PanzoN88
Arachnodemon
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2014
- Messages
- 713
Every tarantula has a somewhat different reaction when it comes to meal time, so, read the title of
the thread and go from there.
the thread and go from there.
I couldn't agree more cold I thought my gbb female was an eating machine as she catches adult roaches mid air half the time. But a few month's ago I purchased a Pamphobeteus sp mascara and a month later a Pamphobeteus sp machalla both slings at this point and boy did they surprise me the smallest one the machalla chases it's food like a cheetah but certainly means business. The mascara on the other hand hits prey in an instant and with such force that the t and prey both do a combat role 1st time I saw it I was in awe and couldn't quite believe a 1" sling would be capable of that. As for banging the drum on this genus I'm with you on that they are a lot more interesting and often a lot prettier than most large t'sMy T. cyaneolum has caught every meal before it hit the ground in the last 6 months I have had it....and it wouldn't make the top 10 in this list.
A. geniculata is notorious with their feeding response, as is the GBB. All Lasiorora sp are basically garbage disposals and my 1+" LD is no exception. Theraposa are also huge eaters with top notch feeding responses. G. pulchripes is another, mine's always ready to eat and tackles everything like a linebacker on Sunday. Oddly, my B. smithi is the same way, but that's not really the norm for that species, I just got an aggressive eater.
But I will give 2 that I have found to be above and beyond when it comes to feeding response...P. cambridgei....ridiculously fast and eager to tackle EVERYTHING they can. Crickets are slammed so quickly I don't even think they know what's going on, even after the fact.
But #1 on my list is Pamphobeteus, I'll beat this genus' drum till my hands fall off!!! Crazy eager eaters, running from great distances, jumping on prey and engulfing everything they can, simply unbelievable....pre-molt often means nothing as they will continue to attack like they just molted...I think if I offered food while mine was molting it would stop and try to eat!
Great example....After my P. nigricolor's last molt (2 subsequent feedings), I went 4 days between feedings, which is an eternity for this hungry, fast growing spider. It was about 1 or 2 am and I decided to feed. I grabbed a big cricket with the big tweezers, opened the top and began to lower the prey in. At this point the t was on the far side, facing into the side, I thought I was catching it off guard a bit. Well I lowered in the cricket and a when I was still a good foot above the enclosure opening the cricket began to flail wildly...in the blink of an eye that nigricolor ran up the side, jumped that foot onto the tweezers, grabbed the cricket and was back in the enclosure munching away! BEST HIT EVER!!!!
We need lots more of this genus more readily available in the hobby...everyone should have one, there's no reason they aren't more popular other than availability (which equates to price). Buy one or 5, doesn't matter the species, you WILL be absolutely THRILLED with it if you love big time feeding response.
Large potential size and fast growth are a recipe for a great eater.
My C. fasciatum has a system where he teleports to his food, works every time:sarcasm:
Wished my two girls were like yours lol.. They're as lazy as a potato lolI have a B. Smithi that hits like a freight train. On one noteworthy feeding occasion she managed to lunge so hard at a male dubia that she rolled on to her back, and still continued wrestling it. For almost a full minute she was on her back kicking and biting this male roach. Best feed I've ever seen!