Is this behavior ok?

[robinsw]

Hope this is in the right place. Searched a bit but couldnt find a good answer to my specific situation.

Got a Chilean Rose hair almost 5 months ago and when I bought her the lady who handled her had no problems. Ive only handled her 3 times and every time she flicks and flinches in a way that makes me nervous. Lately she had been super aggressive so I stopped trying to handle her. I tried to nudge her with a paint brush to clean her cage but she wouldnt budge and then bit out of the blue. Needless to say I am a bit scared of her now. In the last few weeks she has been extra aggressive, she prowls her cage, chases crickets, rears and flicks at anything near her, and climbs a lot (I dont want her to get hurt!) She also has been eating a cricket EVERY DAY for over two weeks and she eats them whole! I started feeding her daily as an experiment but I think its time to cut back, since she has proved her point. She is not balding yet so I assume no molt.

I want to know:
1. Could she be pregnant? I hope to GOD that's a no.

2. Is it possible to over feed her? If so, what is a healthy amount?

3. Are these behaviors caused by a sickness or an owner's error, or are they just idiosyncrasies of a Rose Hair?

4. Should I try to handle her in the future when I clean her cage, or is there a better hands off method for an aggressive wanderer like her?

5. What can I do to prevent her from climbing and ripping off tarsal claws in the lid?

Thanks for the advice- the owner of the college bug zoo was baffled when I told him. I dont know who else to ask!

 

[Falk]

No theraphosid likes to be handled so stop doing it and she will feel much better, they are solitary animals and should be kept in that way.
The Grammostola spp. can often have mood swings.


There is a chance she could be gravid, if she is bought from a pet store she is most likely wild cought (poor thing) and could have mated in the wild.

A few reasons for climbing can be that the doesn not like the substrate, or its to wet, "she" could also be a mature male wandering around looking for a female. What substrate do you use?

Overfeeding is never good and a huge abdomen can rupture if she falls. I dont know what you are feeding her with but it chould be a variation of insects like, roaches, locusts, crickets etc.

And lastly, never trust a petstore clerk

 

[elle101]

I agree that it is best not to handle her. Some CR tend to be aggressive, mine is.
Feeding her everyday is a bad idea. You can feed her once to twice a week. If you give her something to use as a hiding place, she may be calmer and maybe won't try to climb. My CR climbs when he feels threatened.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

+1 to what Falk said. Post some pics of the spider and the enclosure. If you're worried about it falling, that means you probably don't have enough substrate. You need to fill the enclosure at LEAST halfway up with substrate.

And on another note, balding does NOT indicate premolt. That simply indicates that it has been kicking hairs.

 

[webbedone]

Pictures could always help. to determine if she is gravid or not.
Rosies are naturally moody, so dont be surprised if she is a cuddle bug one month and than turns into a beast from hell the next.
Her climbing the walls of the tank and staying a way from the substrate may mean that the enclosure is too wet.
Overfeeding does pose a increased risk of an abdomen rupture dute to a fall.

 

[Spiderdan24]

My rose hair as bin doin the same climbing all the time but now she/he as suddenly stopped it then a month later started climbing agen :s wish i kmew why. iv noticed the bluey color on the abdomon so im hopeing to see a molt soon

 

[Robert Jordan]

Less is More

For what it's worth, my golden rule for tarantula care: Less is More. This is especially important to consider, I believe, if you're new to the hobby. (Welcome, by the way!)

Keep your set-ups simple. Substrate, dish, hide. For a Rosie, bone dry. Then just leave it alone for awhile. Weeks, even. It'll do just fine without your worrying about it several times a day.

Furthermore, try searching "psycho Rosie" above. Voila.