Male A. merianae - Advice needed

Thekla

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Messages
1,878
Hi,

for the first time since I started keeping Ts, I believe I have a serious problem on my hands. :anxious:

My male A. merianae always was kind of a reclusive one, almost always hiding in his web castle, but since he went into premoult about 3 months ago I never saw him again outside of said web castle. I didn't worry too much, because, well, that's what he does. About 4 weeks ago I discovered that he moulted (I could see the moult through the webbing), so I let him be and waited for him to come out for food/water/whatever. So, I kept the water dish full and occasionally sprayed down the sides of the enclosure above his web for easy drinking opportunities. But I never saw him outside. No legs at the entrance, no movement inside, nothing. At some point I even started to suspect he had escaped somehow and had a careful peek inside the web... and at least saw a leg, so, I knew he was still in there.

Another couple of weeks went by and today I had enough, I needed some clarity. So, I carefully cut his web open at the lower entrance (or what once has been an entrance) right where the moult was and retrieved the moult which looked all right. Then I looked inside the web and saw a toe/leg. I tried to get some reaction by very slightly poking him with my brush. But there was almost no reaction, just some very slow movement. It seemed as if he tried to grab the brush with its toe, but it was very weak? Sluggish? I could see his tarsal claws moving, but that's about it. I can't see if he's curled up or anything, I only see one or maybe two legs.

I'm not sure what to do now. Should I try to get him out of his web? I would have to basically cut him out, but if he indeed never came out to drink after his moult he could be severely dehydrated. What would you do? :confused:

This is his enclosure, including his web castle he built at the lower side of it:
20190522_enclosure.jpg

And this is the tunnel I cut open. Sorry, there's no chance to take a picture of him (not even his legs) from this angle. He sits somewhere behind the fake flower. And I can't see anything from the other side either, not even with my torch, the web is too thick.
20190522_open.jpg
 

Arachnophoric

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
947
Hi,

for the first time since I started keeping Ts, I believe I have a serious problem on my hands. :anxious:

My male A. merianae always was kind of a reclusive one, almost always hiding in his web castle, but since he went into premoult about 3 months ago I never saw him again outside of said web castle. I didn't worry too much, because, well, that's what he does. About 4 weeks ago I discovered that he moulted (I could see the moult through the webbing), so I let him be and waited for him to come out for food/water/whatever. So, I kept the water dish full and occasionally sprayed down the sides of the enclosure above his web for easy drinking opportunities. But I never saw him outside. No legs at the entrance, no movement inside, nothing. At some point I even started to suspect he had escaped somehow and had a careful peek inside the web... and at least saw a leg, so, I knew he was still in there.

Another couple of weeks went by and today I had enough, I needed some clarity. So, I carefully cut his web open at the lower entrance (or what once has been an entrance) right where the moult was and retrieved the moult which looked all right. Then I looked inside the web and saw a toe/leg. I tried to get some reaction by very slightly poking him with my brush. But there was almost no reaction, just some very slow movement. It seemed as if he tried to grab the brush with its toe, but it was very weak? Sluggish? I could see his tarsal claws moving, but that's about it. I can't see if he's curled up or anything, I only see one or maybe two legs.

I'm not sure what to do now. Should I try to get him out of his web? I would have to basically cut him out, but if he indeed never came out to drink after his moult he could be severely dehydrated. What would you do? :confused:

This is his enclosure, including his web castle he built at the lower side of it:
View attachment 309283

And this is the tunnel I cut open. Sorry, there's no chance to take a picture of him (not even his legs) from this angle. He sits somewhere behind the fake flower. And I can't see anything from the other side either, not even with my torch, the web is too thick.
View attachment 309284
I guess I would start by trying to spritz water into his web. If he molted that long ago though, he should have hardened by now and while it'd suck to destroy his webbing, he can always rebuild that. So if you do put some water into his webbing but he still doesn't come down to drink, I'd open up the web to see what you're dealing with.
 

Thekla

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Messages
1,878
Thanks! I tried to pool some water right at the lower entrance at first, but that water disappeared into the substrate. Now, I cut open a portion of the upper end and dribbled some water right into his web. Normally, I'd expect some kind of jerky reaction, but he just sat there. So, I opened up the web a bit further and could at least see his front legs... and they're not curled up! *phew* When I carefully tried to touch one of his toes with my brush he kinda reached out to it, slowly, but he definitely moved up a bit. Still, that's just a really odd reaction.

20190522_still alive.jpg
I guess, I just spritz a bit more water onto the sides (where his front legs are) and wait if he perks up a bit. Or is there anything else I should do right now?
 

Arachnophoric

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
947
I guess, I just spritz a bit more water onto the sides (where his front legs are) and wait if he perks up a bit. Or is there anything else I should do right now?
I'd just start there for the moment, only other thing I could think to do is offer him food, but I'd give him a chance to get hydrated first.
 

Thekla

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Messages
1,878
Just had a last quick look at him for today (it's getting late here ;)), and what can I say? He was halfway out of his web, grooming! :astonished: Well, he probably got some water right in the face... ;) but it's good to see him moving again, and way more lively and coordinated than before. He then retreated back into his web, but before he went I also realised that he hooked out. :wacky: But to be fair I expected as much with this moult.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna try to feed him. We shall see. ;)
 

Thekla

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Messages
1,878
Just a little update:

So, after I sort of cut him out of his web, he's now out of his den almost all of the time, hanging comfortably on the side of his enclosure.
20190523_outside.jpg

He even started to expand his webbing... right at the door, of course. :rolleyes:
20190526_new webbing.jpg

He hasn't eaten yet, but as his abdomen looks healthy, that's okay.

He also lost his skittishness completely. Normally, he would run and hide as soon as I entered the room. Now, he sits there and let me take pictures (with flash) and doesn't even react to my torch.
But I still find it strange, that he's acting more normal now after I basically cut him out of his webbing. o_O Could it be that he actually couldn't free himself after his moult? That he was too weak and maybe too dehydrated to do so? The webbing really was quite strong, I needed scissors to cut it open.
 

Arachnophoric

Arachnoangel
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
947
He also lost his skittishness completely. Normally, he would run and hide as soon as I entered the room. Now, he sits there and let me take pictures (with flash) and doesn't even react to my torch.
One of my favorite things when skittish juvies start putting on some size and become more bold. :)

But I still find it strange, that he's acting more normal now after I basically cut him out of his webbing. o_O Could it be that he actually couldn't free himself after his moult? That he was too weak and maybe too dehydrated to do so? The webbing really was quite strong, I needed scissors to cut it open.
I find myself doubtful that's what was going on - his fangs should easily be able to pierce his own webbing unless they got deformed when he molted, but your photo shows that's clearly not the case.

Who knows why he didn't come out on his own. Spiders usually know how to spider, but nobody said they were smart. :rofl:

Or maybe he was just feeling self conscious in his new outfit. :troll:
 
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