Nhandu Coloratovillosus feeding help

[ChevyGuy]

Hey all,

I bought a N. Coloratovillosus a little more than 3 weeks ago and she will not eat. I am offering her dubias but the seller told me he only feeds his T's crickets. She is about 3 1/2" with a water dish, cork bark hide and about 4" of sub. The temps. are low 60's at night since it is wintertime and 70 during the day. I offered dubias' many times with no results. I even tried crushing the heads so the roach wouldn't burrow and, again, nothing. Has anyone had experience with this particular T? I do not want her to die. The Tarantula Keepers Guide is not helpful in this instance and there are no threads on this species with what I am asking. Please help. If you need anymore info. on my husbandry let me know. Thanks everyone.

 

[fyic]

I have never had one of these but my guess is maybe pre-molt and or maybe it doesn't like the dubias.........I have read about peoples T's not taking to roaches or other prey.......I would just try a cricket and see if it takes to it.......if so then there you go...other then that it sounds like you got everything else covered

---------- Post added 01-07-2014 at 01:44 AM ----------

side note......a friend of mine use to feed all his T's roaches with no prob.......but he had this 1 p.regalis that would just refuse to take to them

 

[Poec54]

How big is the abdomen? Could be premolt. Your temps are on the cool side, that'll lower it's metabolism. There are some T's that don't like raoches, although most South Americans don't tend to be picky.

 

[kean]

+1 on the Pre-Molt stage..

 

[Formerphobe]

You've only had her 3 weeks, she may still be acclimating. As others have said, some Ts are neophobic when it comes to prey. Also, if she was anywhere near a molt, transport and rehousing can further stimulate a molt.

 

[ChevyGuy]

Thanks everyone,

I only feed my tarantulas roaches for a couple of reasons: 1) they dont die easily and are extremely hardy and forgiving, 2) they don't stink or make any noise, 3) i can typically leave them in the enclosure with them with no problems at all, and 4) as of lately I was able to relieve my tarantula cages of mites,, at least I think they were mites, and crickets are usually prone to being transporters of grain mites or some other type. I do not want mites again as they are stressfull. I have heard the tarantula will eat whatever you throw at it if it is hungry enough. So is it safe to say to keep offering roaches until she takes it? I would assume she would eat it rather than starve, right?

---------- Post added 01-07-2014 at 09:31 PM ----------

Poec,

The abdomen looks fine. It is about the same width as the carapace if you look at her from the top. She is active as well and very skittish. Does the abdomen sound fine to you?

 

[Poec54]

The abdomen looks fine. It is about the same width as the carapace if you look at her from the top. She is active as well and very skittish. Does the abdomen sound fine to you?

Abdomens on 'full' spiders are much wider than the carapace. Yours isn't starving, but the cool temps are probably keeping it's appetite down to some extent. With my Nhandu's, I can't picture them not immediately leaping on prey, unless they're premolt (and yours would not seem to be). They're normally enthusiastic eaters.

The hobby standard for food is crickets, everyone has mites, but they rarely, if ever, cause any issues. Clean out bolus' and uneaten prey, and mites are minimal. Get over your hangups with them and try offering a few to your spider. That will confirm if it's truly not hungry. 3 weeks is more than enough time for a hungry juvenile to settle in.

 

[peterUK]

I only have a dozen or so spiders out of several hundred that will take dubia but every size of every species will eat red runners.

 

[ChevyGuy]

Alright thanks everyone. I guess I have to go to the petstore and buy some crickets.