Arizona Blonde (aphonopelma chalcodes) Hunger Strike?

[JustAnotherOne1]

Greetings fellow arachnid lovers,
I'm have a problem with my Arizona blonde. It's my first tarantula and I've had it for almost a year now. I can't identify it as a male or female because I bought it as an adult and the store didn't know either. It stopped eating about two months after I had it and has been fasting for around 8 months now. The abdomen has shrunk significantly and is unproportionate. It's also wrinkled/shriveled from being dehydrated because I thought my brother was watering them but he hasn't been in the last 2-3 weeks. It still hasn't eaten anything and I've tried mealworms, superworms, roaches, and crickets of all sizes... I'm starting to wonder if it's a male tarantula approaching the end of its life cycle as I do not know how old it is. Even though it has not eaten in close to 8 months, it is still pretty active at night despite it losing weight. Anyone have any clue?

 

[antinous]

Fill up the water bowl ASAP and possibly give it a larger one. Shame on your brother for not sticking to his word. Aphonopelma are notorious for going on hunger strikes, but the only thing you can do is keep offering it food everyday. It could be in premolt, the abdomen looks dark, but not too sure since it is shriveled.

 

[Teal]

Provide a full water dish ASAP.

The parts we need to see to identify a mature male are the front set of legs and palps.

The hunger strike isn't an issue. I have an A. chalcodes who regularly doesn't eat for 6+ month spans of time. But your T's abdomen is VERY worrisome.

 

[Sonorantree]

Based on the color, it is not an adult male. It is either an adult female, or an immature male (they are colored the same). Make sure there is always a water dish available and try some food every week or so. Eventually it will eat! I find that mine are good eaters and are not picky.

 

[Thekla]

It can't eat when it's dehydrated! So, providing water is the most important thing right now. Place a shallow water dish right beside it. If it lets you you can try to put its mouth parts directly into the water.

 

[Teal]

It can't eat when it's dehydrated! So, providing water is the most important thing right now. Place a shallow water dish right beside it. If it lets you you can try to put its mouth parts directly into the water.

I don't recommend instructing a novice owner to attempt putting a T's mouth parts on water simply because the T might startle... a novice owner might act reflextively and injure the spider, or be bitten.

Placing a full water dish directly in front of the T (use tongs) should be good if the spider is mobile at all.

If the spider is completely immobile, you'll need to gently turn him/her over and put a drop of water onto the mouth (at the bottom of the fangs). I would recommend turning them by using a bit of cardboard gently slid underneath, and dropping the water with a dropper or spoon.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Greetings fellow arachnid lovers,
I'm have a problem with my Arizona blonde. It's my first tarantula and I've had it for almost a year now. I can't identify it as a male or female because I bought it as an adult and the store didn't know either. It stopped eating about two months after I had it and has been fasting for around 8 months now. The abdomen has shrunk significantly and is unproportionate. It's also wrinkled/shriveled from being dehydrated because I thought my brother was watering them but he hasn't been in the last 2-3 weeks. It still hasn't eaten anything and I've tried mealworms, superworms, roaches, and crickets of all sizes... I'm starting to wonder if it's a male tarantula approaching the end of its life cycle as I do not know how old it is. Even though it has not eaten in close to 8 months, it is still pretty active at night despite it losing weight. Anyone have any clue?

They can probably go 2 years or so without food , does it have male pedialps?
Get it some water ASAP!

 

[boina]

That very much looks like a mature male in an unsuitable setup. @Sonorantree - A. chalcodes males have exactly this color, what are you talking about? Not all Aphonopelma males are black.

The leggi-ness is a strong indicator of a male as is the darker carapace color and the overall washed out colors. This is a mature male at the end of its life.

OP, do you have any other tarantulas? Because keeping a tarantula on sand is a really bad idea that amounts to tarantula torture...

 

[KezyGLA]

Is it wild caught? Has it moulted in your care?

I have to agree with the others. The setup is really bad.

