Pink toe overeating?

Kbosu

Arachnopeon
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Jan 6, 2017
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I've owned multiple pink toes before, and recently purchased a new one for my husband as a graduation gift for when he gets home from USMC Basic Training. All of my previous pink toes always ate around 1-3 large crickets a week. The one I just purchased is much smaller than I am used to, but has already eaten 5 large crickets and 4 small in a week and a half. 3 of the lage were within the past 3 days. Should I be worried?
 

Ungoliant

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I've owned multiple pink toes before, and recently purchased a new one for my husband as a graduation gift for when he gets home from USMC Basic Training. All of my previous pink toes always ate around 1-3 large crickets a week. The one I just purchased is much smaller than I am used to, but has already eaten 5 large crickets and 4 small in a week and a half. 3 of the lage were within the past 3 days. Should I be worried?
Tarantulas are opportunistic predators, and most will accept food whether they're really hungry or not.

That being said, they don't need that much food. I feed mine (an adult and sub-adult) about once a week.
 

Trenor

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As mention above they will stock up on food when it is available because in the wild food doesn't show up on a schedule and hunting can be dangerous.

I go more by the look of the T than how much/often it eats. If it's abdomen is nice and plump then it's good. If it's really large then it's ok waiting for food or even skipping a week or so.

My small slings get food several times a week while my larger Ts eat weekly.

It's harder telling with burrowers and trapdoor Ts cause they are not out often. That is why my I.mira are such fatties.
 

Kbosu

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Thank you guys so much for the replies. Both of the other one that I had never did that, and if they wernt hungry, they wouldn't eat. I just purchased this new one, so I havery been feeding it often, because I noticed the pet shop I bought it from was using crickets that were way to small for its size, and I'm going to be gone for about a week to pick up my husband from Basic. I was afraid it hadnt eaten enough, but I guess I should slow down before it pops haha
 

Trenor

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Thank you guys so much for the replies. Both of the other one that I had never did that, and if they wernt hungry, they wouldn't eat. I just purchased this new one, so I havery been feeding it often, because I noticed the pet shop I bought it from was using crickets that were way to small for its size, and I'm going to be gone for about a week to pick up my husband from Basic. I was afraid it hadnt eaten enough, but I guess I should slow down before it pops haha
You could always take a photo if you're worried and we'll let you know if it looks ok.
 

Andrea82

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Avicularia sp are from what i've heard/seen/read, actually a species that seems to stop eating before growing bulky like say, Brachypelma do. Maybe because as a tree dwelling species, they need to stay slim to be able to move quickly. Not a fact or anything, just a thought.
 

Jones0911

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Many folks don't agree with me but I feed my tarantulas until they don't want to eat anymore.

Tarantulas do not develop health issues when they eat " a lot" and they know when to stop eating.

I've never had a tarantula die from eating too much or anything of that nature.

Many people say a T can die from eating too much if it falls from climbing and injuries it self on decor...

If it falls to the point it can injure its self then that's because there's too much distance between the floor and the top of the enclosure.

Or some decor is a health hazards either way the amount of food isn't directly the cause of the Ts falling.
 

EulersK

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Many folks don't agree with me but I feed my tarantulas until they don't want to eat anymore.

Tarantulas do not develop health issues when they eat " a lot" and they know when to stop eating.

I've never had a tarantula die from eating too much or anything of that nature.

Many people say a T can die from eating too much if it falls from climbing and injuries it self on decor...

If it falls to the point it can injure its self then that's because there's too much distance between the floor and the top of the enclosure.

Or some decor is a health hazards either way the amount of food isn't directly the cause of the Ts falling.
You're right to an extent. I had a B. albopilosum that was quite plump because of me. It ended up with a nasty drag injury on the underside of the abdomen. She luckily molted out of it just fine, but that's still an issue.
 

viper69

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Tarantulas are opportunistic predators, and most will accept food whether they're really hungry or not.
Have you measured or read an article/s that measures their satiety levels in some manner? I'm wondering how you know they are not hungry when still accepting food?
 

Venom1080

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You're right to an extent. I had a B. albopilosum that was quite plump because of me. It ended up with a nasty drag injury on the underside of the abdomen. She luckily molted out of it just fine, but that's still an issue.
how do you know it was a drag issue/
 

EulersK

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how do you know it was a drag issue/
Not much else it could have been. Wasn't a cyst, and you know that the enclosure was properly setup (that is, no falls or sharp objects). It looked exactly like road rash, and it was perfectly centered and positioned where she would be dragging her abdomen.
 

Venom1080

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Not much else it could have been. Wasn't a cyst, and you know that the enclosure was properly setup (that is, no falls or sharp objects). It looked exactly like road rash, and it was perfectly centered and positioned where she would be dragging her abdomen.
huh, never heard of that before. least shes ok now.
 

Trenor

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Not much else it could have been. Wasn't a cyst, and you know that the enclosure was properly setup (that is, no falls or sharp objects). It looked exactly like road rash, and it was perfectly centered and positioned where she would be dragging her abdomen.
Yeah, that is the only time I've seen something like that but it looked like drag/rub marks. That's one reason I reduced the feeding amount on my larger Ts.
 

Ungoliant

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Have you measured or read an article/s that measures their satiety levels in some manner? I'm wondering how you know they are not hungry when still accepting food?
Just judging by looks, like if it has a plump abdomen. Clearly, they will accept food, but you probably wouldn't consider them hungry-looking.

I know mine never turn down a meal no matter how fat they are unless they are in pre-molt.
 

KezyGLA

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I know mine never turn down a meal no matter how fat they are unless they are in pre-molt.
Are they slings/juvs? I can understand spiderlings and juveniles eating non stop but I have had N. chromatus and A couple Phormics knock back meals without being premoult.
 

viper69

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Just judging by looks, like if it has a plump abdomen. Clearly, they will accept food, but you probably wouldn't consider them hungry-looking.

I know mine never turn down a meal no matter how fat they are unless they are in pre-molt.
Hungry-looking>> like other biological things, it's on spectrum. It's not an all or nothing.

I see now. Well I think when an animal accepts food they are hungry, I could be wrong, certainly with humans that's not the case. In terms of Ts though I have Ts of all sizes that will eat, and then stop eating because they chowed down on crickets. Yet others that look equally as fat let's say, and they accept food. Or the same T looks skinny at one point and doesn't eat, but later when it's more plump, still eats food.

I don't think accepting food means they aren't hungry though.
 

Crone Returns

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IMO I think that sometimes Ts will grab and chow down prey because prey is hopping or slithering etc.
 

viper69

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IMO I think that sometimes Ts will grab and chow down prey because prey is hopping or slithering etc.
Correct, Im referring to the fact a bolus is left when done, a clearly used one, I left that out.

I've had several of my Ts dismember the cricket and throw it in the trash pile, rarely left as a bolus.
 
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