Food

Invertebrates are the foundation of the diet. Occasionally vertebrates can be used for a food source and require additional cleaning of feeding residue so bacteria does not grow and spread throughout the enclosure. Adult and juvenile rodents should be pre-killed or the prey could become the predator. Rodent pups can be presented alive to large tarantulas without concern of injury.

Tarantulas mainly are not regular feeders. Tarantulas can go for weeks without food due to their low metabolism rate. Weekly feeding attempts should be made. Before a tarantula molts it usually goes through a binge and peerage period and then becomes very inactive so keep this in mind with young tarantulas.

Food Ideas: Crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, meal worms, beef heart, weaker spiders, small reptiles, small rodents and other invertebrates.

Methods of Feeding

I advise prior to opening an enclosure for routine care (feeding, water and cleaning) to be aware of the tarantulas location. This can be difficult for "pet holes", at least eliminate other possible locations prior to opening. This is to avoid possible stressful situations such as capturing a fast moving spider on your ceiling.

Feeding is a fun experience and allows the keeper to observe the state of the tarantula. Typically they are aggressive eaters and pounce upon the prey vigorously consuming it. They may refuse to feed because they are in a pre-molt state or the prey item is too large.

Tarantulas that dwell within burrows typically stay at the edge of the opening awaiting for prey to pass by. Tossing a prey item at the opening burrow the tarantula routinely catches it and retreats deeper into the burrow to feed. For arboreal (aerial web liver) species you can toss the prey item in webbing near the tarantula. If the tarantula has enclosed itself within webbing I will not disrupt or feed it until it emerges because it is likely molting.

You can also "hand feed" tarantulas by making use or long tongs or forceps. I prefer this method for arboreal species.

The "Happy Dance"

Often when prey is acquired some tarantulas begin to move around in a circular motion. It is very peculiar to see a relatively motionless creature to erupt in motion during feeding time. As if they are displaying pleasure in their latest feeding victory.

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