A. seemanni is.... heckin’ bamboozled

[smallbike]

Ever since I switched to dubias my T can’t seem to find them, even when I drop one right in front of her face. If they move their legs enough she’s good, but I’ve had a couple dubias resurface after literally months of evading her. (Size difference from the batch I have now, they only had small/medium in stock at the time, current batch are large).

 

[smallbike]

(accidentally posted, can't seem to find the edit button)

Anyways, I guess I have a velociraptor - deadly to moving prey, completely outdone by sitting still. Is this normal or is she just a very special girl?

 

[timc]

Less than stellar feeding responses with dubia are far from uncommon, but them burrowing for months at a time, in an enclosure with a burrowing species seems a little odd to me. You’d think they would run into each other at some point. I’ve never kept this species so my knowledge of them is rather limited, but if they’re anything like other Aphonopelma, they’re prone to fasting so, it might be that or you might just have a weird spider. Have you tried any other feeders?

 

[smallbike]

Less than stellar feeding responses with dubia are far from uncommon, but them burrowing for months at a time, in an enclosure with a burrowing species seems a little odd to me. You’d think they would run into each other at some point. I’ve never kept this species so my knowledge of them is rather limited, but if they’re anything like other Aphonopelma, they’re prone to fasting so, it might be that or you might just have a weird spider. Have you tried any other feeders?

So the funny part is they do occasionally run into each other. They had an hours-long stake-out on top of the hide. I came back and it had evaded her once again and she was digging up the corner of the tank. She's just really bad at hunting I think.

Crickets tend to move around so she does better with them, but she doesn't eat enough to justify a colony, and I can't keep just a handful of them alive longer than a week.

 

[m0lsx]

It is best to squash the heads of roaches before putting them in. That stops them burrowing. I also find dropping Dubai roaches on their backs helps with the feeding response, as the roach will rapidly move it legs.

A roach can remain alive for many days (a week, I think it is.) After its head is squashed. So it is still live food.

 

[Aracnoenthusiast]

I've had dubias last up to 2 weeks with a squashed head

 

[smallbike]

Oof - I am way too squeamish to do that! I can barely handle having the roaches in the first place. I just need to work on my aim, I think

 

[Phobik1]

I had 2 extra adult dubia left over from last weeks feeding and i checked on them today. Whattya know, a bunch o babies in there now n some fat ones too. Go figure.

 

[smallbike]

I had 2 extra adult dubia left over from last weeks feeding and i checked on them today. Whattya know, a bunch o babies in there now n some fat ones too. Go figure.

nooooooo

 

[SpoodDude]

When I have a picky eater i just pull the head off and then throw them in there. They still move for an hour or so that usually does it.