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Howdy! I am a novice tarantula owner. My age is ... over 40 somewhere.
My tarantula, Mabel, was a gift (sorta?) from one of my son's friends.
Son's friend's mother said, "If you get another tarantula you have to get rid of one tarantula! You have too many of them! I don't care if you have to give one away!"
So, naturally, when the friend found another spider he couldn't live without he then asked his friends, "Hey, anyone want a tarantula?" My son said, "My Mom will take it. She takes in all kinds of animals.", which is technically true, but I've never taken on a tarantula before. Son looked at me, I looked at him, and the next day a tarantula arrived. I insisted that if I was to take on a tarantula that it would have to come with some sort of cage and feeding suggestions.
After looking at her and watching her explore her (escape proof) enclosure (graciously supplied by son's friend), I decided to name her Mabel. She was a pretty pink, but there was quite a bit of hair missing from the back of her abdomen.
She was 2 years old when she got here. After a few false starts and minor mistakes in spider care (If she could have spoken she would have said, "Too much light! Not enough privacy! Too many crickets!"), I got her enclosure properly outfitted and sited. I then made sure the humidity was balanced to her liking as well.
Mabel went without eating for 2 months after she got here and then ate a cricket a day for while.
We then had to move.
This bothered Mabel so much that she didn't eat for a year. She can be so stubborn. She must have let $25 worth of crickets die before she would eat a one.
She has recently taken up eating a cricket a day. About every 8 days or so she skips a day, just to keep us on our toes, I suppose.
Now I intend to find out what everyone else's experiences have been like with the tough little Chilean Rose.
I have a question for all of you: how often should Mabel be molting? Is it normal for her to go without molting for over a year? If she keeps on eating at this rate will she molt soon? What can I do to make sure her molt goes well?
My tarantula, Mabel, was a gift (sorta?) from one of my son's friends.
Son's friend's mother said, "If you get another tarantula you have to get rid of one tarantula! You have too many of them! I don't care if you have to give one away!"
So, naturally, when the friend found another spider he couldn't live without he then asked his friends, "Hey, anyone want a tarantula?" My son said, "My Mom will take it. She takes in all kinds of animals.", which is technically true, but I've never taken on a tarantula before. Son looked at me, I looked at him, and the next day a tarantula arrived. I insisted that if I was to take on a tarantula that it would have to come with some sort of cage and feeding suggestions.
After looking at her and watching her explore her (escape proof) enclosure (graciously supplied by son's friend), I decided to name her Mabel. She was a pretty pink, but there was quite a bit of hair missing from the back of her abdomen.
She was 2 years old when she got here. After a few false starts and minor mistakes in spider care (If she could have spoken she would have said, "Too much light! Not enough privacy! Too many crickets!"), I got her enclosure properly outfitted and sited. I then made sure the humidity was balanced to her liking as well.
Mabel went without eating for 2 months after she got here and then ate a cricket a day for while.
We then had to move.
This bothered Mabel so much that she didn't eat for a year. She can be so stubborn. She must have let $25 worth of crickets die before she would eat a one.
She has recently taken up eating a cricket a day. About every 8 days or so she skips a day, just to keep us on our toes, I suppose.
Now I intend to find out what everyone else's experiences have been like with the tough little Chilean Rose.
I have a question for all of you: how often should Mabel be molting? Is it normal for her to go without molting for over a year? If she keeps on eating at this rate will she molt soon? What can I do to make sure her molt goes well?
