"Not eating thread"

[leaveittoweaver]

Never thought I'd make a thread about a not eating tarantula! My GBB has not eaten in almost a year now. Her abdomen is huge but she just refuses to eat. She sits out pretty frequently, but never eats. She used to be one of the most voracious eaters, going at anything the minute it dropped.

Do you think she'll molt sometime this century?

 

[Johnnyp1987]

If her abdomen is big then as long as she has water available she will be fine. Maybe she just doesnt feel hungry, also if temp and humidity are on the lower side then a spiders metabolism slows down so they dont need to eat as much. Is she an adult? They will only usually molt once a year or so. All my gbbs are great eaters except when in premolt. Its possible she might be due a molt.

 

[leaveittoweaver]

If her abdomen is big then as long as she has water available she will be fine. Maybe she just doesnt feel hungry, also if temp and humidity are on the lower side then a spiders metabolism slows down so they dont need to eat as much. Is she an adult? They will only usually molt once a year or so. All my gbbs are great eaters except when in premolt. Its possible she might be due a molt.

I keep giving her water, her water dish is webbed up and the water wicks away within a few days but I constantly keep it full. Temps have been high this summer.

She is an adult and I don't know exactly how old. I've had her about four years. And she has molted probably twice in my care. I'm sure she's due a molt, it's just taken a REALLY long time.

Thank you for your response.

 

[Nicolas C]

Yeah, for some reasons, GBB can take a veeeeeeeeeeery loooooooong time before molting. Happened to me too. In fact, my GBB and my Davus pentaloris are the two ones which took the longest time before molt. For my pentaloris, I had to peep inside her burrow once a month to check she was still alive, because she took so long before emerging again.

 

[Phil]

My mature female B. smithi has not eaten in about 4 months either. No signs of pre moult but she has not moulted in about 18 months now. She has done this before. Will moult, gorge on whatever is around her just after and then not eat for months. Strange one she is, others are regular as clockwork but not her!!!! If abdomen is nice and full I don't think there is anything to worry about. ☺

 

[Zurchiboy]

Our A. chalcodes has lost its appetite. still plump. but not much sign of premolt. has eaten once in the past 3 months,