Sling putting uneaten food in water bowl?

I have a 3/4" P. cancerides sling that seems to eat the meal worm I put in it's enclosure for a bit then put it in the water bottle cap I use for a water dish. Has anyone else experienced something like this? I don't have a problem with doing it right now but it might cause problems when it does do it when it's older.


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Not unusual in the slightest for a tarantula to use its water dish as a toilet or garbage can. I have always assumed this might be a natural instinct because waste would be washed away or significantly diluted by a natural water source in the wild... that's just speculation, though. What you observed is definitely a common occurrence.

korg said:

Not unusual in the slightest for a tarantula to use its water dish as a toilet or garbage can. I have always assumed this might be a natural instinct because waste would be washed away or significantly diluted by a natural water source in the wild... that's just speculation, though. What you observed is definitely a common occurrence.

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Okay thanks! At first I wasn't really worried since it seemed to eat most of the food item, but today it didn't seem to even eat it at all. Whenever it puts it's food item in the bowl I always try to change it as soon as possible. However, I've been feeding it on a 3 times a week interval so I'm sure it's getting enough food.

Pampho85 said:

Okay thanks! At first I wasn't really worried since it seemed to eat most of the food item, but today it didn't seem to even eat it at all. Whenever it puts it's food item in the bowl I always try to change it as soon as possible. However, I've been feeding it on a 3 times a week interval so I'm sure it's getting enough food.

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Yeah, when slings are being fed that frequently they don't always finish their prey... basically they are just "topping off" each time they eat.