Confusion over death

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
1,423
This is the first time in nearly 10+ years in the hobby that I've had this happen, and I'm troubled enough to post about it.

I recently lost my B.smithi, who I'm fairly certain was a male, and approximately 5-7 years old. (While I'm not well versed in sexing, I've had several members take a look at the exuvium. The consensus was male.)

He was acting sluggish, but occasionally eating and moving around the terrarium. Temperature (75-80 F), humidity (low) was well within acceptable range for a B.smithi, and he had been in a regular diet of one cricket per week. At the time of death, there was no signs of tibial spurs, nor palpal bulbs. Due to his age, I'm puzzled by the lack of these, followed by a death.There was no "death curl", no mites, ideal conditions, water bowl changed. Utter confusion.

I just literally don't get it. Any experienced keepers deal with confusing deaths?
 

Arachnomaniac19

Arachnolord
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
652
Probably a natural death. Their lifespan is compiled by the average age of death. Not all Ts live to that average age and some will go far beyond it. Until we learn more about their health that's all I can give you. If any of your other Ts start to act like that, separate them.
 

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
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Jan 25, 2008
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The matter of confusion was more in that my male tarantula never had an ultimate molt. Usually death occurs after.
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
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Aug 18, 2012
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712
The matter of confusion was more in that my male tarantula never had an ultimate molt. Usually death occurs after.
Usually death occurs after. But some die beforehand. Some die as slings. On rare occasions, some males have survived post-ultimate molts. As with any creature, health and lifespan varies.
 

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
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Correct, but there's a reason.

Slings don't die as slings for the heck of it, there's a reason.

I'm seeking that reason.
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
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Aug 18, 2012
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712
Correct, but there's a reason.

Slings don't die as slings for the heck of it, there's a reason.

I'm seeking that reason.
You'd have better luck finding a needle in a haystack. Narrowing it down to whatever that reason may be is likely beyond your (our) current human understanding without any obvious symptoms to diagnose. There are too many variable possibilities: it could've been genetics, an internal organ could've failed, a disease, there's really just no way of knowing. There's a reason tarantulas generally have such large egg sacs/have so many eggs: to account for all of the losses that will occur among the slings and juveniles over time, and ensure that at least some will survive to adulthood.
 

cold blood

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You'd have better luck finding a needle in a haystack. Narrowing it down to whatever that reason may be is likely beyond your (our) current human understanding without any obvious symptoms to diagnose. There are too many variable possibilities: it could've been genetics, an internal organ could've failed, a disease, there's really just no way of knowing. There's a reason tarantulas generally have such large egg sacs/have so many eggs: to account for all of the losses that will occur among the slings and juveniles over time, and ensure that at least some will survive to adulthood.
Right, if every one survived south America would be taken over by lp's...Africa would fall to an orange blur of OBT's.
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
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Sep 14, 2014
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2,009
I'm so sorry about your T loss.
As others have stated, sometimes Ts just die. People die -- including infants and little children who had good homes and received proper nutrition and medical care.
I don't think we know enough about Ts yet to what diseases they may be susceptible to. A sad hospice Dx is simply 'failure to thrive.'
I wish you could find your answer, to say "it was this" but you will probably never know the whys or hows.
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
712
Pretty sure most OBTs in the wild are black. Maybe an older hobbyist could confirm that?
Huh? Where did you come up with this? There are several CFs in the wild. There is a DCF in some locales, but I wouldn't necessarily call it black.
 

El Consciente

Arachnopeon
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Jan 13, 2015
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28
I don't think there's anything necessarily unusual about this case. The lifespan of the average male B. smithi does fall around the 5-8 year mark, and you indicate that the environmental conditions were appropriate and under control so death by improper keeping doesn't seem likely to me. B. smithis are quite hardy as is. As mentioned above, there will be a high degree of variability surrounding the circumstances of animal death, so determining the factors at play might not be a possibility...and that's ok.

Death curls occur because hemolymph is no longer being hydraulically pumped into the appendage to extend it when death occurs, resulting in an indefinite state of contraction. Terrestrial tarantulas have tarsal hooks on the end of their final leg segments that grip the substrate, so it's not impossible for the force maintained by the grip to exceed that of the hemolymph leaving the leg of the dying spider, keeping the legs in an outward (extended) position.

All this said, I'm terribly sorry for your loss my friend. We've all been there!
 
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