Methods of killing prey

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Arachnopeon
Joined
May 11, 2016
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26
Most of my T's when i drop in a prey item will slowly wander over to investigate the disturbance then grab the item and procede to munch it.
I have noticed however that the balfouri's do it differently. One or two will tag the victim, then they gather round in a group of 5-6 like sharks and wait for it to stop kicking before moving in.

Are there any other T's with different eating habits you know of?
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 6, 2016
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412
My A versicolor sling regularly invenomates its prey and then leaves it to die before returning to eat.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
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Jun 27, 2010
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Some of my Ts (like my A. genniculata, my Pamphobeteus sp., and my G. rosea) will just grab crickets left and right - practically before they hit the ground - and wad them up into a big cricket ball to eat.

If I give my AF T. stirmi something big - like a roach - she will work on it for awhile, then set it down and lay webbing over it, and then come back for seconds later.

I have noticed however that the balfouri's do it differently. One or two will tag the victim, then they gather round in a group of 5-6 like sharks and wait for it to stop kicking before moving in.

Are there any other T's with different eating habits you know of?
I recently purchased 5 M. balfouri slings. So far, I've never seen them feed in a group like this - I've just seen a single one sucking on a small cricket. The others I've occasionally seen peeking out of their burrows, but haven't witnessed any feeding behavior. I've been offering them the "variety pack" for food, at least until I figure out what they like. I offered a pre-killed dubia nymph and it disappeared - I assume the remains are somewhere underground. They completely ignored a pre-killed cricket. The small crickets seem to be disappearing, so either they're good at hiding - or they're getting eaten. (I've also been tossing in a few fruit flies, just in case.)
 

PanzoN88

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
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713
My A. Geniculata is staight forward when eating, i honestly feel bad for the victim. She simply just eats whatever it may be right there (she does not waste time). You can hear the crunch when she catches the prey item i dropped, it sounds like when someone is eating grapes.
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
Messages
412
Some of my Ts (like my A. genniculata, my Pamphobeteus sp., and my G. rosea) will just grab crickets left and right - practically before they hit the ground - and wad them up into a big cricket ball to eat.

If I give my AF T. stirmi something big - like a roach - she will work on it for awhile, then set it down and lay webbing over it, and then come back for seconds later.



I recently purchased 5 M. balfouri slings. So far, I've never seen them feed in a group like this - I've just seen a single one sucking on a small cricket. The others I've occasionally seen peeking out of their burrows, but haven't witnessed any feeding behavior. I've been offering them the "variety pack" for food, at least until I figure out what they like. I offered a pre-killed dubia nymph and it disappeared - I assume the remains are somewhere underground. They completely ignored a pre-killed cricket. The small crickets seem to be disappearing, so either they're good at hiding - or they're getting eaten. (I've also been tossing in a few fruit flies, just in case.)
I am normally against feeding mammalian prey items to my inverts but today i gave my adult female theraphosa stirmi a mouse pup.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
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Feb 22, 2013
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Many NW terrestrials rely very little on their venom and instead prefer to masticate their prey - that is, "chew" them to death. Nhandu and Acanthoscurria are great examples of this. The likes of Grammostola and Euathlus just use their strength to hold on to the prey until they die from the venom and exhaustion, but apparently Nhandu doesn't have time for that. They'll crunch away at the prey until it's in several pieces. Quite a bit quicker than waiting for the venom to take hold, and much more fun to watch in my opinion.
 

Matttoadman

Arachnoknight
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
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My A. seemani subadult female, slowly walks over and places one of her feet on the dubia's back. Then when it finally moves she grabs it.
 

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
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I am normally against feeding mammalian prey items to my inverts but today i gave my adult female theraphosa stirmi a mouse pup.
I see this as a mixed topic. Not to derail an hijack the thread but why are you aginst it out of curiosity?
Mamals are part of tarantula diet in the wild so i see no factual reason NOT to offer a small mamal on occasion.
I know theres rumors that its somehow bad for the T but to you im asking why you disagree with feeding manals and in general im asking is there actually any real factual evidence as to why we shouldnt?????
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
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I see this as a mixed topic. Not to derail an hijack the thread but why are you aginst it out of curiosity?
Mamals are part of tarantula diet in the wild so i see no factual reason NOT to offer a small mamal on occasion.
I know theres rumors that its somehow bad for the T but to you im asking why you disagree with feeding manals and in general im asking is there actually any real factual evidence as to why we shouldnt?????
Well i dont because there isnt any factual evidence that it benefits the t so i feel its not needed. Also the fact that a mouse or other mamal or even a reptile prey item like an anole is much more aware of its surroundings.They are also conscience beings aware that they have begun to die as they are devoured. A roach does not possess this mental capacity. Having raised ts on only insects i feel personally better about sticking to insects. Never did i say anything regarding mamals being bad for ts which i understand to be completely false. Although even if there was a shread of doubt there in my mind about mammalian prey and its negative impacts towards the t do you think id be giving a mouse to my prized theraphosa.
 

