G. Rosea in partial death curl.

[Tristian]

My Rosehair tarantula has been curled up in the "Death Curl" for about a month. I’ve had her since last May and she's about half her full size, and she’s my first. She hasn't molted since I had her and she started acting weird about a month and a half ago. She would run around her tank like she didn’t want her feet touching the bedding, She looked like she was about to molt about a month ago but when I checked on her she was curled up, I reached in and touched her and she was stiff, I thought she was dead. A few hours later I saw that she was moving very little. Her spinnerets moved a lot and her legs occasionally moved a little, but she was curled up really tight. I put her in a small ICU with a damp paper towel, upside-down by the way. I occasionally drip a little bit of water over her mouth. The next day she seemed to be uncurled somewhat, but still no where near normal. She moved her legs a little more than before too. She is responsive to touch. She seems to be trying to stand but it’s like her legs are stuck but she won’t respond. And she's been like that ever since.

 

[Nightstalker47]

Sluggish behavior is quite normal in pre molt. I think you may have interrupted the molting process, that or it is very near judging by the darkened abdomen.

Remove it from the ICU and place it back into the enclosure. Keep her water bowl full and hope she molts overnight.

 

[Tristian]

Sluggish behavior is quite normal in pre molt. I think you may have interrupted the molting process, that or it is very near judging by the darkened abdomen.

Remove it from the ICU and place it back into the enclosure. Keep her water bowl full and hope she molts overnight.

I don't think I interrupted a molt, she wasn't upside down when I first observed her in a death curl. She was stiff and unresponsive for a while at that time I thought she died. Luckily I decided to not discard her until she started to stink. She's been like this since late January, and I never heard of a molt that takes over a month. Also I did put her back in her enclosure about a week after I first put her in an ICU, but her conditioned seemed to get worse as she can'not walk, so the only way she can get water is if i drip some in her mouth. The most she's moved in the past month was her legs and fangs opening and closing. Also as strange as it sounds, her abdomen was only half it's current size when she first started exhibiting this behavior. The last time she ate was last October.

 

[Ungoliant]

Also as strange as it sounds, her abdomen was only half it's current size when she first started exhibiting this behavior. The last time she ate was last October.

Is it possible that she is impacted? Have you seen her poop?

 

[cold blood]

Pics and description of set up.

Are you adding a supplemental heat source?

 

[cold blood]

She would run around her tank like she didn’t want her feet touching the bedding

This could be indicative of poisoning.

 

[Tristian]

Pics and description of set up.

Are you adding a supplemental heat source?

I had her in a rather large 10g fish tank, but it never seemed to bother her too much. There's a half log tunnel where she spent most of her time. There's a upside-down 3/4"deep lid for her water-dish. There is no supplemental source of heat, and the substrate is primarily wood chips and purple sand which she came with when I bought her. I know neither are good substrates and I plan on replacing it with coconut fiber soil when and if she recovers. But she never seemed particularly uncomfortable with it until about 2 weeks before she entered the near death like state she is in now. I took out the bedding to see if that would help but it didn't. This is how it looked when I first got her.

 

[Tristian]

Is it possible that she is impacted? Have you seen her poop?

I have, she poops out a white liquid every now and then.

 

[Tristian]

This could be indicative of poisoning.

I never fed her anything caught in the wild, only pet-store bought crickets, and her enclosure isn't near anything that could poison her either.

 

[cold blood]

I had her in a rather large 10g fish tank, but it never seemed to bother her too much. There's a half log tunnel where she spent most of her time. There's a upside-down 3/4"deep lid for her water-dish. There is no supplemental source of heat, and the substrate is primarily wood chips and purple sand which she came with when I bought her. I know neither are good substrates and I plan on replacing it with coconut fiber soil when and if she recovers. But she never seemed particularly uncomfortable with it until about 2 weeks before she entered the near death like state she is in now. I took out the bedding to see if that would help but it didn't. This is how it looked when I first got her. View attachment 268530

Yeah, the set up is terrible. That hide would be too big for the largest tarantula species on the planet....but this species doesn't use hides much in captivity, so its not a real issue.

