When should I start feeding my Chilean rose?

[hardlucktattoo]

Ouch, poor little tarantula! I'll be sure to keep my cats away from my cage now.



Well, she has some type of claw on her 3rd segment, I can barley feel small claws on the rest of her legs, but her 3rd really shows out. I saw the post about Dyskenetic Syndrome that may be from frontline, but I don't even use any type of pesticides on my cats - as they are mainly indoor cats, have all of the shots and are fixed, I do believe they don't need any pesticides.

Like little tiny claws they are called tarsal claws Its what helps thm climb up walls and whatnot

 

[Londoner]

Like little tiny claws they are called tarsal claws Its what helps thm climb up walls and whatnot

I don't think the OP's talking about tarsal claws. They said they could feel something on the 3rd segments of legs L1 and R1 only. This is where you would find the hooks on a MM (and you should be able to see hooks in pic3 if it's a MM). A pic of that area would help us to determine if it is mature .
Also, was it the legspan you measured, or the body length? If it was the body, that would put the T closer to adult size .

 

[Mushroom Spore]

She constantly cleans her legs with her fangs, and occasionally stomps her legs on the ground like she wants to be fed

Stomping ("drumming") and hooks on the legs sounds like a mature male to me. How are you measuring the T to get this 2.75 inches thing? Your T doesn't look like a juvenile at all, it's got a full adult coat of fuzz and everything. You should be measuring from the front leg on one side to the rear leg on the opposite side, not body length or anything.

she measures 2 3/4 inches (what age would that be?)

Tarantulas cannot be aged this way. They are not like other animals; they do not grow based on the passage of time like we do. Depending on the availability of food and the temperatures of their environment and random genetics, one tarantula of the same species might be twice the size of another, despite their being the same age. The smaller tarantula is not "stunted" - it has simply not molted as many times as the older one, and is therefore quite literally aging more slowly.

You will never, ever know how old your spider is unless you find somebody that was there when it was born. Especially since petshop rosea are all wild-caught, which means they could have been living in any kind of random conditions in the wild.

I really do think that idiot pet shop sold you a mature male as a female, whether intentionally or unintentionally I can't say.

 

[kupo969]

I wouldnt think it is a male. From the third pic you can tell there are no hooks. It may as well be sub adult M/F or adult female.

 

[kylecchh]

Well, I gave her a pinhead today, and she ate it right up. She is at least eating now - which sounds fine. I'll try to re-measure her a bit later today as she went in a defensive position when I tried to pick her up about an hour after she ate.

About the tarsal claws, I feel them on all of her legs, but her third segment I can really feel them, they are a bit bigger then the rest:

That is a diagram that a took yesterday and added the text in today to show you what I mean when I say (large)

Anyhow, when she calms down a bit, I'll take her out and compare her to a pencil for all of you wondering about the size. I'll also snap a picture of her underside. But she stopped stomping her legs, but she still spreads her jaws out and cleans her legs, as well as sticking one of her hind legs on her abdomen , guess she is ready to make a web.

Thanks for all of the responses!
Again, great hobby

Also, here is another pic that I snapped today of her in her burrow

And more of a Close-Up:

 

[kylecchh]

(Sorry For Double Posting)
Here are three more pictures of her with a pen/marker/measuring tape in each one for the size:

She was pissed when I took her out of her cage for these - looked like she almost was ready to bite.
Also, its fine to feed a G. Rosea a meal worm?

 

[reverendsterlin]

hard to tell but looks to be 4-5 inches meaning she is older, yep no more pinheads and she could well suck down 2 large crix if she's hungry. Good luck, glad to see she's eating.
Rev

 

[kylecchh]

hard to tell but looks to be 4-5 inches meaning she is older, yep no more pinheads and she could well suck down 2 large crix if she's hungry. Good luck, glad to see she's eating.
Rev

Alright, are meal worms fine to feed her?

 

[Londoner]

Alright, are meal worms fine to feed her?

Yes, mealworms are fine. I'm really starting to think that "she" is actually a "he". The T looks "leggy" in your new pics and the abdomen seems quite male looking to me. I realise this alone doesn't prove anything, but taken with the "drumming" and the increased "grumpiness", I'd say it points to a MM. The only way to tell for sure would be to get some pics of the ends of the pedipalps and the undersides of the front legs. If it is a MM, then I'd say he had his maturing molt a while ago. If it was more recent, his carapace would look a lot pinker, which means he might not have much time left unfortunately .

