GBB sling!

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

Okay, My GBB sling has had a very good feeding response until recently. It skipped out on a cricket one night,and the same night I noticed fungus growing in it's little cork bark hide that it never went into. I took immediate action and removed the hide and the cocoa fiber substrate anywhere close to it. The fungus has been gone since and so has it's appetite. It's been 2 weeks or so since and my sling acts normally until feeding time, it crawls up the side of the cage or it's fake plant to run from the cricket. Opinions?! Do GBB's fast during premolt kinda like my G. pulchripes?

 

[MassExodus]

Okay, My GBB sling has had a very good feeding response until recently. It skipped out on a cricket one night,and the same night I noticed fungus growing in it's little cork bark hide that it never went into. I took immediate action and removed the hide and the cocoa fiber substrate anywhere close to it. The fungus has been gone since and so has it's appetite. It's been 2 weeks or so since and my sling acts normally until feeding time, it crawls up the side of the cage or it's fake plant to run from the cricket. Opinions?! Do GBB's fast during premolt kinda like my G. pulchripes?

Sounds like pre molt behavior to me, and yup, all spiders do that in premolt. Occasionally you'll have one eat right up to a few days before the molt, but that's not common.

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

Should I continue to offer a cricket for now on feeding days, or would it be a good idea to wait a couple weeks and try again? I realize they can go for long periods without eating. So I'm not afraid it's starving or anything!

 

[MassExodus]

Either way would be fine, to be honest. As you said, it wont starve As long as a spider has fresh water available, they can go a very long time without eating. I've had a MM porteri fast for well over a year.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Normal Behavior. Like everyone said probably premolt. Also Other signs signs too look for are a shiny plump abdomen.

 

[Entity]

My GBB is just like that. she eats like she is starving all the time. but if she doesnt eat i know a molt is coming pretty soon. I would just offer her for once a week but if she doesnt eat it right away remove it. shell probably be molting before u get to offer her food twice. at least thats how it goes with my GBB.

 

[kormath]

My GBB is just like that. she eats like she is starving all the time. but if she doesnt eat i know a molt is coming pretty soon. I would just offer her for once a week but if she doesnt eat it right away remove it. shell probably be molting before u get to offer her food twice. at least thats how it goes with my GBB.

Same, my GBB has never had lengthy premolts. Couple 3 weeks is about it.

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

Sounds like pre molt behavior to me, and yup, all spiders do that in premolt. Occasionally you'll have one eat right up to a few days before the molt, but that's not common.

You were right, I caught my GBB sling right in the middle of molting!

 

[kormath]

congrats!! remember to wait a week to let it recover before feeding or handling.

 

[khatchet]

Congrats on the molt, would like to see photo if you cab post them.

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

I'll see what I can do about pics. My GBB should be easy to get a good pic, my G. Pulchripes sling is more of a challenge, because he runs to his burrow pretty quick, but he molted about 2 weeks ago as well.

 

[kormath]

If you set up the GBB more arboreal than terrestrial they'll stay out in the open and web everything.

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

If you set up the GBB more arboreal than terrestrial they'll stay out in the open and web everything.

That's what mine does, I have it in a juvenile size Terrestrial from jamies enclosures with a tiny water dish and plant and it webbed up the place.

 

[khatchet]

I'll see what I can do about pics. My GBB should be easy to get a good pic, my G. Pulchripes sling is more of a challenge, because he runs to his burrow pretty quick, but he molted about 2 weeks ago as well.

I know how some of them are hard to get photos of, we will be happy with what ever ones you can get.

 

[Entity]

If you set up the GBB more arboreal than terrestrial they'll stay out in the open and web everything.

I set mine up terrestrial and she still webbed up her whole hide and sits on top of everything and doesnt use her hide anyway. I think it just might be the personal spiders behavior. some make their own hides and run into if setup arboreal.

 

[kormath]

I set mine up terrestrial and she still webbed up her whole hide and sits on top of everything and doesnt use her hide anyway. I think it just might be the personal spiders behavior. some make their own hides and run into if setup arboreal.

Both of my GBB's webbed the hide we put in shut and never used them. they'd rather sit in the their web tunnels in and under the leaves. I don't put hides in their enclosures anymore.

 

[MassExodus]

Agreed, gbbs like to web up their hide and sit on it. My bigger girl didn't start using both levels until recently. She does use the hide at the bottom now, and the webbed up leaves at the top, chances are 50/50 of where she will be when I look for her. They live in short scrub in the wild, and actually do live semi arboreal by choice. Personally I believe this has to do with torrential rains and flooding of dry areas like their homeland. I like to throw the roach in the tree my bigger one has, and watch her come up and get it. She hits adult dubia like a damned freight train, and the crunching noises go on for some time. Very enthusiastic eaters...if she was the size of my Lp she would give me pause...Lp's have the greatest appetites, but gbb take the cake in vicious hits They have no issue with rear naked chokes and ground fighting..nor do they mind rolling, falling, or slamming against the side of the enclosure when hitting prey. I really miss watching gbb slings wrestle with crickets or dubia nymphs..but I have 6 Hapalopus columbia lg slings that act pretty much just like them, and I'm already liking them just as much Fat little piggies..

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

My G.Pulchripes! Little freaking Ninja!

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

Might take another day or 2 for the GBB pic. It's still curled up a bit in recovery mode sitting on it's molt!

 

[MICHAEL BIRCH]

And a freshly molted GBB sling!