Red is turning out to be a master hunter. Last night I caught her a small cricket, which was about twice the size of a micro cricket, and popped it into a feeding vial. To avoid disturbing her, and as I thought these crickets would have a bit more jump in them, I left the lid on the sling pot and tipped it down the feeding vial access that is fitted into the lid.
True to form as soon as the cricket hit the ground Red was on it in a flash, but in a manner reminiscent of the first encounter with the bean weevil she jumped off again!
The cricket hopped to the opposite side of the spiderling pot. I wondered what Red would do, and if I would have to remove the cricket.
A minute or so later the cricket started to walk around the perimeter of the pot, towards Red. This was make-or-break I thought, how would Red react? Last time she did this with the weevil she didn't want any part of it. Not this time!
Learning from her previous life experience she pounced on the cricket for a second time and this time hung on! She dragged it over her burrow entrance and finished the job.
I think I'll leave it until Sunday night to feed her again, I don't want to over do it. I feed her every other day and only one prey item, that's no where near over-feeding her but I don't want to take the risk. Really over-feeding can shorten their lives, I have read.
For the time being, I'm just glad she's showing healthy natural instincts and is eating well.
Showing posts with label feeding vial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feeding vial. Show all posts
15 May 2009
11 May 2009
Go sling! Go!
I was very proud of my girl last night.
I was out of micro crickets and only have bean weevils for her, and I was certain she needed feeding. I decided to try another weevil despite the aborted attempt last time out.
I took the entire spiderling pot out of the terrarium and removed the lid, this way I could drop the weevil right next to her rather than down the feeding vial.
It worked a treat!
The second the weevil landed on the substrate, about an inch away from the spiderling she shot on to it and grabbed it with her jaws. The weevil was fighting back and scrabbling it legs about. The spiderling readjusted her position and tried to hitch her legs up, resting some of them on the sling pot walls to keep them out of the way, all the time attacking the potential prey.
I really didn't think such a battle would ensue and I was poised to intervene should the spiderling look in trouble. I need not have worried, in an example of ringmanship that any fighter would have been proud of the tiny tarantula held on to her prey and used the edges of the pot to her advantage and to keep her limbs out of the action. She was also elevating her position to stop the kicking weevil from using the ground to get purchase.
She then showed what an intelligent hunter she is. She carried the scrapping bean weevil over to her burrow hole and suspended her body and the prey over the drop into the hole. This meant that she could keep herself safe and give no advantage to the weevil until she was victorious.
Eventually she was, and she took her prey onto the flat surface of the substrate to slowly consume it, which she did over the course of an hour.
She has a fat little tummy now, sorry - I meant a full abdomen! I doubt she will want to feed again for a couple of days so I'll leave her be.
I've ordered some more micro crickets to keep her diet varied, but its good to know she can take a weevil. Someone on the Arachnophiles forum suggested that her reaction to the previous weevil might have been because it fought back at her, it looks like she has learnt from this and over come it. Good girl! :)
I was out of micro crickets and only have bean weevils for her, and I was certain she needed feeding. I decided to try another weevil despite the aborted attempt last time out.
I took the entire spiderling pot out of the terrarium and removed the lid, this way I could drop the weevil right next to her rather than down the feeding vial.
It worked a treat!
The second the weevil landed on the substrate, about an inch away from the spiderling she shot on to it and grabbed it with her jaws. The weevil was fighting back and scrabbling it legs about. The spiderling readjusted her position and tried to hitch her legs up, resting some of them on the sling pot walls to keep them out of the way, all the time attacking the potential prey.
I really didn't think such a battle would ensue and I was poised to intervene should the spiderling look in trouble. I need not have worried, in an example of ringmanship that any fighter would have been proud of the tiny tarantula held on to her prey and used the edges of the pot to her advantage and to keep her limbs out of the action. She was also elevating her position to stop the kicking weevil from using the ground to get purchase.
