Intoduction

[Clinton Hogben]

Hi All
Just a quick hello as a newbie I have kept lots of eight legged monsters over the years and currently have a Lasiodora parahybana (Salmon Pink) only a baby at the moment at about six inches but she wont sit on the ruler making it hard to get an exact measure
Does anyone know what the true size they grow to is, some sites say 9/10 inches others say up to 12 inches
She (i think its a she) eats everything in site for a couple of weeks six to eight crickets at a time every day then stops eating for a couple of weeks is this normal?
any advice would be great
Cheers
Clinton

[Peter Lacey]

From what I've read they usually reach sizes of 8-10 inches but they also bulk out making them very large specimens. They notoriously eat as much as you'll provide them and I've read of them eating large amounts in one meal. I've not come accross reports suggesting they refuse food but I guess individuals will have their own characteristics.

[James Box]

Hey welcome Clinton!
alas, i'm new to the L parahybana species at present, my two babies being only a couple inches in size.
however i have heard of this species getting huge and rivalling the other giants! be prepared for a nice huge spider
not that 6 inches is anything to sneeze at already
as for eating...well i feed all my T's roughly once a week (slightly more frequently for the spiderlings if i have food available), but even still some go on fasts for weeks. this is usually the case with my Aphonopelma chalcodes and Grammastola roseas. my L parahybana's seem to be happy enough to take food when offered, so far. in any case, they're a little too fat, so i'm going to back off a bit. probably the wax worms i gave them recently not realising how fattening they are!

[Mark Pajak]

If you run our of food try the fattest earthworms you can find - my L.Para loves em!

[Colin D Wilson]

Most of the adult specimems i've seen have been in the 8 - 10 inch bracket, but as has been said, they are a fairly thick set tarantula. I've heard of people who say they have a 12 inch plus "monster" but have never seen convincing photographic evidence (i'd like to be proved wrong here by the way so if anyones got a 12 inch specimen sitting on a ruler or covering the bottom of an exo terra please post away)
As far as eating everything, mine ony refuses food a couple of days before moulting, up untill then if it moves, and it's in the tank....it's food...including the water bowl when filling up.


*edit*
Sorry Clinton...forgot to say hi and welcome....brains on Xmas crash at the mo!!!

[Clinton Hogben]

thanks guys

Thanks for all the comments and warm welcome I will keep on feeding as long as she eats it and take it out if she refuses I think ive just got a fussy one but she isnt going to starve thats for sure its built like a tank

all the best for now

Clinton