My Chilean Rose will not eat.....

[Amy Bernice]

I'd like to think I know Lucretia's habits and behaviour by now but for the past month or so she has not eaten. She has gradually started to decrease in size. She is not due a moult and has not laid eggs. All temp/humidity is the same as it has always been (15 mths). She has always eaten large black crickets and has refused anything else in the past so I don't think it can be to do with type of food on offer. There are no sign of mites or any other creature in her home. I know they can live without eating for some time but this is the longest she has ever gone without food. Any ideas from anyone greatly received.

[Matthew Bagley]

They are quite famous for fasting for extended periods . Mine went without feeding for 2/3 months before just starting eating again .

[Stanley A. Schultz]

I'd like to think I know Lucretia's habits and behaviour by now but for the past month or so she has not eaten. ...

First, read www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html.

If she is your first and only tarantula you should also read www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/stansrant.html.

Best of luck!

[Tung Nguyen]

I'd like to think I know Lucretia's habits and behaviour by now but for the past month or so she has not eaten. She has gradually started to decrease in size. She is not due a moult and has not laid eggs. All temp/humidity is the same as it has always been (15 mths). She has always eaten large black crickets and has refused anything else in the past so I don't think it can be to do with type of food on offer. There are no sign of mites or any other creature in her home. I know they can live without eating for some time but this is the longest she has ever gone without food. Any ideas from anyone greatly received.

It may be a typical case of G. rosea fasting but the bolded part concerns me a little. Can you please post a pic of the T and a pic of the enclosure? Just to be 100% sure.

[Claire Beckett]

Mine hasn't eaten since January(09)....or molted since last Jan (0...it's what Chilean roses are best at I'm afraid!

[Iain Condy]

Hi I have a chilean beautiful (Grammostola Spatulata) which is the same family, my little tarantula went for 14months without a real meal. She only ate two crickets in the whole time, and she shed successfully. these are amazing little creatures, truly amazing! Try feeding house spiders to your pet. my T's love them!

[James Freeman]

Grammostola

I think they should make this matter a Sticky !

[Amy Bernice]

All this info has helped. I have read a lot of general tarantula literature but not so Grammostola rosea specific. I found Stanley A Schultz website particularly useful as it explained in detail the problems with the tarantula not being able to identify the seasons. I think this is the problem I have with mine. As with her so called weight loss, some days I think she looks smaller and some days not. Actual measurement recording is needed I think I am used to keeping mammals which is why this 'not eating' business seems so unnatural to me!

[Craig Mackay]

Try feeding house spiders to your pet. my T's love them!

I would avoid doing this mate. A bite from a house spider could probably do your T's some damage.

[Iain Condy]

I would avoid doing this mate. A bite from a house spider could probably do your T's some damage.

Wow! I would've thought that the fangs of a small british spider would not have the ability to penetrate a T's exoskeleton, but hey-ho I live and learn.
My Chilean beautiful (Grammostola spatulata), or as I call her "sutra" is such a picky eater that I tried most things around the house, moths, spiders and even crane flies (daddy longlegs). Sutra has ate them all almost instantly.

Thanks for the heads up though craig, I will stop the practice, Please ignore my previous post Amy, as contrary advice has been posted.

[Craig Mackay]

No problem mate. The big ones can bite us so they'd have no bother biting a T. I read somewhere about house spider bites being being fatal to T's so probably best to avoid it. Hopefully someone else will give some more info though. I'm sure it's just the worst case scenario as they're unlikely to get a chance to bite, lol!

[Amy Bernice]

Actually Tung I think she has lost some weight. Just a bit. I'll try and add a pic when I get the chance.

[Amy Bernice]

She ate!!!!! Thanks everyone. I must stop panicking about her eating habits.