Best Ways to Feed Your Cobalt Blue Tarantulas
You probably picked the Cobalt Blue Tarantula (Haplopelmalividum) because of how incredibly beautiful it looks. While it may look black or dark brown at first, it turns into a gorgeous blue shade, with the females looking more vibrant and larger under the light.
But what you’re probably unaware of is the fact that this spider has a temper. It is overly aggressive, and mixed with its speed and agility; this becomes a problem. The fact that it has an equally terrifying and venomous bite shows that this is not a tarantula for beginners.
The Risks
Experts like https://www.topflightdubia.com/cobalt-blue-tarantula-care make it very clear that this type of spider should not be handled casually. It is known to be an escape artist and will most certainly leave you with a bite on its way out. The spider itself cannot be blamed for this as they are merely reacting to you as they would to a predator.
So feeding it from the palm of your hand is simply out of the question. You need to leave its food in the enclosure and practice extreme caution when removing the dead pieces.
Feeding
The Cobalt Blue Tarantula, like most other Tarantulas, is a carnivore. This means that it prefers its food to be living and breathing. Feeding them dead animals will only fight against their predatory instincts, and as a result, your spider will stop eating. Here are a few creatures you can feed your Tarantula:
- Baby mice
- Cockroaches
- Crickets
- Beetles
- Worms
- Other small insects
Remember that these creatures need to be living when fed to the spider, so you will need additional equipment like prongs and forceps to hold them when dropping them in the enclosure.
Care
Knowing what to feed your Tarantula is only half the battle. You have to supervise multiple other aspects that could strongly impact the nutrition and health of your pet. Here are a few essential tips to keep in mind when feeding:
- Make sure the insects you feed the spider are gut-fed. It means that the insects should have eaten vegetables before they are fed. This is how your spider will get additional nutrients that will keep it healthy.
- Rather than dumping the insects all at once, feed them to the tarantula one by one. You can do this by holding the insect with a pair of forceps and holding it just outside the spider’s lair. It will leap out and grab the insect.
- Feed the Tarantula once or twice a week.
- Your Tarantula will molt as it grows. Don’t ever feed it while it molts, as it is vulnerable and helpless at this stage. The creature you were trying to feed your spider might end up killing it.
Experts suggest an excellent way to figure out if your Cobalt Blue Tarantula is molting to see if it is lying on its back. You must never touch the spider when and immediately after it molts as the spider is in a new body that is still delicate.
Tarantulas are a high-maintenance form of pets, and the Cobalt Blue Spider is no exception. Remember to monitor the spider’s weight and practice caution when doing so. This species is known to fast from time to time, so don’t panic if the spider doesn’t seem to have an appetite. They have been known to go months without any food, but make sure that there isn’t any drastic weight loss during this period.
