how much more can it eat?

juggalo69

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
448
I have a 3in G.rosea, not fully mature yet I don't think, that eats on average 1 cricket a day. But it goes into, what I assume from observation is, its hunting posture (up on its toes with its body high off the ground) at least twice a day. I know that everything that I've read says T's only need fed on average 3 times a week but mine seems hungrier then that. I'm fairly new to the whole arachnid thing I've had my scorps for about 4 months and I've only had my T. for about a month. I'm pretty well read so I'm not a total newbie I just haven't had the live experience for very long. Am I overfeeding it or do I need to feed it more if it acts hungry? Could this be a pre-molt thing? :?
 
Last edited:

obsidion

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 24, 2004
Messages
124
mine take anything i give them, "two a day is the most, bot not often at all" but mine only ignore food before a molt amd start eating like hell shortly after.. as fore the hunting posture i havent been so lucky to obseve that
 

bonesmama

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
1,017
Don't worry,with a rosea you'll be posting sometime in the future "Why won't she eat?" LOL! I've noticed with the T's that when I first bring them home, they eat like pigs. I am assuming you got yours at a Pet store? Most of them are barely knowledgable to keep the poor things alive. Mine have also spent alot of time at the waterdish when I first got them. I've wondered also if it is a stress response? Anyway, when she's done, you'll know it!
 

juggalo69

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
448
Now see in the month I've had it I have never seen it drink. I think it does, either that or the water is evaporating out of the dish overnight. I had a sponge in the water dish at one point (pet-co advice, which I've come to learn is crap) but I read that they can promote bacteria so I got rid of that now I just have a shallow water dish. I'll hopefully have some pics in a few days. :razz:
 

May

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
4
I have a G. rosea that does the exact same thing. He(?) is eating 2 crickets a day and is very enthusiastic about it and goes into the same posture. Walks around like he is super predator.
 

Greg Wolfe

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 13, 2003
Messages
1,101
How much more...

bonesmama said:
Don't worry,with a rosea you'll be posting sometime in the future "Why won't she eat?" LOL! I've noticed with the T's that when I first bring them home, they eat like pigs. I am assuming you got yours at a Pet store? Most of them are barely knowledgable to keep the poor things alive. Mine have also spent alot of time at the waterdish when I first got them. I've wondered also if it is a stress response? Anyway, when she's done, you'll know it!
My good friend Bones has hit the nail on the head. Your T is hungry so feed her well. She will get "full" and then go for a while without feeding. This is normal.
 

JJJoshua

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 9, 2004
Messages
353
Yeah, both rosies that I have had (fully mature females) have both had times when it seemed like they would never stop eating. Then they would slow down to 1 or 2 cricks a week until they refused food altogether. They would then proceed into a period of fasting (which my one rose is going through now) which will last sometimes months. Longest for me was 6 or 7 months with no food!

T's drink more than you think they do, they usually do it at night so most people don't see them do it. I however can't sleep very well and see my T's come out often and get a drink of water and return around an hour later. So long as there is a water dish, no worries.
 

shogun804

Arachnogeneral
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 5, 2004
Messages
1,387
i agree about the drinking thing mine always come out to drink when i mist(once maybe twice a month) especially before a molt, the eating thing my G rosea is doing thing same thing that was mentioned above it ate and ate and then stopped.
 

ScorpionBob

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 22, 2004
Messages
66
The Rosie I have eats everything I put in her tank. I usually feed her every other day. One or two crix, they are never in there the next day. She does not look bloated in anyway, so I assume that she is healthy. As for drinking, I have never seen her do it, but I make sure she always has fresh water...DEATH to sponges and cotton balls... :embarrassed:
 

Heartfang

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
282
In the three, no four, months that I have had my G. rosea, she has only eaten once. I saw her in the hunting stance (front legs spread out, ready to pounce on anything) one morning and decided to see if she would finally eat. So, I threw in a cricket and tried to aim near her. It seemed like she caught it in the air! She hit that thing so fast, I couldn't even comprehend what was happeneing. So, I threw in five more and she gladly took them all at the same time. Just be happy your T is eating a couple times a week. T's do not over eat, so it's safe to presume your T will stop eating when she's had her fill. Oh, wait, this was already said. Darn it! Good look and welcome to the wonderful, unpredictable world of G. roseas.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
The "tip-toes" that you're seeing usually happens when they are eating and spinning a food mat. They are also known to stand like that when they are unhappy with the substrate (too moist, usually).

I doubt your T will keep up with the "one cricket a day" diet. It'll probably slow down soon.
 

juggalo69

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
448
Spinning a food mat? Explain please.
I know the substrate isn't too moist, its bone dry at least the top 1/2in or so.
So far its eaten two today. I'm glad crickets are dirt cheap otherwise my T. and two scorps would eat me out of house and home. LOL. :}
 

Jack

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Messages
5
similar behavior

I have two Rose hairs. About 2 days ago, the newer one starting this same type of eating behavior - eat everything I put in the terrarium.
It even lunged at my hand when I was cleaning dead crix bodies out.
Earlier this morning my older Rose - purchased about 4 months earlier - began to act the exact same way.
If you check out the sticky posted above about G. Rosa and then do a search on weather patterns in Chile, the country is about to enter a dry stage.
I think that because these Ts are imported, they still don't realize they don't have to follow the seasons of their original homeland. They are stocking up on food stuffs in order to wait out the dry season that Chile is about to have - obviously I can't confirm this - just a theory based on the weather patterns, fact that they are imported, and the sticky posted at the top of the forum.
What will be interesting to note is if they stop eating or drastically reduce food intake in about a month or so as the dry season in Chile starts around April and runs through December.

-hope this helped.
 

MysticKigh

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 20, 2004
Messages
287
My largest G rosea ate ludicrous amounts on a daily basis for ... months! After her shed she finally mellowed out and eats on a more normal schedule (normal being relative with roseas LOL)
 
Top