She then showed what an intelligent hunter she is. She carried the scrapping bean weevil over to her burrow hole and suspended her body and the prey over the drop into the hole. This meant that she could keep herself safe and give no advantage to the weevil until she was victorious.
Eventually she was, and she took her prey onto the flat surface of the substrate to slowly consume it, which she did over the course of an hour.
She has a fat little tummy now, sorry - I meant a full abdomen! I doubt she will want to feed again for a couple of days so I'll leave her be.
I've ordered some more micro crickets to keep her diet varied, but its good to know she can take a weevil. Someone on the Arachnophiles forum suggested that her reaction to the previous weevil might have been because it fought back at her, it looks like she has learnt from this and over come it. Good girl! :)
24 April 2009
Pictures - and the First Feed!
Here are some of the pictures I meant to upload in yesterdays post of the arrival.
This is the spiderling in her travelling pot, sitting waiting to see what was going on:
This is her after being transferred into her new spiderling pot, she's sitting on the far wall:
Micro Crickets, as the name suggests - they be tiny!
I replaced the lid and prepared to give her a feed. I placed the tub of micro crickets in the fridge for 2 minutes just to slow their metabolism down a bit and make one of the tiny insects easier to catch. This worked, as with a minimum of fuss I persuaded one in to a feeding vial and snapped the lid shut. I then tipped it in to the vial in the sling pot lid and into the spiders lair!
These crickets really are tiny, about 2mm across. I'm pretty sure the baby tarantula will soon move on to bigger prey, which is just as well as they are hard to see once they are on the substrate and its important to be able to monitor if the spiderling has eaten or not.
The sling did not immediately go for the cricket, so I left them be for a couple of hours. On my return the spider was out of her burrow but I was able to see the micro cricket in the pot. I decided to see what would happen over night, after all tarantulas are nocturnal feeders.
It's important to make sure that live food isn't left in the pot too long as crickets can nibble at a spider and damage them, particularly during and after a moult.
Next post will be on Monday, hopefully I'll have lots to report then - 3 days is a long time in the life of a tiny tarantula. :)
Have a good weekend.
This is the spiderling in her travelling pot, sitting waiting to see what was going on:
This is her after being transferred into her new spiderling pot, she's sitting on the far wall:
Micro Crickets, as the name suggests - they be tiny!
So that's the pics form yesterdays post. Last night I was excited again to get in from work and check on the sling. As I peered through the terrarium enclosure into the spiderling pot I was instantly worried that I couldn't see her, then I hoped that meant she was in her starter burrow. I carefully lifted the sling pot out of the enclosure and removed the lid. Sure enough my heart leaped as I saw three sets of her legs poking out of the hole! I was so happy that this little spider, although captive bred still an animal with wild instincts, had accepted the temporary home I had designed to meet her needs.
I replaced the lid and prepared to give her a feed. I placed the tub of micro crickets in the fridge for 2 minutes just to slow their metabolism down a bit and make one of the tiny insects easier to catch. This worked, as with a minimum of fuss I persuaded one in to a feeding vial and snapped the lid shut. I then tipped it in to the vial in the sling pot lid and into the spiders lair!
These crickets really are tiny, about 2mm across. I'm pretty sure the baby tarantula will soon move on to bigger prey, which is just as well as they are hard to see once they are on the substrate and its important to be able to monitor if the spiderling has eaten or not.
The sling did not immediately go for the cricket, so I left them be for a couple of hours. On my return the spider was out of her burrow but I was able to see the micro cricket in the pot. I decided to see what would happen over night, after all tarantulas are nocturnal feeders.
Sure enough, in the morning I was not able to identify the cricket in the sling pot so I have to assume that my little charge had fed! I really would have liked to have seen the act of feeding, but maybe next time.
It's important to make sure that live food isn't left in the pot too long as crickets can nibble at a spider and damage them, particularly during and after a moult.
Next post will be on Monday, hopefully I'll have lots to report then - 3 days is a long time in the life of a tiny tarantula. :)
Have a good weekend.
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