Aphonopelma seemanni not eating. Concerned.

[BigJohn97]

Hi. I'm still very much new to the hobby so I might just be concerned for nothing. But I recently picked up a mature, captive bred female aphonopelma seemanni. I've had her for about a week and a half but she still denies food. She seems healthy enough though. During the day she stays under a fake tree in her enclosure but at night, she crawls all over the place and stays hydrated. She's very agile. Her colors are a little dull which makes me think she may just be in premolt. The only reason I show concern is because not too long ago I had a juvenile a. avic that refused food and eventually died.. Thoughts?

 

[Enn49]

It can take a while for a T to settle into a new home or it be premoult. The bald patch could be from hair kicking caused by the stress of the move or a sign of an imminent moult. As long as her abdomen stays plump and she has plenty water she'll be fine just offer food about once a week and if she doesn't eat overnight remove it.

 

[Arachnoclown]

My A. Seemanni just went over 200 days without eating. It is very common for this species to go extremely long periods without eating. This is not to be confused with premolt. The fasting is totally different. They will go long periods of fasting...start eating again then go into premolt or back to fasting. They will teach a new hobbiest the term "patience". Just make sure they have plenty of water. Offer food periodically...yours looks fairly good size so I would offer food every 2 weeks.

 

[BigJohn97]

My A. Seemanni just went over 200 days without eating. It is very common for this species to go extremely long periods without eating. This is not to be confused with premolt. The fasting is totally different. They will go long periods of fasting...start eating again then go into premolt or back to fasting. They will teach a new hobbiest the term "patience". Just make sure they have plenty of water. Offer food periodically...yours looks fairly good size so I would offer food every 2 weeks.

Thanks!

 

[Whitelightning777]

Dull colors plus a dark abdomen that continues to darken more and more while getting fatter are the classic signs of premolt for a wide variety of species.