Food remains in terrarium

[Peter Lacey]

I've been a little puzzled as to where the food remain are within my Exo-terra for my L. klugi. When I initially obtained her she ate as I expected, sucking the inside and leaving a crispy shell of the victim. I made a few clean-outs and recently pulled out a crispy worm - not sure if she sucked it dry or it dried out in the heat. However, I've not found any evidence of food for the last month. She's been in her burrow for the last week but yesterday she was on full display again. So, we dropped a couple of locusts in and within minutes they were on the menu and in her mouth. I watched as she devoured both, a great display of fangs and pedipals and some lovely crunching noises I was surprised to see she ate the lot, nothing fell off, everything was devoured.
So, that explains the lack of bodies. Is this usually the case or is it due to her size?

Unfortunately there seems very little to read about L. klugi and the only advice I'm given is to read up on L. parahybana. So, if anyone has any good advice for this species I'm all ears.

Thanks

[James Box]

that's pretty crazy! a bit like those people that eat apple cores haha
wish all my T's did that, but then i suppose introducing woodlice as i plan to do for all of them will cut down on finding remains, anyway.

[Robert Farmer]

Maybe the T has the remains stashed in her burrow?

Or maybe used them as part of it, this has been observed with some of my specimens.

Or they're very well hidden.

I imagine there will always be some remains left over, have you ever tried crushing an adult cricket's head with tweezers? Pretty solid I assure you!

[Peter Lacey]

The fact she ate the whole of 2 locusts without the loss of a leg suggested to me she's eating everything, and not sucking the contents out to leave a dried up carcass.
I checked her burrow, I can see right through to the end from the side, shone a torch in there and its as clean as a whistle. No obvious digging to suggest she's burying either. And she recently ate the whole of a Dubia Roach and again, no remains.

I was wondering if this was normal or perhaps an indication she's very hungry (I tend to feed her about 2 insects per week). Or perhaps its an indication she's lacking some minerals?

[Ray Gabriel]

Have you tried the water bowl? many spiders will leave the bolus in the water or nearby?

Ray

[Colin D Wilson]

As Ray as said, check around the water bowl.

If you have a little collony of woodlice in there, they will live around the damp area of the bowl and get rid of any remants for you, making housekeeping a little easier.

[chris king]

colin when you say woodlice are you talking of the comman one's found in the garden ? shell like things with loads of legs

[Colin D Wilson]

I use the one's from the garden yes.... we keep a huge "clean" colony in my sons 4ft millipede / cockroach tank.

There are some specific "cleaner woodlice" available as colonies (i'm sure the normal spider related shops "online" will have some for sale....and i know a few members have colonies you may be able to purchse some from)

If you use the garden variety then keep them in a quarantine tank on their own for a week or two to pass out any chemicles they have ingested, feed them on old veg and salad stuff.
Keep them damp (not wet) as they breath through gill like strctures on their underside (they're subphylum Crustacea, same as crabs)

[chris king]

kool, thank you colin

[Peter Lacey]

I've given her enclosure a good search. there's nothing left!
I assure you this isn't a single instance or even a small period, its a case of never seeing any remains.
so, I ask once more, is the experience of most that remains are left or the insect is eaten completely? plz

[chris king]

I assure you this isn't a single instance or even a small period, its a case of never seeing any remains.
so, I ask once more, is the experience of most that remains are left or the insect is eaten completely?

how about sit and watch her eat,see if she drop a wing /leg or other,

[Peter Lacey]

As it says in my original post we watched her eat both locusts entirely - head, body, legs, nothing was left!
To see this, rather than what I'd expect - sucking the insides and leaving the carcass - was a good indication of why there's no remains. I just thought wondered if other keepers observed the same thing. And, more importantly, was this an indication of a lack of eating requirements or explained by her size?

[Rich.Harrington]

I doubt it's anything you need to worry about. When I got my first G.Rosea I noticed the same thing, however it just seems to be how she eats. The A.Chacoana does the same thing with nothing left behind. I occosionanly see the odd bolus with the N.Coloratovilasum, which is significantly smaller than the other two.

So it may be down to the spiders size, or it could be that I tend to slightly underfeed my T's if anything, so they may simply be hungry enough to devour everything.


My opinion is that if you can see any signs of mould or such starting to occur, then don't panic.

[chris king]

most off mine eat the whole lot,somethin a bit leg will come of,
some wrap them up if i put 2 in,

[Nicola Dolby]

Some of my tarantulas do this, but then they discard a pellet, like an owl would do. I'm not sure as to whether it is regurgitated, but I doubt this. If you are worried about mites and fungal growth, put a couple of wood lice in there, the spider will be ok with them and they'll get rid of the 'leftovers'.