Nhandu tripepii strange behaviour

[blakki73]

Hi,

I'm facing lately a strange behaviour from my n. Tripepii sling: it always hangs out in the entrance of its borrow (pics attached) with the front legs and carapace out and the rest in, like it's waiting for food, but its abdomen is pretty plump and it doesn't accept any kind of prey; I tried baby dubias, chopped superworms or baby crickets, but no success, and previously it took any kind of food.

Last time it ate was 7 days ago, so it might be in premolt, but then I would expect from it a more reclusive behaviour, instead it's always there at the entrance.

The big issue is that when I tried to feed it a baby dubia he didn't take it and the roach went inside the borrow (it was displaying the behaviour even before that, so I guess it's not the reason), so I'm scared that if it does molt it's going to be a problem.

Hopefully it's nothing, but you know, as a relatively new keeper that encounters this for the first time I'm stressed about it .

Thanks for the answers in advance.

 

[Andrea82]

I would take out the dubia, especially if you're expecting a molt.
About the behaviour, Theraphosidae are weird sometimes, it doesn't sound worrying at all
Welcome to Arachnoboards

 

[blakki73]

I would take out the dubia, especially if you're expecting a molt.
About the behaviour, Theraphosidae are weird sometimes, it doesn't sound worrying at all
Welcome to Arachnoboards

To take the dubia out I necessarily need to destroy it's borrow though, it digged deep in the substrate

 

[Andrea82]

To take the dubia out I necessarily need to destroy it's borrow though, it digged deep in the substrate

The spider will make a new one, don't worry. Next time crush the head of the feeder so it can't burrow

 

[Nightstalker47]

Hi,

I'm facing lately a strange behaviour from my n. Tripepii sling: it always hangs out in the entrance of its borrow (pics attached) with the front legs and carapace out and the rest in, like it's waiting for food, but its abdomen is pretty plump and it doesn't accept any kind of prey; I tried baby dubias, chopped superworms or baby crickets, but no success, and previously it took any kind of food.

Last time it ate was 7 days ago, so it might be in premolt, but then I would expect from it a more reclusive behaviour, instead it's always there at the entrance.

The big issue is that when I tried to feed it a baby dubia he didn't take it and the roach went inside the borrow (it was displaying the behaviour even before that, so I guess it's not the reason), so I'm scared that if it does molt it's going to be a problem.

Hopefully it's nothing, but you know, as a relatively new keeper that encounters this for the first time I'm stressed about it .

Thanks for the answers in advance.

Enclosure looks too dry. This species should be kept moist, especially slings.
Moisten down the sub.

Never known N.tripepii to refuse a meal, most likely pre molt.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Never known N.tripepii to refuse a meal, most likely pre molt.

Any Nhandu that refuses food is either dead or in pre-moult

 

[blakki73]

I did as follow: since I didn't wanna change his enclosure and the dubia was so tiny that it would be impossible to find without messing everything up, I digged the spider out of his borrow, filled the hole with soil and packed it down firmly.

The little nhandu couldn't even climb the plastic, so I guess he's definitely in premolt.

After I placed the bark again and made a starter borrow in the opposite side of its previous one. I also misted as suggested.

As a bonus, here's a pic of the little bugger:



Thanks for your help as always, and I hope I didn't stress him out so much, I'm going to update as soon as I get the molt!

 

[Nightstalker47]

I did as follow: since I didn't wanna change his enclosure and the dubia was so tiny that it would be impossible to find without messing everything up, I digged the spider out of his borrow, filled the hole with soil and packed it down firmly.

The little nhandu couldn't even climb the plastic, so I guess he's definitely in premolt.

After I placed the bark again and made a starter borrow in the opposite side of its previous one. I also misted as suggested.

As a bonus, here's a pic of the little bugger:

View attachment 266536

Thanks for your help as always, and I hope I didn't stress him out so much, I'm going to update as soon as I get the molt!

Nice job, in the future no need to mist. You can pour water directly into the sub, it will seep down and stay moist far longer that way.