 

[boina]

Is it wild caught? Has it moulted in your care?

I have to agree with the others. The setup is really bad.

You dont think it's a mature male? Why?

 

[KezyGLA]

You dont think it's a mature male? Why?

To me it just doesnt look to be MM chalcodes.

They are veeeeeery leggy and dark.

I understand colours fade. But the femurs on this specimen seem darker Than the patella and tibia. Which would be like immature male or female specimen.

 

[boina]

To me it just doesnt look to be MM chalcodes.

They are veeeeeery leggy and dark.

I understand colours fade. But the femurs on this specimen seem darker Than the patella and tibia. Which would be like immature male or female specimen.

Interesting. Now we need a pic of the pedipalps.

 

[Teal]

You dont think it's a mature male? Why?

I don't think it is, either... even if MM chalcodes are this lightly coloured, that spider just doesn't look like a mature male (it looks too stocky, not leggy with a smallee body to leg ratio/etc).

 

[Sonorantree]

That very much looks like a mature male in an unsuitable setup. @Sonorantree - A. chalcodes males have exactly this color, what are you talking about? Not all Aphonopelma males are black.

The leggi-ness is a strong indicator of a male as is the darker carapace color and the overall washed out colors. This is a mature male at the end of its life.

OP, do you have any other tarantulas? Because keeping a tarantula on sand is a really bad idea that amounts to tarantula torture...

I live in their habitat, and keep them. The subject spider doesn't have mature male colors. Check the revision of the genus if you want to see some photos. The subject spider doesn't have black legs like a mature male. What are you talking about?

 

[boina]

I live in their habitat, and keep them. The subject spider doesn't have mature male colors. Check the revision of the genus if you want to see some photos. The subject spider doesn't have black legs like a mature male. What are you talking about?

Sorry. I've been told by several people now that I was wrong. I don't keep a MM myself and I'm sorry for reacting like that. I made a mistake.

 

[Sonorantree]

Sorry. I've been told by several people now that I was wrong. I don't keep a MM myself and I'm sorry for reacting like that. I made a mistake.

You're forgiven! I make mistakes and misunderstand things as well.

 

[viper69]

It's also wrinkled/shriveled from being dehydrated because I thought my brother was watering them but he hasn't been in the last 2-3 weeks.

With a healthy adult, it would take more than 2-3 weeks to be dehydrated if temps are around 70-75F daily. Something is right here....

 

[boina]

Something is right here....

You mean 'isn't right'?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Greetings fellow arachnid lovers,
I'm have a problem with my Arizona blonde. It's my first tarantula and I've had it for almost a year now. I can't identify it as a male or female because I bought it as an adult and the store didn't know either. It stopped eating about two months after I had it and has been fasting for around 8 months now. The abdomen has shrunk significantly and is unproportionate. It's also wrinkled/shriveled from being dehydrated because I thought my brother was watering them but he hasn't been in the last 2-3 weeks. It still hasn't eaten anything and I've tried mealworms, superworms, roaches, and crickets of all sizes... I'm starting to wonder if it's a male tarantula approaching the end of its life cycle as I do not know how old it is. Even though it has not eaten in close to 8 months, it is still pretty active at night despite it losing weight. Anyone have any clue?

What have you been feeding it? Could you try another foods type?
Some refuse to eat dubia. You might need deeper substrate or more confortable enclosure for her.

 

[JustAnotherOne1]

So I changed the substrate out into coco fiber and filled its water bowl every day. It's been drinking out a lot and I'm told it's a wild caught arizona blonde. The abdomen looks a lot better now. At first I thought that the water was just evaporating too fast, but filled two bowls and noticed one emptied faster than the other. Also it's even more active now trying to get out. I'm assuming it's a male trying to find a mate. I have some close pictures of it. Can anyone confirm if its a male or female? I think these are the hooks on its pedipalps but I'm not sure. It still hasn't eaten anything and I've tried dubias, crickets, meal worms, super worms.