Feeding issues

[lordvaine]

Hello,

I have a Cobalt Blue T. I have a live terrarium for him or her. Well in the terrarium there is a hollowed out log. The spider dug through it and made a cave on the left at the end of it. It has been hiding for 3 months and recently decided to come to the opening of the hole but as soon as I touch the metal grate lid, it takes off into the hole. He hasnt left the tunnel at all, there would be dirt in the water dish. I do have very long bent tweezers where i could probably toss a cricket in the cave he is in but there is no guarantee this will work. Any ideas or suggestions on how to feed it? Before he dug i was able to drop a cricket infront of him and it would just decimate it instantly every 5 days. I am able to see a little bit in the hole he made through the glass since he peeled back the dirt from it. I dont want to risk leaving the lid off and having him get out of the enclosure. When i saw him last week he was in full colors, no dulling or signs of molting that I could tell. So I am not sure what is going on

What do I do?

 

[CyanideOwl]

Kill the cricket by squashing the head and leave it in front of the nest entrance. If it disappears then he ate if it doesn't maybe he is in premoult or just not hungry.

 

[lordvaine]

Hows does the T know its there? can they smell?

 

[CyanideOwl]

Hows does the T know its there? can they smell?

They do seem to have some smelling capabilities but he is out when you don't look. Maybe he will come out again at night when you sleep and take the pray. I did that with some of my non eaters.
I say they can smell simply because of balfouris not attacking each other but somehow sensing pray as food. No expert no scientific proof here.

Oh yeah just don't leave it for to long it will smell bad. If he is in premoult then won't eat anyways. Sometimes they fast. If you can see his abdomen and it's big and not shriveled then you have nothing to worry about.

Also if he is moulting and you put live cricket there it might be good for cricket instead. Not sure what to say other than leave prekill and observe. :c

 

[m0lsx]

We do not see some of our T's for months at a time. For example, my Melopoeus albostriatus is on view today, for the first time in at least 5 or 6 months.

All you need to do is pop a small cricket in & then remove it, if uneaten after 24 hours, or as soon after that, that you can grab it. The cricket will find the Tarantula & end up eaten if the tarantula is hungry. And often tarantulas will only eat when the room is dark & quiet, so just pop the cricket in & leave the taratula to do what comes naturally.

Tarantulas are ambush predators. They sit & wait for the food, or the vibrations of potential food. Throwing food close to a tarantula, is likely to result in panic & retreat, as much as a feeding response. So the food does not NEED to be put close to the T. Just pop the food in & leave 24 hours. Enclosures are small & crickets move, so T's will find their lunch.

 

[Jeef]

I wouldn't worry about it.

I've had several tarantulas bury themselves for months without food. Eventually, they come out and eat when they feel like it.

On more than one occasion I've said, "I can't eat it for you," out loud while feeding. They pounce on it, then just sit there.

As the old adage goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

 

[rabbitseason]

I believe thats normal behavior for most tarantulas, mine do the same when I get a bit too close. Like others said, just toss a prey item in front of their burrow, they'll come out if they want it. Mine tend to drag the food back into their burrow and eat it at home lol