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Feedback on Curly
Hi all
Back at work and back on line.
Thanks for all the feedback. I think to make life easier, let me give all info from the time I bought Curly. I bought her from a pet shop when she was 6 months old in Nov 07. It was Summer at the time approx 27-38 degrees C. She was in a small tank approx 2 inches by 4 x 2, filled with peat and a small plastic funnel as a hidy hole, which she loved to hide in. I fed her mostly on small crickets – approx 4 a day. Once she moulted for the 2nd time I moved her to a slightly larger tank approx 3 x 4 x 6 inches. I stopped feeding her so much because I found out that over-feeding is not good for them. I will supply a list of insects further down. The last time she moulted was in early March (still Summer), which is 3 times since November. I transferred her to a larger fish tank approx 6 x 12 12 inches. I filled it with peat and a plastic log with big leaves. I also changed her hidy hole to an empty plastic pot plant. The tank looked great but she didn’t really like it. She climbed the side of the tank to the top of it and then would fall down onto her back, flip over back onto her abdomen and then try again. She would also climb up the plastic leaves to the top. She also didn’t like her hidy hole. After a few weeks she started eating again and even spun a ground web. I decided to fill the tank with more peat as I didn’t want her to hurt herself with her climbing and falling. I also fed her a larger grasshopper that I found breeding in my yard – it is either a green milkweed locust or elegant grasshopper 9 the colouring is very similar – (green black and yellow) She grabbed it and ate it all up within an evening. She has not eaten since, which made me think that the grasshopper may have been toxic. But since she has not eaten for 2 months, whatever toxins were in it must be out of her system by now. She spends most of her time in her water dish which makes me think she is hot and thirsty but then when I place the light next to her tank, she hugs the light, which makes me think she is cold. Humidity wise, I spray a fine mist into her tank every day and then put the lamp on that causes it to evaporate, creating humidity. So I can’t see it being a humidity problem. This past weekend, I relocated her back into her smaller tank - 3 x 4 x 6 inches thinking she might not like her larger tank. When I removed her, I used my hand and picked her up. I had a good look at her and when I turned her on her back, she didn’t even try to flip herself over. There are no blemishes or loss of fluff at all. Generally good condition – only not eating, is lethargic and doesn’t walk around much and spend a lot of time in her water or crumpled in a corner near the light. I sprayed a fine mist of warm water into her smaller tank to increase humidity. This morning I found her crouched over her water dish, so am ready to tear my hair out in frustration. It is now Autumn and Winter will be here by June.
Food I have fed her:
Hi all
Back at work and back on line.
Thanks for all the feedback. I think to make life easier, let me give all info from the time I bought Curly. I bought her from a pet shop when she was 6 months old in Nov 07. It was Summer at the time approx 27-38 degrees C. She was in a small tank approx 2 inches by 4 x 2, filled with peat and a small plastic funnel as a hidy hole, which she loved to hide in. I fed her mostly on small crickets – approx 4 a day. Once she moulted for the 2nd time I moved her to a slightly larger tank approx 3 x 4 x 6 inches. I stopped feeding her so much because I found out that over-feeding is not good for them. I will supply a list of insects further down. The last time she moulted was in early March (still Summer), which is 3 times since November. I transferred her to a larger fish tank approx 6 x 12 12 inches. I filled it with peat and a plastic log with big leaves. I also changed her hidy hole to an empty plastic pot plant. The tank looked great but she didn’t really like it. She climbed the side of the tank to the top of it and then would fall down onto her back, flip over back onto her abdomen and then try again. She would also climb up the plastic leaves to the top. She also didn’t like her hidy hole. After a few weeks she started eating again and even spun a ground web. I decided to fill the tank with more peat as I didn’t want her to hurt herself with her climbing and falling. I also fed her a larger grasshopper that I found breeding in my yard – it is either a green milkweed locust or elegant grasshopper 9 the colouring is very similar – (green black and yellow) She grabbed it and ate it all up within an evening. She has not eaten since, which made me think that the grasshopper may have been toxic. But since she has not eaten for 2 months, whatever toxins were in it must be out of her system by now. She spends most of her time in her water dish which makes me think she is hot and thirsty but then when I place the light next to her tank, she hugs the light, which makes me think she is cold. Humidity wise, I spray a fine mist into her tank every day and then put the lamp on that causes it to evaporate, creating humidity. So I can’t see it being a humidity problem. This past weekend, I relocated her back into her smaller tank - 3 x 4 x 6 inches thinking she might not like her larger tank. When I removed her, I used my hand and picked her up. I had a good look at her and when I turned her on her back, she didn’t even try to flip herself over. There are no blemishes or loss of fluff at all. Generally good condition – only not eating, is lethargic and doesn’t walk around much and spend a lot of time in her water or crumpled in a corner near the light. I sprayed a fine mist of warm water into her smaller tank to increase humidity. This morning I found her crouched over her water dish, so am ready to tear my hair out in frustration. It is now Autumn and Winter will be here by June.
Food I have fed her:
- Green Milkweed Locust (phymateus viridiped) or elegant grasshopper (zonocerus elegans). Won’t try that again just in case.
- Acrididae (common brown grasshopper)
- Tettigoniidae (Katydid)
- Phaneropterinae (bush katydid)
- Gryllus bimacalatus (common cricket)
- Pneumorids (bladder grasshopper)
- Small stick insect – the larger one intimidated her too much.
- Brown or black Millipede – she loves them
- Moth larvae of the silkworm – only once when I couldn’t find anything else
- Rhinoceros beetle
- Christmas beetle (Melolonthine beetle)
- I did try to feed her a medium size foam grasshopper – it flared its wings at her and they had a staring match for about an hour till Curly backed down. Thank goodness she did because I found out afterwards that the foam grasshopper is toxic. Won’t do that again.
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