H. lividum

[tarantula_tom]

I asked this before sometime ago and got no response. My lividum has now almost completely gotten a bald opisthosoma. Before, it was sort of in small patches, and after tonight finally catching it out for the first time in a while, it is completely bald almost to the pedicel. I was thinking that maybe this is just intermolt, but i'm not sure. More like hoping its intermolt and nothing seriously wrong.

 

[Sheri]

I asked this before sometime ago and got no response. My lividum has now almost completely gotten a bald opisthosoma. Before, it was sort of in small patches, and after tonight finally catching it out for the first time in a while, it is completely bald almost to the pedicel. I was thinking that maybe this is just intermolt, but i'm not sure. More like hoping its intermolt and nothing seriously wrong.

What kind of substrate are you using?
Doesn't seem right to me...

 

[Tony]

Definitely not right..Perhaps you've got a bad case of mites and the spider is seriously irritated in it's burrow...Is it spending more time outside?
T

 

[Lopez]

Sounds like it's stressed.

 

[tarantula_tom]

I use 6-8 inches of peat moss. No, it stays hidden for a while in its hide. Sometimes its been weeks before I can even spot a leg, or catch it out. It has tried to burrow a few times and just gives up and goes back to the hide. I've thought of adding soil to the peat, but it doesnt show interest in burrowing. It starts the hole, goes so far, and then stops, like it has to sleep before it does anything else, and then leaves it and goes back to the hide. And sometime later, ends up filling the hole back up. Eats fine, though I've been feeding cautious lately since I thought the small patches was a sign of intermolt. And I usually can catch it out late night after/before it drinks. I dont think its mites, or at least I hope not. I dont keep the cage very moist. I might mist once every 2 weeks or so, sometimes maybe longer. A nice sized water dish, with some ventilation closed off for humidity.

 

[Scott C.]

I had an old worlder I was keeping exactly as told by more experienced people than myself that was going bald. I was told that it was because of stress. The T molted relatively soon after baldness started, and though being kept exactly the same, has never developed another bald spot. It has even molted again....
About burrowing problems... You could use black pvc cut in half to make a deep burrow. I have two blues and they both love it. I know because I never see them.

 

[tarantula_tom]

Thanks. I might try that if it seems too "lazy" to dig on its own. I just now came from feeding everyone, and its eating. And somehow I have managed to exaggerate the balding. I swear it looked worse the other night, or I'm not seeing all of it from its hide. But tonight the balding looked like a smooth baby but on the rear half of the opisthosoma above the spinnerets.

 

[tarantula_tom]

Thought I would update on my lividum. Everything is still the same. Get this... I even tried to dig a little burrow in the corner to see if it would finish it... nope. It pushed the substrate back!! Completely filled it back in. I guess its happy in its hide. Still no molt either. Been eating fine. Still no clue as to what the bald patches are.