‘’I just bought a tarantula and it won’t eat! What do I do?’’
‘’My spider hasn’t eaten for a week! I’m freaking out – is it ok?’’
‘’How often should I feed my tarantula?’’
These are some of the most common questions we hear at Minibeast Wildlife from new keepers of Australian tarantulas. It can be surprising that tarantulas don’t need to eat as often as we do! They have slower metabolisms than many more familiar pets, so they don’t use as much energy and don’t need as much food to fuel their bodies.
As ectotherms, their need for food is also temperature dependent – and they can go through extended periods without eating at all. This is all perfectly normal. With time and experience, you’ll get to know what’s ‘normal’ for your spiders.
To help you, we’ve put together a video about what to expect and a basic feeding chart. Click on the chart to download a printable PDF that you can hang up next to your tarantula.
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