Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have the B. smithii who tunneled. I think I just saw him drag a cricket underground. At least, I've never before seen a cricket struggle to get underground. Are a couple of cruising, well-watered crickets loose in the tank dangerous to my T?

clffdvr

Will a couple of loose crickets who have plenty of food and water in the tank with the T attack it? (Mexican Red-Kneed)

It is always possible for the crickets to harm the T. It usually doesn't happen, but if the T should happen to start molting overnight, then the crix would have an easy feast on a vulnerable T.

Yout should never leave crickets roaming the cage more than a day. And you should only feed the number that it will eat all at one time. Usually only 1 or 2. I throw them in and usually all are grabbed up right away. If any are uneaten by the next moring, I remove them. In the wild they primarily feed at night, so I let them sit overnight, some Ts will only eat at night.

If a T refuses to eat, I wait a week before attempting again. I always look for signs of an upcoming molt during that time. Some Ts will eat without fail, then all of the sudden refuse. That is a good sign of a molt.
-----
KJ Vezino
My Gallery

American Tarantula Society
British Tarantula Society
Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club
Wiccan Tarantula Circle

....that happens in that tank is new to me and potentially menacing. The caresheet I found doesn't say enough, and the book on T's I got is a doctoral dissertation.

I'm tempted to dig my Red-Kneed up to see if it's OK. But I guess I better not try that. I'll give it two more weeks to either make cricks disappear, or make an appearance. When I had a bad substrate in there, it would climb to the cardboard ceiling of the tank. Then I would flick the cardboard, making it fall to the substrate. That happened several times. Now I know that a fall can kill it. Talk about getting information too late....I'm afraid it dug in and died.

Roger

If you're really worried about it, you can go ahead and dig it up. Sure you'll make it mad, but it'll get over it. ANd it'll eventually dig itself a new burrow and be happy as it was before. In the long run it is probably worth it for you to have peace of mind. Just be careful to not harm it while digging. If you can see it in its burrow, you can try to put a stick behind it and prod it out. Or you can try to trickle some water down the burrow and flush it out. THat's how I get them out of the burrow in the wild. It sometimes works, then you don't destroy the burrow.

By the Way: what book do you have? "The tarantula Keeper's Guide" by Schultz, is the absolute best. It is long, and is a lot to read, but it's easy to read and every singe page is helpful and useful. If you want a more concise book, look for "Tarantulas and Other Arachnids" by Marshal, or "Quick and easy Tarantula Care" by Breene. I highly reccomend all 3, they are the best ones in my book collection, Yes I've read quite a few
-----
KJ Vezino
My Gallery

American Tarantula Society
British Tarantula Society
Nebraska Tarantula Enthusiasts Club
Wiccan Tarantula Circle