Hello, this may be obvious to you guys but...

I recieved a Mexican Red knee Tarantula as a x-mas gift and I'm not sure if she's eaten or not since I got her. The lady at the pet shop said that she'd raised her since she was a spiderling and that she was a good eater. She seems to be on some sort of prolonged fast I've attempted to feed her crickets, meal worms etc. no luck. She seems to be in good health though and reacts quickly to touches etc. I saw in the newby section where you guys talk about the Chilean rose hairs being fasters but, is the same true for my baby.
Thank you in advance .
Chris
P.S. I'm very sorry if this is one of those newby questions you guys see 1 million times a day but, your sticky didn't seem to cover my girl.

It's proberbly just in pre-moult. It won't eat until 2-3 weeks after it has moulted. Just in case you don't know it yet: T's moult on their backs. So when they're on their back, don't disturb them in any way and have patience for at least 24h! Moulting can take a long time and during that time every T is best left completely alone.

Dont worry that kind of behaviour is the norm for redknees & redlegs, also they are very very slow growers. Best of luck.

It is not at all unusual for a B. smithi to go months without eating. The only time you need to worry about a tarantula not eating is if its abdomen is noticeably shrinking in size or shriveling. As long as it looks round and plumb, there is nothing to worry about.

I agree with Windchaser. I have had T's not eat for months on end due to pre-molt. They never lost their girth and from time to time I sitll at least offered food. If I found the prey still wondering around after a day or two I took it out. At least your offering it. My OBT is that way right now. I rarely ever see him and he is in pre molt right now. He has not eaten in 2 months. I believe with this next molt he will be sexually mature. But I still offer him food. If I see it still running around I take it out. He usually otherwise is a good eater. Just they way some of the species runs. My L. parahybana is the same way and won't eat for 2 or 3 weeks or longer when she is in this stage. Just the way some species are.

HI! My advise......

I wish I knew the size of your spider but I would leave it alone...let it get adjusted...don't force it to eat food and if it is not interested after a day or so..take the food out if possible. Have a water dish and thats it. The mealworms will dig and become (black) beatles which may harm the spider if it decides to molt. Tarantulas do not have to eat every day, BUT...you must give them some attention every day to OBSERVE. The observation of the T will let you know what you need to do. And my advise also would be to not purchase a T from a pet store unless they REALLY know what the are talking about. I could go on. Good Luck!

Charlotte

first or all... Are U sure its a female?
second.. What size is it?

It can be a female or a sub adult in pre-molt period, or it can also be a mature male "in the end of its career", like we say in Brazil, heheh.
I hope its not!

Good lucky

I think that saying that a specimen is a good feeder's is possible... especially when changing of keeper