Eight hollow legs

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
2,336
I received my first Theraphosa species in July, a captive bred T. stirmi sling, ~2.0 inch dls. I set up a planted tank for it with a pre-fab burrow on one end and a partially buried clay pot on the other. It spent the first week or so in the clay pot before, in typical spider fashion, eschewing both hides and digging its own behind the clay pot. Okay, fine. :)

I've been feeding it every other day. Except for a few day pre-molt fast, it has accepted each prey item with gusto. It would probably take food every day if I offered it. Even when in pre-molt and refusing prey, its abdomen was not very large. I'm wondering where, exactly, it is putting all that food! It has overthrown my P. metallica sling for the Bottomless Pit title. At least the P. met and my other gluttons have the decency to look well fed.

Do T. stirmi eat like this their entire lives?
 

MrCrackerpants

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
1,652
Do T. stirmi eat like this their entire lives?
In my experience, they slow down a little bit when they become adults but just a little bit. I have a few (at different sizes) but my over 9 inch female still never refuses food. She has always been a chow hound :)
 

freedumbdclxvi

Arachnoprince
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
1,426
Pretty much, until they starting getting size and go into premolt. Mine would gorge for months until they start preparing to molt, fast for around three to four months, molt, recover for another month or so and them begin gorging again.
 
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