More tarantulas. A LOT more

[plateOfFlan]

Oh yeah, they can have weirdly specific preferences. I try not to do prekilled for anything but very small babies, but I have a few that just will not eat roaches, or will only eat roaches if I tong-feed them and literally hold the roach down for them. Some Ts are just not quite smart enough to actually hunt them down if they get away and flatten against something. I hate crickets but I've found pretty much any T will eat them because they're very noisy and clumsy and barge around the tank in a way that I guess is enticing. Once they do some webbing you can also try dropping worms into the actual web so they get stuck and can't burrow, but some Ts will be frightened of how violently mealworms thrash around - it can be annoying figuring out who wants to eat what.

[Snagrio]

Oh yeah, they can have weirdly specific preferences. I try not to do prekilled for anything but very small babies, but I have a few that just will not eat roaches, or will only eat roaches if I tong-feed them and literally hold the roach down for them. Some Ts are just not quite smart enough to actually hunt them down if they get away and flatten against something. I hate crickets but I've found pretty much any T will eat them because they're very noisy and clumsy and barge around the tank in a way that I guess is enticing. Once they do some webbing you can also try dropping worms into the actual web so they get stuck and can't burrow, but some Ts will be frightened of how violently mealworms thrash around - it can be annoying figuring out who wants to eat what.

I've heard back and forth over if prekilled is the way to go for the same reasons snakes are recommended to eat prekilled (no risk of prey fighting back). That and with the likes of meal/superworms there's no worry they'll escape and bury into the substrate if they're already dead, for example one time I dropped a live superworm for my A. seemanni and it nearly disappeared before she managed to dig it out. But on the other hand the better feeding responses I've had with live speak for themselves so.

In regards to putting prey on webbing, that's worked fine for my C. versicolor who made a web "platform" not long after coming home, but as I've come to find out, A. germani just, don't web, at all. They're behaviorally more like an arboreal wolf spider than what you'd expect of a tarantula from what I can tell.

[Snagrio]

My T. albopilosus molted! The first time I've had a T molt in my care. Look at all those little hairs.

Will wait a week or so for it to harden up, then I'll offer a meal.

[Bogertophis]

Years ago, when my one & only very large female native tarantula molted, it looked as if she'd cloned herself. I did a double-take.

[Malum Argenteum]

I've heard back and forth over if prekilled is the way to go for the same reasons snakes are recommended to eat prekilled (no risk of prey fighting back).

I've only kept a handful of easy Ts for less than two years, but my observation is that Ts are 100x more capable predators than snakes are (venom is kind of cheating, but still). My Ts really hold out for crickets, so that's what I feed them. Shame, since dubias would be easier (and I don't keep any other roach species out of escape concerns).

[Snagrio]

Rachnera and Mora having some dinner, and bonus versicolor butt. Still don't have names for half of them.




And in even better news, my T. albo took a prekilled cricket, meaning all my Ts have now eaten!

[Snagrio]

So it was my monthly local again. Really tried to find a red knee but I think the Mexican CITES ban messed up the availability because I couldn't find any for the life of me and the breeder vendor never seems to have any Brachypelma, at least since the last couple times I checked. So I got this instead, a Megaphobema robustum, for which I already had a name ready. Squitter.



Tried to get some ventral pics if anyone wants to try sexing.

[Bogertophis]

Very pretty! Is this one or or less "challenging" than the red-knee you were looking for? At least it has red legs- but these get bigger, don't they? You might need a leash-

[Snagrio]

Very pretty! Is this one or or less "challenging" than the red-knee you were looking for? At least it has red legs- but these get bigger, don't they? You might need a leash-

From what I've read, they have a bizarre defensive behavior where instead of showcasing fangs in the typical threat posture they kick around their barbed back legs and spin around to confuse predators. Mine did neither, though for some reason it kicked hairs well after it safely transferred to the setup (didn't see it kick but it suddenly had a bald spot). I think I accidentally spooked it putting the cork weight back on the lid?

Otherwise they're said to be very shy and will burrow out of site indefinitely (gave it extra sub accordingly). Though, the exact same thing is said of A. seemanni and my girl is out like this nearly at all times so idk what to expect.

[Snagrio]

Squitter took the superworm I offered her (mostly sure it's a female) on the first try.