haplopelma schmidti dead!please read

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

My h.schmidti female (black morph) dropped dead on me today.I have had her for 3 yrs.She had a 5.5in legspan. She was raised from a sling from w.c parents.I noticed 3 days ago she looked unusually weak and slow.She molted about 2 months ago.Her legs were sort of curled under but not like a death curl.she was a bit wobbly and when i came home today she was on her back apparently from rolling over.I examined her chelicerae and posterior for the signs of nematode infestation.All is clear,has anyone else experienced this.Btw she had a full waterdish and was feeding well.Any info would be helpful as I am pissed,she was one of my fav. girls!

 

[tarantula_tom]

Sorry for your loss. Was it possible that she could have fallen from climbing in the tank? If the distance between the substrate and the top of the cage is greater than her leg span that might be what happened.

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

Tom,i don't beleive she fell she is not in a deep cage and she had a nice burrow.I am clueless to what happened.

 

[tarantula_tom]

Then its probably been a parasite passed on from her WC parents. I've read that WC H. schmidti are quite often imported with some kind of parasite. Also heard that WC black forms are harder to keep in captivity, that they die usually very soon, but you had yours for 3 years and raised from a sling even. So its most likely its been a nasty parasite.

 

[Catherine]

I'm sorry about your loss. It sucks when you lose a T, especially if its one that you've had from a sling. If she was from WC parents, i suppose its possible that it was a parasite, especially if their are no external signs of damage, mites or fungus. I don't really know about parasites, I don't know how long they incubate, or how long they stay inside the host. I suppose it would depend on what sort it was. Could you bring yourself to do an autopsy?

 

[WayneT]

Sorry about your loss If you had her from a sling, even with wc parents I wouldn't think it could be parasitic from the parents. I could be a genetic defect passed on from the parents, maybe? What is the life expectancy on this species anyway?

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input.I am not sure what happened to her she was always a healthy gal.I agree with Wayne,I don't think it was a parasite unless it came in with the crickets.Which is possible,I hate crickets.I wanted to get a roach colony goin,but anytime the girlfriend hears roach she gets freaked out lol.

 

[Nerri1029]

yes sorry to hear that..

Could it have been a new product brought into the house?
new cleaner, air freshener.. ect.

That's my two cents.. it would seem to me.. that a parasite from the parents would have been trouble from the start?? no??

was she vibrant and healthy all along ?

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

Nerri,I have not brought any new cleaners ect.in the house.She was always healthy, good eater ect.Iwas talking to a friend the other day he stated that the gold h.schmidti was a lowland species and the black h.schmidti was ahighland (montane)sp.Maybe i should have cooled her down more during the winter months.Not sure what happened.

 

[MizM]

Are you SURE she was dead? My lividum "died" four about 4-5 hours. I stretched her "body" out in the sun. She would not move, not one bit. I came out a few hours later and stroked her let... it twitched. She came back to life... then molted. WEIRDEST thing I have ever seen... she's doing it again right now.

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

MizM,She just molted 2 months ago so i'm sure she was not in premolt.I let her sit in her cage for a day just to make sure she was gone.I even checked her out before i put her in the freezer.I got absolutely no response.This girl was a hellion.If i would have tried to pick her up she would go nuts.That's a weird story about your lividum.Never heard anything like that before.You should put her in a side show or something!
Later Brian

 

[Randy]

sometimes Ts just die and leaves "???" in our mind.. sorry to hear that

 

[MizM]

I just don't understan my girl at all. She's been in this condition for a week now, hope she either molts or passes away soon, she seems to be suffering.... and I KNOW I am!

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

MizM,can u post a pic?I'd like to see what she is doing.That is weird.Later Brian

 

[MizM]

Here is the whole story with a recent pic.

Had a heck of a time finiding it with forum> sub forum> sub-sub forum....

She's still the same. The movement stops at night when I turn of the light and she cools down, then she starts again when she warms up. Just stretching the legs, celicerae, spinnerettes in a rhythmic motion. WEIRD!!

 

[Malhavoc's]

Deffiently sounds like she needs more heat terri perhaps she was wc from a hotter area?

 

[MizM]

Yeah, Cambodia is a BIT warmer than California!!

 

[Elizabeth]

Is Bodisky not taking Ts that have passed away in for study anymore? I don't see the sticky. (I thought there was one.)

Sorry to hear about the death, but I wish you could find out what caused it.

 

[-=}GA']['OR{=-]

Hey MizM,What happened to the h.lividum?Did she molt?She definately looks like she is in premolt,her chelicerae are really distended.Hope she makes it lividums are damn cool spids.

 

[MizM]

NOPE! She's STILL in what looks like death curl, but still with constant, rhythmic moving!