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Please help! questions about my burrowing T!

RedCapTrio

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So, back to burrowing Ts... My b. boehmei and g. pulchripes slings are burrowing 3-4inches of substrate till they reach the bottom. They mostly stay at the surface though, only retreating to the deepest of their burrows once they detect movement and they just leave their food till I removed them 48hours later. Is this normal T behavior? I will give them a week till I offer food again, they might just be in premolt.
 

Chubbs

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So, back to burrowing Ts... My b. boehmei and g. pulchripes slings are burrowing 3-4inches of substrate till they reach the bottom. They mostly stay at the surface though, only retreating to the deepest of their burrows once they detect movement and they just leave their food till I removed them 48hours later. Is this normal T behavior? I will give them a week till I offer food again, they might just be in premolt.
How big are the abdomens?
 

RedCapTrio

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How big are the abdomens?

Upon observation, the 1-inch chaco's abdomen is slightly bigger since it ate twice (a mealworm in each occasion) in the two weeks its with me. Actually, its abdomen is quite "shiny" right now.

The 1.5-cm fireleg ate half a mealworm once and no difference in size of abdomen. It just became quite active; its burrow has twist and turns and two entrances. However, refusing food for more than a week now.

There is no sign of exovium every time I checked.
 

MassExodus

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Tarantulas often refuse food ;) It could be pre-molt, it could be the type of prey item, or it could just be that they aren't hungry. The " 2 times a week" feeding schedule for slings is just a general guideline, not a rule. I usually feed once a week, but I use superworms, which seem to fatten them up really well. Tarantulas care very little for our rules, or our worries :) Slings are usually good eaters and molt much more often than juvies and adults, so expect constantly changing behavior as they grow. I think it's great that you're paying close attention to their behavior, you'll learn fast, but it's going to cause you some worry at the start. It did me, anyway:eek: Ok, I'll stop using the faces now, lol...anyway, with a sling, I wouldn't start worrying until it's been a month or so. If it's not showing signs of pre-molt, and doesn't eat for a month, I would probably be a little concerned. I've raised Brachy slings and Grammastolas, both slow growers, but I don't believe any of mine ever took a month to molt once in pre-molt, or refused food for a month, not at the size you stated. They refused for a week on many occasions. Anytime a sling is not eating like it usually does, I suspect pre-molt, but I'm not always right..either way I make sure they always have a water source, even if it's just a small bottle cap that I have to refresh every day because it evaporates. I think it's helpful in two ways: If the T is in pre-molt, it will need the water, molting takes a lot out of them and they are usually very thirsty after they molt. And if they're just not hungry, it gives them a source of water that they would usually get from eating prey. If any of my slings is in very obvious pre-molt I'll mist a bit as well, just to give them that extra humidity as a helping hand. Anyway,I don't think you have anything to worry about, since it's only been a week. Hope this helped.
 

Chubbs

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Upon observation, the 1-inch chaco's abdomen is slightly bigger since it ate twice (a mealworm in each occasion) in the two weeks its with me. Actually, its abdomen is quite "shiny" right now.

The 1.5-cm fireleg ate half a mealworm once and no difference in size of abdomen. It just became quite active; its burrow has twist and turns and two entrances. However, refusing food for more than a week now.

There is no sign of exovium every time I checked.
Any way we get a picture of them? If the abdomen is shiny that makes me suspect it could be in premolt.
 

RedCapTrio

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Got a bit of Barney! Was inspecting the twist and turns of the burrow of the tiny boehmei when the enclosure slip and drop about 6inches to the table and the lid popped and spilled some substrate! I immediately got a plate and tried to find my T. Fortunately, it was not crushed or hurt because it crawled to my propped finger. Did a redo with its enclosure and placed a precrushed small roach after my T had settled in. I checked right now and it is eating! Yey!
:T:

Inspired, I gave my chaco a precrushed small roach too but it ignored it. So definitely in premolt. Thanks for the response guys. In the hustle and bustle, I forgot to take pictures. I also don't want to disturb the eating T since it might leave its food.
:rolleyes::oops:
 

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