Is my C. fimbriatus sick?

[Ultimate Instar]

For the past few months, I have noticed that my 3 1/2" Chilobrachys fimbriatus has been coming out of her burrow occasionally in the evenings. I looked for hooks but there are none so I am sure that it isn't a mature male. For the past week, I've seen her out during the day. Today, I put some water in her dish and she ran out of her den to the water dish. She stayed out so I handed her a cockroach with my tweezers and she took it with no hesitation. Then she ate it outside the den.

She seems fine, good appetite, very fast, no obvious signs of disease. However, she's gone from behaving like an H. lividum to a B. smithi (well, almost).

Should I be concerned for her health or did she just have an epiphany and decide to love humans? Or do the C. fimbriatus make a radical change in behavior at adulthood? I'm very happy to be able to see her but I don't want to miss a warning sign of disease.

Thanks,
Karen N.

 

[MrDeranged]

As long as there's no signs of anything wrong (shrinking abdomen) I wouldn't worry about it much. I've noticed with alot of species that once they reach a certain size, they will be out and about much more frequently. Most recently I've seen this with my B. emilia and E. murinus.

Scott

 

[TheSpiderHouse]

C. fimbriatus are usually pretty reclusive. Just be happy you are getting to see yours, sounds like you have a diva! I have to sneak up on mine. They also grow to around 5-6 inches. So if it were male, you probably wouldn't see hooks until another molt or two.

 

[RugbyDave]

also, with alot of my T's (and it makes sense too),i notice once they start nearing sexual maturity (esp with males), they start to act alot differently.

I noticed on a couple of the MY EVIL ROSEA posts, alot of people noted that their T's starting getting mean or nice once they neared maturity.

and i noticed this with a lot of my Ts

just part of growingup i guess.


lobster roach or hissing roach?

have you ever seen a tank of 350 roaches (south america, lobster and hissing) take down 3 mice?

crazy.
all thats left is nasty looking tails.

i had no idea they did that!
peace
dave

 

[Ultimate Instar]

Delonigan,

I used to think that they grew to about 5-6" based on what I read, but recently Bill from Invertepets and Martin H. posted that C. fimbriatus only get to 3.5-4". Given their background/experience, I believe what they say.


RugbyDave,

They were Madagascar Hissing cockroaches, about 1/2". At that size, the exoskeleton isn't too hard and the T can eat them without much difficulty. Large hissers are definitely another story; it's not easy for even adult Ts to get their fangs through the back. My adult male A. geniculata had a very difficult time with it. My other adult Ts wouldn't even try.

Since I have a lot of adult hissers, I took one and stabbed it several times and cut it open (yes, it was extremely disgusting). I dropped it down the hole to my C. crawshayi and she took it. I have such lazy Ts!

Karen N.

 

[skadiwolf]

wow...all these stories of nice, calm Ts mutating into monsters is slightly, um, disturbing. heh.

well, hopefully my G. rosea will be nice and calm forever.

must admit though, since she twacked me with her ULTRA soft little legs i've been a bit leary of her. nevermind that i'm normally cautious anyway.

 

[krystal]

skadiwolf: i completely understand what you're saying. one day, my rosie is letting the neighborhood kids handle her (well, walk from my hands, to their hands, back to my hands again), and the next day she's all psycho at me. our roseas sould get together and go bowling or something. scheesh.