Poor / picky eaters : how do they survive in the wild?

[efmp1987]

In the absence of a keeper who will go against nature to feed these kosher-loving Ts, how do picky or fussy eaters fair in the wild?

Is it unatural to try and keep them living despite them violating the basic natural rule, that is it is the nature of tarantulas to be oppurtunistic feeders? And of course, keeping Ts isnt actually as nature intended. But what are your thoughts of trying to raise specimens that display negative aberrant behavior (I say negative because some aberrations are actually in favor of the spider, e.g. baboon-like aggressiveness in a typically docile species).

 

[Andrea82]

How do they survive?
They don't. Plain and simple.

Eggsacks carry as much spiders for a reason. In the wild the species are lucky to have 10% survival rate to adults.

 

[efmp1987]

How do they survive?
They don't. Plain and simple.

Eggsacks carry as much spiders for a reason. In the wild the species are lucky to have 10% survival rate to adults.

Im curious because my 8-day post molt versi sling (1/2 inches) has refused all sorts of insects, from giant wetas to the tiniest of nymphs. The opisthosoma is close to non-existence. Ive always had trouble feeding her/him. But come the molt the difficulty has increased 3 folds. Lol.

 

[Andrea82]

Im curious because my 8-day post molt versi sling (1/2 inches) has refused all sorts of insects, from giant wetas to the tiniest of nymphs. The opisthosoma is close to non-existence. Ive always had trouble feeding her/him. But come the molt the difficulty has increased 3 folds. Lol.

Ah, that's a different matter altogether. Maybe something in the genes that doesn't work well. What's the behaviour like when you try to feed it?
Is she hydrated enough?

 

[Moakmeister]

The picky eaters are generally the slowest-growing ones that need very little food anyway.

 

[efmp1987]

Ah, that's a different matter altogether. Maybe something in the genes that doesn't work well. What's the behaviour like when you try to feed it?
Is she hydrated enough?

She frequents the water dish. I've seen her visit it 5 times in a 1-month period. She's tries to run away from even the tiniest cricket nymph, dead or alive.

 

[efmp1987]

The picky eaters are generally the slowest-growing ones that need very little food anyway.

Yup true this. Its recent molt saw a growth of probably 1mm LOL. If her feeding attitude continues to be like this, she will be an inch in 3 years.

 

[Patherophis]

They do not necessary need to be voracious to success in wild. Also, that Your sling refuses to eat does not mean that it would do the same in wild. Not just prey type but overall conditions in captivity will never be perfect, no matter how much we try. I highly doubt that hunting/eating problems are significant factor of mortality of slings in nature.

 

[Jesse607]

Have you tried flies? I've had picky eaters go crazy for flies, even if the fly is bigger than the sling.

 

[StampFan]

Couple of thoughts:
1) the spider decides when it's going to eat. 8 days post molt is no big deal. Every species is different and they will eat when ready. No book or thread on power feeding is going to change that. Depends on so many different factors. Temp, humidity, stress, etc etc.

2) aboreals are meant to be lean and mean climbers. Aren't gonna get huge and fat like a Grammastola or other terrestrials. What might look thin to you may be perfectly fine to them. Don't see a lot of obese lookin' versi' for a reason.

 

[Trenor]

I think it often comes from the keeper having an expectation of their tarantula should be eating regularly like their four-legged friends eat. We hear a lot of metrics like, we should wait a week after the molt before feeding, and then expect the tarantula to grab up food as soon as it's offered after the allotted time. I rarely pay attention to it (other than to note it in my keeper log) when one of my tarantulas doesn't eat. If I offer and they don't eat, I clean it up and wait for the next feeding time (which might be next month for some of my adult Ts) to try again. They have always eaten and remained at an acceptable abdomen size for me.

If you're worried about the tarantula being undersized and still not eating I'd recommend posting up a photo. We could then say "It's ok nothing to worry about" or "That's not right. Try this".

It's key to keep water with the tarantula but the food is less of a worry IMO. I've never had a problem with one not eating a meal because if its size or what type of feeder it is. I only feed dubias and that gives me a nice verity of sizes. Though none of my tarantulas have ever refused to eat unless I got them X feeder of X size.

2) aboreals are meant to be lean and mean climbers. Aren't gonna get huge and fat like a Grammastola or other terrestrials. What might look thin to you may be perfectly fine to them. Don't see a lot of obese lookin' versi' for a reason.

You're not wrong but even my arboreals are chunky... it's the roaches I swear.

 

[efmp1987]

I think it often comes from the keeper having an expectation of their tarantula should be eating regularly like their four-legged friends eat. We hear a lot of metrics like, we should wait a week after the molt before feeding, and then expect the tarantula to grab up food as soon as it's offered after the allotted time. I rarely pay attention to it (other than to note it in my keeper log) when one of my tarantulas doesn't eat. If I offer and they don't eat, I clean it up and wait for the next feeding time (which might be next month for some of my adult Ts) to try again. They have always eaten and remained at an acceptable abdomen size for me.

If you're worried about the tarantula being undersized and still not eating I'd recommend posting up a photo. We could then say "It's ok nothing to worry about" or "That's not right. Try this".

It's key to keep water with the tarantula but the food is less of a worry IMO. I've never had a problem with one not eating a meal because if its size or what type of feeder it is. I only feed dubias and that gives me a nice verity of sizes. Though none of my tarantulas have ever refused to eat unless I got them X feeder of X size.


You're not wrong but even my arboreals are chunky... it's the roaches I swear.

My only other arboreal (P. Met) is fat as hell as well! Rivaling the plumpness of my pulchra.

That said, my versi is inching closer to death now. The legs are curling and its growing weaker. And theres nothing I can do about it.

 

[Trenor]

That said, my versi is inching closer to death now. The legs are curling and its growing weaker. And theres nothing I can do about it.

Did you post a thread about it? I haven't been on here as much lately (and then I just skim the threads) so I might have missed it. Feel free to shoot me a PM with photos and info and I'd be glad to see if I can help you get it eating.

Good luck.

 

[Yentlequible]

Im curious because my 8-day post molt versi sling (1/2 inches) has refused all sorts of insects, from giant wetas to the tiniest of nymphs. The opisthosoma is close to non-existence. Ive always had trouble feeding her/him. But come the molt the difficulty has increased 3 folds. Lol.

Just lost one of my versicolor slings last week. Same thing. Little bugger just never ate. I've had this happen quite a few times over the years though, and I've never found a solution. Some spiders just die.

 

[viper69]

But what are your thoughts of trying to raise specimens that display negative aberrant behavior

As we know very, very little about their behavior in the wild, it's hard to say what is aberrant.