Was this aggression or a feeding response?

[radiomace]

Hello everyone. I offered a dubia roach to my g. pulchripes today, but right as I was doing so, it very slowly opened its fangs but quickly bit over top of the roach and nipped the (soft bamboo) tongs instead. It was a quick bite, but missed the prey entirely, so I wonder if this was a defensive/aggressive bite or just a poorly aimed feeding response. I didn’t see a threat posture or anything, just a slow chomp.

 

[jbooth]

Impossible to know whether it missed or was on purpose. I'd just drop one in later and see. I almost never find a need to tong-feed terrestrials, and they seem to be the most likely to plow right into them, or run up.

 

[jrh3]

Hello everyone. I offered a dubia roach to my g. pulchripes today, but right as I was doing so, it very slowly opened its fangs but quickly bit over top of the roach and nipped the (soft bamboo) tongs instead. It was a quick bite, but missed the prey entirely, so I wonder if this was a defensive/aggressive bite or just a poorly aimed feeding response. I didn’t see a threat posture or anything, just a slow chomp.

You wouldn’t have to ask this if you wasn’t trying to tong feed. This can cause damage to your tarantulas fangs if they miss and hit the tongs. Just drop the feeder in.

 

[radiomace]

You wouldn’t have to ask this if you wasn’t trying to tong feed. This can cause damage to your tarantulas fangs if they miss and hit the tongs. Just drop the feeder in.

Understood. I get paranoid about leaving a feeder in there and having it stress them out if they don’t want it, but that would definitely be the lesser of two evils compared to missing the shot. I will not do it again.

 

[jrh3]

Understood. I get paranoid about leaving a feeder in there and having it stress them out if they don’t want it, but that would definitely be the lesser of two evils compared to missing the shot. I will not do it again.

Try to drop the feeder close to it and most likely it will jump and grab it. Just don’t over feed and it will eat most of the time unless in premolt. If you see it after a few days just take it out. I wouldn’t worry as much with roaches as with crickets.

 

[viper69]

Who knows

 

[Arachnophoric]

You wouldn’t have to ask this if you wasn’t trying to tong feed. This can cause damage to your tarantulas fangs if they miss and hit the tongs. Just drop the feeder in.

Sometimes you're not given much of an option - my A. avic refuses to make a web no matter what decor I put in her setup and hangs out on the edges of her enclosure, so unless I tong feed her she struggles to eat. However with terrestrials I'm inclined to agree; just drop the feeder near them and let them take it from there.

If they don't eat it within an hour or so, take it out and try again later.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hello everyone. I offered a dubia roach to my g. pulchripes today, but right as I was doing so, it very slowly opened its fangs but quickly bit over top of the roach and nipped the (soft bamboo) tongs instead. It was a quick bite, but missed the prey entirely, so I wonder if this was a defensive/aggressive bite or just a poorly aimed feeding response. I didn’t see a threat posture or anything, just a slow chomp.

I usually leave them in a day if not eaten I assume they’re not hungry.

 

[Charliemum]

Spiders aren't aggressive it will probably have been a badly aimed take down , and the only time you need to worry about food in with your spood is if the spood is in heavy premoult , and if your that worried pre kill then drop at the spoods feet. Bamboo or not never wave tongs in a t's face that is how you end up with a t up your arm or even worse a broken tooth on the t.
Please just trust your t , they know what they are doing when it comes to food n if your t hasn't taken the food over night just take it out the next day, no problem. Don't tong feed n don't mistake anything your t does as aggression, they just aren't built like that it's either a food response or defence because your t is frightened but never aggression.

 

[darkness975]

Crush the feeder head if it's a super worm or meal worm. For crickets, roaches, etc drop it in. Remove if uneaten after 24 hours.

 

[Wolfram1]

they sometimes rear up threateningly and slap the prey if they are not interested in food

but yea, i'd still offer prekilled prey just to be sure it didnt just reakt to your disturbance rather than the prey

 

[Stu Macher]

Dubias are great if your T will take them. Sadly only 2 of mine will accept them.