 

[kylecchh]

Yes, mealworms are fine. I'm really starting to think that "she" is actually a "he". The T looks "leggy" in your new pics and the abdomen seems quite male looking to me. I realise this alone doesn't prove anything, but taken with the "drumming" and the increased "grumpiness", I'd say it points to a MM. The only way to tell for sure would be to get some pics of the ends of the pedipalps and the undersides of the front legs. If it is a MM, then I'd say he had his maturing molt a while ago. If it was more recent, his carapace would look a lot pinker, which means he might not have much time left unfortunately .

So... I bought him (apparently) four days ago and was promised a large female for 5$ more then a male and its not a female, and to top it all off he is expected to DIE SOON? You really got to be kidding me with this... Again, I feel no tibal spurs at all on the two front legs, or the pedipalps. I feel very sharp claws on the third set of legs, sharper then the rest of them... He has not made a sperm web at all... I thought the G. Rosea was supposed to grow a lot larger then this size? Well, if he is going to die that quickly, this will be my last tarantula, I want a pet that is going to at least live for 2-3 years at the least. :wall: I'm not taking anymore pictures because I do not want to get bit.
Guess I'm going back to millipedes...

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The only way to tell for sure would be to get some pics of the ends of the pedipalps and the undersides of the front legs.

I'm not taking anymore pictures because I do not want to get bit.

With all respect, kylecchh, you're getting a little too dramatic and giving up a little too soon. Yes, it sounds like you were ripped off, but until you actually get good pics of the relevant area we're all just taking shots in the dark and you're only ASSUMING that's what happened.

Second, everybody gets ripped off by petshops, it's what they do. You should focus less on being agitated about the loss of five bucks and spend whatever time this bug has with you enjoying it. Watch it do its spider thing, you know? Instead of getting upset and quitting the hobby because of one bad experience. You might find you want more tarantulas, and if so we'll gladly help you find good private dealers who won't rip you off and mislable their mature males and all that business.

If you keep this tarantula until it keels over and find you didn't enjoy the animal enough to keep more of them, well then hey. You weren't stuck with a pet you didn't enjoy for fifteen years.

 

[kylecchh]

Alright, I went out and tried to take a couple different pictures with my crappy camera, tried different angles, light, and a bunch other adjustments.
http://s313.photobucket.com/albums/ll399/kyle882_spider/
Please tell me ASAP if it is a male or a female, or if you need more pictures or a different angle/view - please post/pm.
I'm sorry I got a little annoyed, but I spent close to 250$ for my first tarantula and was expecting the pet store to at least pick out the correct sex. (Yes, I know that some people spend hundreds, or even thousands - but this is my first.)

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'm sorry I got a little annoyed, but I spent close to 250$ for my first tarantula and was expecting the pet store to at least pick out the correct sex.

...holy freaking censored. Forget the male/female issue, my friend, you got absolutely bent over the table no matter WHAT they gave you. $250 for a G. rosea? Even a wild-caught petstore adult shouldn't be sold for over maybe twenty, twenty-five bucks. I think I paid fifteen.

When you said they charged you five bucks extra, I thought we were talking paying 25-30 bucks at most. The only time you should be paying $250 for a tarantula is...I don't know man, I don't deal with anything that expensive. Maybe some of the rare, high in demand poeci species, or a female G. pulchra. REAL high-end stuff.

Oh man. Ohhh man. Wow. I don't even know what to say here, I feel really bad we couldn't have talked to you sooner.

 

[Londoner]

So... I bought him (apparently) four days ago and was promised a large female for 5$ more then a male and its not a female, and to top it all off he is expected to DIE SOON? You really got to be kidding me with this... Again, I feel no tibal spurs at all on the two front legs, or the pedipalps. I feel very sharp claws on the third set of legs, sharper then the rest of them... He has not made a sperm web at all... I thought the G. Rosea was supposed to grow a lot larger then this size? Well, if he is going to die that quickly, this will be my last tarantula, I want a pet that is going to at least live for 2-3 years at the least. :wall: I'm not taking anymore pictures because I do not want to get bit.
Guess I'm going back to millipedes...

I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here. The above quote says you can feel claws on the third "set" of legs. I was going by your earlier post where you said the third "segment" of the front legs. I've looked at all the photobucket pics you posted, and I'm pretty sure thats not a MM. The tips of the pedipalps look tapered, and there seems to be no sign of tibial hooks (I promise I'm not just saying that because you've threatened to give up on the hobby! LOL).
As for the price you paid, all I can say is I've got a nasy bruise on my chin, because when I read that my jaw hit the computer table! I'm speechless. A petshop selling a rosie for $250 is an absolute disgrace. I'd definitely go back and have words with them. Surely they're breaking some sort of consumer law here? Perhaps the US equivalent of "Trading Standards" could help.
It just shows how important it is to research before you buy. Your experience just seems like such an expensive way to be put off a (usually) inexpensive hobby . I would urge you to try and get some recompense from that petshop. I think it's the least you deserve

 

[kylecchh]

Erm, I didn't pay 250$ for the tarantula, I payed 250$ altogether not including the terrarium. 65$ for the tarantula (which is included in the 250$ price) I'm happy that it is a female though. (Big Misunderstanding in the price )

 

[hairmetalspider]

I think we should make sure it wasn't a type on his end...perhaps he meant to type 25$. (In all honesty, that would make more sense.)

