is built for other inverts as prey, feeding a mouse just does not make sense.
I get what you're saying but how is feeding a live mouse more cruel than feeding a live roach or cricket I mean they're both live animals so yeah
 

scorpanok

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Feb 9, 2016
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on Thanksgiving I give a thawed pinky or fuzzy to my larger specimens to vary there diet.
 

Marijan2

Arachnobaron
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Oct 21, 2012
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I get what you're saying but how is feeding a live mouse more cruel than feeding a live roach or cricket I mean they're both live animals so yeah
I think it all comes down to insect not feeling pain, while mice and other vertabrates do
 
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