• Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

KIA_PETE

Member
Messages
24
Location
UK
Just need my davus to stop being so skittish and start feeding properly. Once iv finished rebuilding my house. I'm going to get two more. Just haven't decided on what to get.

Aphonopelma seemanni
aphonopelma chalcodes
Brachypelma of some kind.
Theraphosa blondi
Grammostola rosea

Are some of what im looking at. Im trying to choose ones that are out and about more often and a little bit crazy like my GBB.
 

Arachnoclown

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
6,382
Location
The Oregon rain forest
Tarantulas are pretty much blind...if that was your finger it would be throbbing now. I try to stay away from tong feeding. Tarantulas can break or damage their fangs doing so. If you have ever seen someone that has had to feed a T with one or no fangs it's not fun. At least you are using bamboo tongs. Gbbs are much funner to watch hunt. Drop the roach off to one side of the entrance and watch the show.

I tease my Davus pentaloris with a piece of grass or straw to come out and eat. Try that...make sure the grass is long though otherwise it will end up on your hand.
 

KIA_PETE

Member
Messages
24
Location
UK
Tarantulas are pretty much blind...if that was your finger it would be throbbing now. I try to stay away from tong feeding. Tarantulas can break or damage their fangs doing so. If you have ever seen someone that has had to feed a T with one or no fangs it's not fun. At least you are using bamboo tongs. Gbbs are much funner to watch hunt. Drop the roach off to one side of the entrance and watch the show.

I tease my Davus pentaloris with a piece of grass or straw to come out and eat. Try that...make sure the grass is long though otherwise it will end up on your hand.

A few thing with that, IF it was my finger id deserve everything that was coming too me, tongs can be dropped fingers cant XD, i have no desire to ever touch one of my T's.
Typically i do drop roaches in and let them hunt it down or place them away from the the T but some where, where she can feel them moving.
The problem with just dropping it any where is they escape and bury them selfs under something where il never find it. which is the problem as i dont want them co existing.
So i try to drop em where its either going to get webbed up a bit or it close enough it doesn't stand a chance and i know for sure it been eaten. I do want to be out of the terrarium completely before she find her prey but the last two time she just been absolutely crazy fast reacting to her food.
In this case the roach fell off the top web platform and got webbed to the glass on the side where it stayed for ages. So i was trying to knock it down to the floor. i even back away for a second but its looks like she wasn't going to move still(some time had past at this point keep in mind),
So i went to give it a little tap again to the floor but my GBB had other ideas about how that was going to work.

I am aware they are blind and obviously i dont want to damage them, il just need to hone my roach placement better, where its not going to vanish but is close enough for her to get it.. but far enough away for me to get out of there completely. But as mentioned before that dynamic has changed as she is feeding much quicker and aggressively recently.
Dont take this as im not agreeing with you, as i completely agree. but sometime's stuff like this happens which is why i video it, every time there is something different and surprising about her reaction.

I tried similar stuff to the grass technique but my Davus doesn't have any of it. Iv been quite concerned about it. a new larger burrow/hide/den seems to help and she fed well after her new house. but now she has retreated back under it and wont come out. maybe its pre molt but because she has been like this for about 5months or so its really hard to tell whats going on her.
 
Last edited:

Arachnoclown

Well-Known Member
1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
6,382
Location
The Oregon rain forest
They are aggressive hunters. The cute sling stage is over and the aggressive hunter is here to stay. I've got hours of Gbb feedings if you want to see them. Use crickets and redrunner roaches or hissers as feeders, they dont hide. Ditch the dubias...they are always a problem unless you kill them first.
 
Top