Tfisher

Arachno-Geek
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Sep 28, 2014
Messages
251
^^^ try cleaning up after one, it's like trying to remove a blob with bones in it. that and it smells of death after you feed a pinky.
 

Abyss

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
281
Well i dont because there isnt any factual evidence that it benefits the t so i feel its not needed. Also the fact that a mouse or other mamal or even a reptile prey item like an anole is much more aware of its surroundings.They are also conscience beings aware that they have begun to die as they are devoured. A roach does not possess this mental capacity. Having raised ts on only insects i feel personally better about sticking to insects. Never did i say anything regarding mamals being bad for ts which i understand to be completely false. Although even if there was a shread of doubt there in my mind about mammalian prey and its negative impacts towards the t do you think id be giving a mouse to my prized theraphosa.
No no i never said ya did, i was just asking in general why u choose not to as well as in general if there was any factual exidence as to a good reason not to.
I stick to strictly insects as well with the occasional (once every few years) lizard or pinkie as a treat. Its just what i have always done but in searching, i cant find any credible reason to not feed vertibrates to a T is all
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
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No no i never said ya did, i was just asking in general why u choose not to as well as in general if there was any factual exidence as to a good reason not to.
I stick to strictly insects as well with the occasional (once every few years) lizard or pinkie as a treat. Its just what i have always done but in searching, i cant find any credible reason to not feed vertibrates to a T is all
Yeah i doubt ill take to it as a regular thing. My t stirmi had molted about a month ago and i was out doing christmas shopping and stopped by the local reptile shop where they were currently treating their own giant L.P. female to a mouse. I dont tend to anthropomorhphize but i could tell that this L.P. was enjoying its meal alot. So i caved and got one for my big t stirmi. I believe the claims that they are bad for Ts are rubbish.
 

BobBarley

Arachnoprince
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Sep 16, 2015
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1,486
Yeah i doubt ill take to it as a regular thing. My t stirmi had molted about a month ago and i was out doing christmas shopping and stopped by the local reptile shop where they were currently treating their own giant L.P. female to a mouse. I dont tend to anthropomorhphize but i could tell that this L.P. was enjoying its meal alot. So i caved and got one for my big t stirmi. I believe the claims that they are bad for Ts are rubbish.
They are definitely not bad for the t. The only real issue (aside from ethics) is that the mouse may harm the t. Though I have read that pinkies can't harm t's.
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
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They are definitely not bad for the t. The only real issue (aside from ethics) is that the mouse may harm the t. Though I have read that pinkies can't harm t's.
Yeah a fully fledged mouse could bite i fed a little pup and he was still trying to suckle his mum(kinda sadly) i initially steared away for my own feelings about the wellbeing of the mouse in question. While i still believe it can be a drawn out process for the mouse i dont believe it was the case in this particular scenario with my stirmi. She was almost excited when she felt the fur instead of the typical insect shell. I mean thats gotta inspire some kind of instinctual response inside the spider.
 

Bread

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
26
I always thought people refrained from feeding mice as they have nociceptors and feel pain the same as we do, they also react to things that have caused discomfort in the past (a mouse being sucked dry will feel the same as we would from a 20foot dls obt). Insects do not (as far as they can tell)
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
Messages
412
I always thought people refrained from feeding mice as they have nociceptors and feel pain the same as we do, they also react to things that have caused discomfort in the past (a mouse being sucked dry will feel the same as we would from a 20foot dls obt). Insects do not (as far as they can tell)
Yes. This is in detail what i was refering to by quoting the long process associated with the consumption.
 

mistertim

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
548
I've seen my P. metallica sling/juvie tag larger crickets and then wait (it doesn't take long). My L. megatheloides also regularly envenomates its prey and then waits to eat.
 

Draketeeth

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
209
When I feed my B. albopilosums and my G. pulchripes, both species no matter the T's size seize the prey on the back close to the head and hold it in place, never letting go. They also stand on their tip-toes, or angle themselves against a wall so the struggling roach can't get a grip on the ground and pull away. For my biggest albo, there's a lot of crunching that follows the initial grab, so I'm assuming it's a grip readjustment paired with multiple venom shots. The prey is held until the meal is over, have not seen anyone drop it and come back for more later.

The albo sling is an active hunter who will seek out the roach, and has done barrel rolls when grabbing prey. The albo juvie has become a rather lazy hunter and waits for prey to come to it, the jumps it.

The pulchripes will sometimes stand on the roach (dubias freeze up), and only strike when it moves again. It's probably my most movement oriented T, and has sometimes dropped prey that no longer wiggles, only to grab it again when it moves and then decide that yes, it can actually eat the thing.
 
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