why dont males eat

[vincent winyard]

hi there evryone just wondered why my 2 male t's dont eat. there both chilli rosa's one a red phase. i've been trying to get them to eat for months but they just wont eat. they seem in realy good shape there's always clean fresh water at all times the temp and humidity are fine so there's no real reason for them not to eat. sometimes they even run from the crickets and hide. is this a male thing or is it possible im doing something wrong. just one more thing one of them molted about 4 months ago so i wouldn't think it's anything to do with another molt. my wife seems to think it might have something to do with them coming in to a breeding season or something along those lines.

[Peter Lacey]

G. rosea are known to go on long fasts, somtimes for weeks, months or even 2 years! Mature males of all species seem to eat less and their bodies change to reflect one designed for mating. You haven't stated if your males are mature, check for tibial spurs and emboli. If that's the case they are likely to eat far less but it's always important to provide a water bowl.
A cricket once a week is what I provide my G. rosea and I remove any food uneaten after a couple of days.

[vincent winyard]

hi there pete yes they both have there tibial spurs and emboli so i'll just see how things go. thanks for your help pete now i know what to expect if any other males turn up.

[Colin D Wilson]

Its not a massive problem having males of this species, they can live for a very long time and be good (more active) pets.
I had a male G.rosea for just under three years after he matured, he could still be going to be honest. During this three year period he never ate but drank an large amount of wateron a daily basis. Keeping his tank clean was a little extra work as he made copious amounts of sperm webs ( and was introduced to a few ladys too)

[vincent winyard]

cheers for that colin. i know they dont live as long as the females but obviously i was i little concerned as to the eating habits but like you say as long as there's water on hand and the set up's running good there's not a lot you can do except offer food a couple of times a week and then it's down to them. thank's again for your reply colin.