I can't imagine someone dropping 250$ on their first spider...

If you did, my condolences to you, and I would definitely have a word with the pet store, as you gt bent over hardcore. Not that Rosie's aren't awesome, but for the quoted 250 dollars...you could have gotten approx 17 more of the same. (And that's already at high end pet store Rosea prices.)

As Mush said...once you've had your word with them, try to enjoy the little leggy one. It's not their fault people are idiots.

 

[hairmetalspider]

Erm, I didn't pay 250$ for the tarantula, I payed 250$ altogether not including the terrarium. 65$ for the tarantula (which is included in the 250$ price) I'm happy that it is a female though.

Ok this must have been posted at the same time but I'll throw my two cents in on this one anyway...

65$ is still too much for a Rosea, even a female. Even a RCF (Red color phase) female wouldn't have been that much.

Just out of curiosity, what else could you have possibly bought that added up to 250$?

Let's take the terrarium out.
This is what it should have cost you:

Tarantula (Let's say 20 to be on the expensive side)
Water dish (Easily made from home devices, so FREE. But let's throw the pet store in, this could be around, what, 5-10 bucks)
Substrate (You can buy this in BULK for around 2-4 dollars)
Hide (Again, easily home made, but for argument sake, say 10 bucks)

This totals 44$. Buy a keeper for maybe ten or so, thats 54$.
Crickets...throw another, say, 2 bucks in there. 56$.

And for whatever reason, let's throw another 20 in for decorations or plants, etc.
That's less than 80$ all together.

What else could they have possibly ripped you off on?
I REALLY think you need to have a word with this pet store. Sounds like a business scam.

 

[Londoner]

Erm, I didn't pay 250$ for the tarantula, I payed 250$ altogether not including the terrarium. 65$ for the tarantula (which is included in the 250$ price) I'm happy that it is a female though. (Big Misunderstanding in the price )

Er sorry fella, but I didn't say it was a female. I'm pretty sure it's not a mature male, but as for the sex...well you really can't tell from dorsal pics. If you want it sexed, there's a sexing section on these boards that would help you.
And yeah, even $65 is very expensive for the little guy. Stick with it though. Male or female, they really are an interesting animal to keep (I'm biased of course ).

 

[kylecchh]

Ok this must have been posted at the same time but I'll throw my two cents in on this one anyway...

65$ is still too much for a Rosea, even a female. Even a RCF (Red color phase) female wouldn't have been that much.

Just out of curiosity, what else could you have possibly bought that added up to 250$?

Let's take the terrarium out.
This is what it should have cost you:

Tarantula (Let's say 20 to be on the expensive side)
Water dish (Easily made from home devices, so FREE. But let's throw the pet store in, this could be around, what, 5-10 bucks)
Substrate (You can buy this in BULK for around 2-4 dollars)
Hide (Again, easily home made, but for argument sake, say 10 bucks)

This totals 44$. Buy a keeper for maybe ten or so, thats 54$.
Crickets...throw another, say, 2 bucks in there. 56$.

And for whatever reason, let's throw another 20 in for decorations or plants, etc.
That's less than 80$ all together.

What else could they have possibly ripped you off on?
I REALLY think you need to have a word with this pet store. Sounds like a business scam.

I will, they wanted $16.99 for a small bag of substrate (which looked like planting soil with a few pieces of bark) which I needed to get two packs of to fill the terrarium up fully.. $59.98 for a Petmeds tank heater (got it anyway so I wouldn't have to make a run to the store again in the middle of the winter, or when the temperatures start cooling down. $19.99 for the water dish (You could make one free?) The humidity monitor was 9.99$, the temperature monitor was the same price as well. The first large branch was 9.99$ and the other small long one was $5.99, the tree at the corner of the tank was $6.99 the little hideout was $8.50.. And of course the "promised female G. Rosea" $65.50. Guess I got the wrong pet store... I'll call them up and see if they can do anything about it. If they can't, guess I'm not buying crickets from that pet store - lol.

 

[kylecchh]

Oh, and the glass terrainum was $49.99. with the $19.99 cover. (Didn't include a cover for some strange reason, so I bought a cheap one without an access door).