faceinvader
New Member
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- UK
Hi, I know this is mildly off-topic for a tarantula forum but you guys are so friendly on here, I wondered if anyone might be able to offer an opinion 
Reading up on it, the consensus appears to be that you can't overfeed a jumping spider - in my limited experience with other jumpers, this certainly seems to be the case. However...
I've got 2 new P. Regius slings (probably L4 - about 6-7 mm) and they're both big eaters but one in particular seems insatiable. They're currently on drosophila flies which are about half the spider's size (probably getting a little small for them). I've ordered some bean weevils and micro crickets which should be here in the next couple of days.
But this sling has eaten 7 flies in 3 days. When I water and check on my spiders, she's always out running round the enclosure and will follow my fingers like she's starving. I'll put a couple of flies in, she grabs one immediately then the second is also eaten within a couple of hours. Yesterday, I thought I'd give her 3 flies to properly fill her up and give her a day off today.
Didn't work. This morning she's been running around the enclosure, chasing my finger and waving at me. After a little while she even picked up one of the corpses from yesterday and started carrying it around the enclosure whilst waving at me. I'm ashamed to say that it was so darn cute that I caved in - she's just finished munching on the second of the two flies I gave her a couple of hours ago.
Apart from the insane eating schedule, she seems to be thriving. She looks healthy and fit and her behaviour is very active and alert - despite her now very chunky butt. She also seems to be remarkably intelligent. Less than 2 weeks in, she's worked out the feeding pattern - the moment I pick up her enclosure, she runs over to the feeding hole and grabs the first fly as it plops in. I keep waiting for her to show signs of molting but she's not slowing down at all. She's a lovely little thing with a huge personality and I've become stupidly fond of her. I'll admit, I'm enjoying enabling her appetite but I don't want to cause her any health problems.
Should I be concerned or is she just stocking up for the next molt? I'm hoping that the bigger prey I've ordered might slow her down a little but, in the meantime, I wasn't sure if there's any underlying parasites or conditions that might cause this type of eating? Am I likely to harm her by feeding her this much? If anyone's had a similar experience or can offer advice, I'd be very grateful
I've attached a video I just took for reference - sorry for the music but I thought it was a better option than hearing my nephew shout at the playstation
Reading up on it, the consensus appears to be that you can't overfeed a jumping spider - in my limited experience with other jumpers, this certainly seems to be the case. However...I've got 2 new P. Regius slings (probably L4 - about 6-7 mm) and they're both big eaters but one in particular seems insatiable. They're currently on drosophila flies which are about half the spider's size (probably getting a little small for them). I've ordered some bean weevils and micro crickets which should be here in the next couple of days.
But this sling has eaten 7 flies in 3 days. When I water and check on my spiders, she's always out running round the enclosure and will follow my fingers like she's starving. I'll put a couple of flies in, she grabs one immediately then the second is also eaten within a couple of hours. Yesterday, I thought I'd give her 3 flies to properly fill her up and give her a day off today.
Didn't work. This morning she's been running around the enclosure, chasing my finger and waving at me. After a little while she even picked up one of the corpses from yesterday and started carrying it around the enclosure whilst waving at me. I'm ashamed to say that it was so darn cute that I caved in - she's just finished munching on the second of the two flies I gave her a couple of hours ago.
Apart from the insane eating schedule, she seems to be thriving. She looks healthy and fit and her behaviour is very active and alert - despite her now very chunky butt. She also seems to be remarkably intelligent. Less than 2 weeks in, she's worked out the feeding pattern - the moment I pick up her enclosure, she runs over to the feeding hole and grabs the first fly as it plops in. I keep waiting for her to show signs of molting but she's not slowing down at all. She's a lovely little thing with a huge personality and I've become stupidly fond of her. I'll admit, I'm enjoying enabling her appetite but I don't want to cause her any health problems.
Should I be concerned or is she just stocking up for the next molt? I'm hoping that the bigger prey I've ordered might slow her down a little but, in the meantime, I wasn't sure if there's any underlying parasites or conditions that might cause this type of eating? Am I likely to harm her by feeding her this much? If anyone's had a similar experience or can offer advice, I'd be very grateful
I've attached a video I just took for reference - sorry for the music but I thought it was a better option than hearing my nephew shout at the playstation