Size of the enclosure is also a non-issue...its big, but its not going to cause harm...What will cause harm is the distance to the top. To use that enclosure you would need to fill it 3/4 of the way with substrate.

She could have very easily had a bad fall.

I never fed her anything caught in the wild, only pet-store bought crickets, and her enclosure isn't near anything that could poison her either.

Well no poisoning is with intent. But if those wood chips are from something with natural repellent, like cedar for example...long term exposure could take a toll. Same for the sand, who knows where its from and what dyes are in it to make it that color.

One thing to keep in mind, if its in the cage, it will end up in the ts mouth at some point.

How big is it? Actually looks full grown, but hard to tell without proper perspective.

 

[Ungoliant]

I have, she poops out a white liquid every now and then.

Then I am inclined to think she may have been exposed to something toxic.

I never fed her anything caught in the wild, only pet-store bought crickets, and her enclosure isn't near anything that could poison her either.

Has anyone treated your home with pesticide? What sorts of cleaners are used in the room where she is kept? I would also be suspicious of the wood chips and purple sand.

I would clean the enclosure thoroughly (to prevent ongoing exposure if the enclosure has been contaminated), replacing everything in it. For the hide, get a piece of cork and partially bury it. For substrate, use plain topsoil and/or coco fiber. Make sure the distance between the top of the substrate and the bottom of the lid does not exceed 1.5 times her diagonal leg span. (That way, if she does recover and climbs, she can't fall too far.)

This may not solve the problem if it's not poisoning or if she is too far gone, but at least proper substrate will make her more comfortable.

 

[Tristian]

Yeah, the set up is terrible. That hide would be too big for the largest tarantula species on the planet....but this species doesn't use hides much in captivity, so its not a real issue.

Size of the enclosure is also a non-issue...its big, but its not going to cause harm...What will cause harm is the distance to the top. To use that enclosure you would need to fill it 3/4 of the way with substrate.

She could have very easily had a bad fall.





Well no poisoning is with intent. But if those wood chips are from something with natural repellent, like cedar for example...long term exposure could take a toll. Same for the sand, who knows where its from and what dyes are in it to make it that color.

One thing to keep in mind, if its in the cage, it will end up in the ts mouth at some point.

How big is it? Actually looks full grown, but hard to tell without proper perspective.

She doesn't have any external injuries, and she's definitely not fully grown, there were other Rosies about 1.25-1.5 times her size where I got her.

 

[viper69]

Maybe the purple took a toll on her, who knows.

 

[cold blood]

She doesn't have any external injuries, and she's definitely not fully grown, there were other Rosies about 1.25-1.5 times her size where I got her. View attachment 268532

So how big???

 

[Nightstalker47]

She could have very easily had a bad fall.

I think this is most likely, especially since it had been avoiding the sub.

The underside of the abdomen also looks quite damaged in the last picture.

 

[KezyGLA]

I wouldnt use woodchips as you can see she has lost a chunk of setae on the underside of her abdomen where has been rubbing off them. They may cause an injury that could prove fatal at some point. And as CB said, you need much more substrate in that enclosure.

I suspect your T has had a fall that has resulted in an internal injury of some sort. This seems the most likely scenario.

 

[Paul1126]

OP when you purchased the T, what went through your mind when buying the sub? Why did you think purple sand was the best option? surely a lot more expensive than top soil or even coco fibre.
My mind is boggled, I was told before I even got a T that sand is a nono.

Edit: I just read the post properly, that is how she came, but still the first thing I would do is change out the sub.

 

[Tristian]

So how big???

Her leg span is roughly 2.5" or 64mm

 

[Tristian]

OP when you purchased the T, what went through your mind when buying the sub? Why did you think purple sand was the best option? surely a lot more expensive than top soil or even coco fibre.
My mind is boggled, I was told before I even got a T that sand is a nono.

Edit: I just read the post properly, that is how she came, but still the first thing I would do is change out the sub.

I didn't buy the substrate the guy that sold her to me gave me it with her and said that's what he was using.

 

[Tristian]

I think this is most likely, especially since it had been avoiding the sub.

The underside of the abdomen also looks quite damaged in the last picture.

That white marking is her poop