So I recently got a Pinktoe Tarantula. Its my first ever T, so you can understand I've been a tad bit worried, and I have a few questions. I've wanted a T since I was a kid (I've always loved arachnids and insects). I got my Pinktoe shortly before Christmas in 2016. This Pinktoe is not a brand new T, and it was prievously owned. The previous told me to wait to feed it, because they believed it was going to moult. The T still has not moulted since that time, and didn't seem to be showing any signs if premoult (besides not eating). I've tried feeding it with crickets every now and again, it's only eaten once. I have read that most T's can go for months without food if they choose, and worrying too much does not help, so I'll refrain from that.
Next, Im not sure the enclosure is perfect for the species, it shouldn't be a BAD enclosure per se, but it could be better. The substrate is a kind of thin dry sand that I've heard arboreals dislike wallking on because it sticks to their feet (which I have seen when I spotted the T webbing). The only form of a "den" available is a small half-circle log that is clearly meant for the ground, but I wasn't sure about it being on the ground so I tilted it onto its side against the enclosure wall, and after awhile the T did web the sides to the glass, and did crawl behind it (whilst still on the glass). After a few months I was told by a family member (who knows the previous owner closely) that I should have something on the ground for it to go in because it would get tired staying on the glass all the time, but decided to try it and returned the log to its original position (roughly two weeks ago I did this).
Which brings me to my final point, I felt I needed to remove the T from its enclosure to make this change, and I read that Pinktoes can be quite skittish and jittery, but when I removed mine from the enclosure, it was somewhat different to what I was expecting. The T showed almost no concern to being gestured to move (mind you I was being very very gentle, only lightly touching its legs, not the abdomen) and it pretty much refused to move on its own, and when I returned it to the enclosure, I had to lift it out of the box and into the cage because it remained huddled in the corner (facing the corner) refusing to move.
I am unsure of all of this, and I sincerely apologize if this is too long, I tried to find this information elsewhere but couldn't. But through all of this I really have four (2 and 3 are somewhat similar) main questions. I just want to do whats best for my Pinktoe.
1. Is it normal to eat something as little as one cricket in the span of a couple months?
2. Do Arboreal Tarantulas ever need/want to be on the ground or some sort of flat surface, or do they prefer to always be on a vertical surface at height?
3. Can or will they tire from staying on surfaces such as the enclosure wall all of the time?
4. Is it normal/okay for this species to not have a very energentic reaction to being moved/not wanting to move?
Next, Im not sure the enclosure is perfect for the species, it shouldn't be a BAD enclosure per se, but it could be better. The substrate is a kind of thin dry sand that I've heard arboreals dislike wallking on because it sticks to their feet (which I have seen when I spotted the T webbing). The only form of a "den" available is a small half-circle log that is clearly meant for the ground, but I wasn't sure about it being on the ground so I tilted it onto its side against the enclosure wall, and after awhile the T did web the sides to the glass, and did crawl behind it (whilst still on the glass). After a few months I was told by a family member (who knows the previous owner closely) that I should have something on the ground for it to go in because it would get tired staying on the glass all the time, but decided to try it and returned the log to its original position (roughly two weeks ago I did this).
Which brings me to my final point, I felt I needed to remove the T from its enclosure to make this change, and I read that Pinktoes can be quite skittish and jittery, but when I removed mine from the enclosure, it was somewhat different to what I was expecting. The T showed almost no concern to being gestured to move (mind you I was being very very gentle, only lightly touching its legs, not the abdomen) and it pretty much refused to move on its own, and when I returned it to the enclosure, I had to lift it out of the box and into the cage because it remained huddled in the corner (facing the corner) refusing to move.
I am unsure of all of this, and I sincerely apologize if this is too long, I tried to find this information elsewhere but couldn't. But through all of this I really have four (2 and 3 are somewhat similar) main questions. I just want to do whats best for my Pinktoe.
1. Is it normal to eat something as little as one cricket in the span of a couple months?
2. Do Arboreal Tarantulas ever need/want to be on the ground or some sort of flat surface, or do they prefer to always be on a vertical surface at height?
3. Can or will they tire from staying on surfaces such as the enclosure wall all of the time?
4. Is it normal/okay for this species to not have a very energentic reaction to being moved/not wanting to move?