My Power Feeding Experiment
When I first got Miguel, I decided to conduct a bit of an experiment.
In tarantula keeping circles, there is a much-discussed method of raising juveniles known as "Power-Feeding"
Basically, you choose a tarantula and feed it as much as it can physically eat, in an attempt to make it mature quickly.
This requires a spider with good feeding responses, making a baby Curly Hair ideal.
I decided to feed Miguel as much as he could manage to eat, whilst using his fellow hatchlings in the pet shop as "control spiders"
I know that the pet shop owner feeds his spiderlings once a week with a single medium cricket each.
Miguel was aquired on 18/2/03. Here he is on my hand - he'd moulted shortly before I purchased him.
I fed him as many mealworms and crickets as possible over the next month (a typical weeks food for him was around 15 crickets or up to 30 mealworms
) - he fasted just a couple of days before moulting on 14/03/03
The picture below was taken on 20/03/03, one month after purchase.
As you can see, he has clearly grown a substantial amount.
As you probably guessed, he ate ravenously before entering a fast on 14/04/03
Miguel moulted again (in my absence) on 18/04/03 - making each moult approximately a month apart.
This picture was taken on 23/04/03 - two months after I purchased him.
As you can see, he is now a seriously chunky spider.
I returned to the pet shop last week to check on his fellow hatchlings - the ones fed once a week.
Some of shed once in the last 2 months, and others not at all. None are anywhere near Miguel's size - and most are still the same size he was 2 months ago.
Conclusion
Power Feeding works!
When he gets to adulthood the leg colouring will reverse - the legs will go green-black with tiny pink toes.
