Son's Brazilian Pink Toe In Molt or Dead?

Ungoliant

Ungoliant

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PidderPeets said:
As I recall, my adult female Avic doesn't eat for at least a month before she molts, and she's even gone a month without eating after molting as well.
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I had a mature female who fasted for 13 months before molting.
 
PidderPeets

PidderPeets

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Ungoliant said:
Yes, Avicularia avicularia.
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That's amazing! I knew most NW terrestrials could handle that no problem, but for some reason I never would've expected Avics to be able to as well. They really are the biggest trolls of the tarantula world
 
Ungoliant

Ungoliant

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PidderPeets said:
That's amazing! I knew most NW terrestrials could handle that no problem, but for some reason I never would've expected Avics to be able to as well. They really are the biggest trolls of the tarantula world
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She was an elderly female. When she first started to reject food, I assumed that she was in pre-molt, but 11 months in, I began to wonder if she was dying of old age, because she was skinny, lethargic, and looked clumsier than normal when she moved. I didn't expect her to molt successfully.

Then I realized that she was no longer going down to her water dish and wondered if she might just be dehydrated. So I reached in and held the water dish up to her level, and she drank for a good five minutes until I could no longer hold that awkward position. So then I mounted a high-level water dish for her, thinking it might be easier for her to find and use, and she took a long drink from that as well.

A week later, she finally molted. And then she molted again 10 months later. After that second molt, she actually seemed to be better than she had been during the previous instar.

A different female Avicularia avicularia -- a juvenile at the time -- also had a long pre-molt fast of 10 months.
 
PidderPeets

PidderPeets

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Ungoliant said:
She was an elderly female. When she first started to reject food, I assumed that she was in pre-molt, but 11 months in, I began to wonder if she was dying of old age, because she was skinny, lethargic, and looked clumsier than normal when she moved. I didn't expect her to molt successfully.

Then I realized that she was no longer going down to her water dish and wondered if she might just be dehydrated. So I reached in and held the water dish up to her level, and she drank for a good five minutes until I could no longer hold that awkward position. So then I mounted a high-level water dish for her, thinking it might be easier for her to find and use, and she took a long drink from that as well.

A week later, she finally molted. And then she molted again 10 months later. After that second molt, she actually seemed to be better than she had been during the previous instar.

A different female Avicularia avicularia -- a juvenile at the time -- also had a long pre-molt fast of 10 months.
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My girl looks and acts like she's dying after just a month or so in premolt, I couldn't imagine her going 13 months. That's good to know though, so I won't panic if she decides to scare me like that. I should also definitely invest in an elevated water bowl for her
 
Ungoliant

Ungoliant

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PidderPeets said:
My girl looks and acts like she's dying after just a month or so in premolt, I couldn't imagine her going 13 months. That's good to know though, so I won't panic if she decides to scare me like that. I should also definitely invest in an elevated water bowl for her
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Avics sometimes seem to forget about their water dishes. I think an elevated dish helps, because they're more likely to rediscover the dish while wandering if it's not on the ground.

Here is the elderly female getting a drink:
 
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Codename Colorado

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Hey guys, back again. We couldn't take it anymore, had to see what's going on. We looked in the log as best we could. Not sure what I'm seeing, but sadly, I think it's dead.
 

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SamanthaMarikian

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Codename Colorado said:
Shes been in there for a month or so. Usually we could see her in there just hangin out being lazy. Now....not so sure shes alive.
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idk much about tarantulas or spiders at all as theyre not my focus sorry. Idk but do they usually smell when they’re dead? Ik some people only see their inverts a few times a year to feed them since they like to hide but idk for sure about spiders and the like especially with their molts. Maybe on the off chance you caught her as shes molting? Is she on her back?
 
korg

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Can't really say much from these photos... if it's been in a weird position on its back in one spot for a month that would be a really bad sign. Hopefully things work out and it is just scrunched up or hiding.
 
SamanthaMarikian

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korg said:
Can't really say much from these photos... if it's been in a weird position on its back in one spot for a month that would be a really bad sign. Hopefully things work out and it is just scrunched up or hiding.
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yea i was hoping he just caught it mid molt n its been hiding for a month
 
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Codename Colorado

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korg said:
Can't really say much from these photos... if it's been in a weird position on its back in one spot for a month that would be a really bad sign. Hopefully things work out and it is just scrunched up or hiding.
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It hasnt been like it is in the picture for a month. We saw it in there a week or so ago and it was just hangin out.

Im seriously considering going in there and very carefully removing some of the webbing to try and get a better vantage of whats happening, but Im not sure I should do that or not.
 
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SamanthaMarikian

SamanthaMarikian

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korg said:
Can't really say much from these photos... if it's been in a weird position on its back in one spot for a month that would be a really bad sign. Hopefully things work out and it is just scrunched up or hiding.
Click to expand...
do tarantulas smell when theyre dead? if that could help him tell if its dead or molting
 
Bob Len

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Codename Colorado said:
Hey guys, back again. We couldn't take it anymore, had to see what's going on. We looked in the log as best we could. Not sure what I'm seeing, but sadly, I think it's dead.
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Can't really see the T and i'm if not sure if you said how long it's been in that position. Just leave it alone for now and check tomorrow
 
boina

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This looks like a really, really bad enclosure for a pink toe. If there is any moisture in the substrate at all then by all means take the spider out - and soon - and put her somewhere dry and apropriate for an arboreal tarantula. If I'm seeing this right (not sure) that looks like a terrestrial setup.

Too much moisture can kill pink toes - so how much is there?
 
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