Any Advice on my L. striatus bird-eater?

VoodooFuneral

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 5, 2004
Messages
84
Hi everyone,
I'd like you to meet Hilde. :) I adopted her last week. She is 9 years old and was raised by 1 owner from a sling. After the last time she molted, she rested on her back legs and 3 of them are turned inward or outward depending on which leg. Her body is quite heavy, which I think was the problem.
Her owner traded her to an exotics dealer in my area, where she had sat for a year. She is very sweet and has never bitten anyone. She is ambulatory and able to get around fine on her gimpy legs but I worry how her next molt will go. The dealer told me that it was 2 years between last 2 molts, so I don't expect her to molt again for a long time. Does anyone have any tips for my slightly handicapped L. striatus.
Here's some pictures of Hilde waiting for her tank to be cleaned (no- she doesn't live in that little Kritter Keeper!) :)
 

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Nick_schembri

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 1, 2005
Messages
485
She looks beautiful,..... and huge. Pity she has a problem with her legs. Hope everything goes well with her next molt, maybe her legs will straighten out.
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
At this point in time I don't think there is anything you can do. However, during her next molt you may need to prepare to help her out. Those bent legs could get stuck. Hopefully after she does molt, the problem will be corrected.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
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3,783
Nice.

I also don't think there's much that can be done. If she molts again then hopefully the problem will correct itself, although I really don't think that it was caused by her sitting on them - probably just a bad molt. It happens.

How often are you cleaning her cage? I noticed in another thread you mentioned cage cleaning and had the T out. Was this a cleaning before you ever put her into the enclosure?
 

red knee1

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 17, 2005
Messages
23
i think u should start by giving her more ground space. she looks really cramped in there
 

LPacker79

ArachnoSpaz
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Feb 10, 2003
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1,054
red knee1 said:
i think u should start by giving her more ground space. she looks really cramped in there
VoodooFuneral said:
Here's some pictures of Hilde waiting for her tank to be cleaned (no- she doesn't live in that little Kritter Keeper!)
The spider doesn't live in there.
 

rosehaired1979

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 14, 2003
Messages
2,900
You better hide it because if my husband comes up there he will steal it from you since he was wanting it before the previous owner traded it to Joe LOL. Shes still a beauty :D
 
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