Kinda Urgent... Tarantula acting out of character

[Archer960]

Today I looked in my A. Chalcodes (female) enclosure and she was chilling on a side she never goes on (she normally just stays in her hide and that’s it). She has blocked off her hide with dirt that looks like to have been suspended by dirt but I don’t know how she got it to cover it all up. The first pic below is her in the corner doing god knows what and the second pic is what she did to her hide. I’m probably over reacting but idk I’m just mega paranoid. Also she hasn’t eaten in like 2 weeks so maybe she’s looking for food? Any suggestions to what’s going on with her would really help!

 

[tewebag]

If a tarantula is sealed away, leave it alone. They are not like people and can go a surprising long time without food, just keep water supplied, leave it alone and it will come out when it's ready possibly even molted.

You also don't need that humidity gage, it's not a reptile.

 

[Archer960]

That’s a good point but it’s not in its hide it’s outside in the top left corner in the first image

 

[tewebag]

That’s a good point but it’s not in its hide it’s outside in the top left corner in the first image

Just a tarantula doing tarantula things then, not sure on the size of it but adult Aphonopelmas can easily go several months without eating. I currently have one on a five month refusal of food and it's still fat and happy.

 

[Archer960]

ok Now that I look at her more it looks like she got stuck between that branch.... should I try to move the branch? Idk if she’s actually stuck tho bc I discovered her in this position like 30mins ago

 

[Drizzliz]

Doesn't seem like you have anything to worry about. Spider looks plump, possibly beginning to enter early pre-molt; its totally normal for it to not be interested in eating. I have had spiders much smaller than that go months without eating. Spiders can mess around with their enclosure out of nowhere and its not really anything to be worried about. Make sure to keep up with providing water, especially if its not eating.

 

[Liquifin]

Acting like it does really doesn't seem like an issue and it's most likely T. doing its own thing.

But... Is that really an A. chalcodes? Those back legs are dark for an A. chalcodes. I'd say it's either going premolt, a MM, or another species. Can you get a picture of the T. entirely?? I could be wrong, but I'm just curious.

 

[Vanessa]

All my Aphonopelma species from the states go into almost a hibernation mode from about October to March. They barricade themselves in, they do lots of digging, and they don't eat. I've also had tarantulas seal up their hide and sit outside of it - it's bizarre, but seems pretty normal.
I was so hoping that this meant that this girl was moulting, because I have a mature male waiting for her...

 

[Archer960]

Liquifin it’s probably just the lighting but ya she’s an A chalcodes. The pic is like the only good one I have of her and it was before she molted like 2 months ago. When she did molt she had a flap between the top book lungs which is what I heard identifies it as a female

 

[Vanessa]

Liquifin it’s probably just the lighting but ya she’s an A chalcodes. The pic is like the only good one I have of her and it was before she molted like 2 months ago. When she did molt she had a flap between the top book lungs which is what I heard identifies it as a female

That first photo does look very male to me as well - both the colouring and the fact that that much hair is gone when they just moulted a couple of months ago. Do you still have the moult? Are you able to post a photo?

 

[Archer960]

That first photo does look very male to me as well - both the colouring and the fact that that much hair is gone when they just moulted a couple of months ago. Do you still have the moult? Are you able to post a photo?

No I don’t have a photo of the molt but here’s a better pic of her, im pretty confident she is a girl bc of the molt I looked at

 

[Vanessa]

No I don’t have a photo of the molt but here’s a better pic of her, im pretty confident she is a girl bc of the molt I looked at

Yes, this photo does not look like a mature male.

 

[viper69]

Kinda Urgent > is like when your girlfriend is kinda pregnant?