# G. Rosea, odd behavior



## keanex (Apr 19, 2013)

I came home today to find my G. Rosea exhibiting odd behavior. First is that she is staying near the edges of the tank. Second is that she's not very active at all, even when prodded she won't move, which is uncharacteristic of her. Lastly she has been sort of curled up. By curled up I mean she looks how a dead spider would it it were on it's back, except she's standing. I just found her in the corner by her water dish face down in the substrate with two legs not even touching anything.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Edit: She's barely moving at all.


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## rob0t (Apr 19, 2013)

Does she have access to water?


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## Formerphobe (Apr 19, 2013)

Some terrestrials will do this weird face-pressing thing (best way I can think of to describe it), but if disturbed in any way, will react.  It can be normal.
How long have you had her?  Where did you get her from?
Can she access her water?
Can you post pics of both her and her set up?


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## Kazaam (Apr 19, 2013)

Seems like it's stressed because you're prodding it for being a spider.

---------- Post added 04-19-2013 at 04:04 PM ----------




rob0t said:


> Does she have access to water?





keanex said:


> I just found her in the corner by her water dish


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## keanex (Apr 20, 2013)

She hasn't had water in a week or two, I was away from home and came home with the dish empty somehow. I've had her for 6 months though and this is the first time she's acted in this manner. I've filled her water and hope that my unintentional neglect hasn't killed her.


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## Hobo (Apr 20, 2013)

When you say "curled up" are all the legs curled under her, like this?
If so, that's a death curl, and if she isn't being responsive to even being picked up or manipulated, then she's in trouble.

If instead, she has her legs just sort of huddled up as close to her as possible like this, and she otherwise reacts to things, she's just being a tarantula.

There is also a remote chance she might be about to molt (maybe upright), as IME, tarantulas will be near unresponsive right before an actual molt, and may look curled up sometimes.
Has she been showing signs of premolt lately?

We can't really tell you too much without a more detailed description or pictures, or a video showing what you mean, because "not very active" and "barely moving" are fairly normal as far as tarantulas go.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Meezerkoko (Apr 20, 2013)

Very doubtful.  There's a story of someone who lost the box their T was in when they moved and didn't find her for a year+ and she was fine.

Also sometimes roseas are just weirdos.  Check out this rosea doing the exact same thing: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?235145-MY-babies!&p=2152908&viewfull=1#post2152908

---------- Post added 04-20-2013 at 02:24 AM ----------

The doubtful part of my post was regarding the OP's last statement, not you Hobo.  Just a heads up.


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## Kazaam (Apr 20, 2013)

I'd like to bring up that I used to have a G. rosea that did backflips all day, when your tarantula starts doing backflips you may complain about odd behaviour.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## keanex (Apr 20, 2013)

Hobo said:


> When you say "curled up" are all the legs curled under her, like this?
> If so, that's a death curl, and if she isn't being responsive to even being picked up or manipulated, then she's in trouble.
> 
> If instead, she has her legs just sort of huddled up as close to her as possible like this, and she otherwise reacts to things, she's just being a tarantula.
> ...


The second picture describes it better. The odd thing, now keep in mind this is odd to me as a new tarantula owner, is that she isn't responsive to anything at all. When brushed with a paintbrush she just lays there instead of scrambling away like usual. 

On the molting front, I don't think so. Don't they usually lay webbing? She's not laid any, in-fact I don't think she ever has for that matter. I'll take some pictures and a video to show what I mean.

Edit: Video here. I'm simply touching her legs with a pencil I have near by and slightly nudging. Normally she runs but lately she's become unresponsive to any stimulus.

Reactions: Like 1


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## friendttyy (Apr 20, 2013)

*G.rosea odd behavior reply*

It did not have acces to water for too long meaning it could be dehydrated and posting pics will really help I dont own a G.rosea but in most cases its dehydration so give it some food and water or it could probably be in premolt so just let be spiders.And dont prod it too much or it could die of stress.


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## prairiepanda (Apr 20, 2013)

keanex said:


> She hasn't had water in a week or two, I was away from home and came home with the dish empty somehow. I've had her for 6 months though and this is the first time she's acted in this manner. I've filled her water and hope that my unintentional neglect hasn't killed her.


That much time without water would have gotten her pretty dehydrated. If she's moving around the enclosure once in a while, she should be able to drink and get herself back up to health. However, if she's in the same spot all day every day you should put her in an ICU.

Also, the pose she's in is a stress pose. When my Ts are in that pose they won't move when prodded, either. They have their legs around them to protect themselves because they're scared. Try not to pester her too much.


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## Formerphobe (Apr 20, 2013)

If you filled her water before you left, and were gone for two weeks, dehydration is probably not the issue, not for a healthy rosea.
Not all tarantulas die in the classic 'death curl', which is usually the result of dehydration.  They can die in whatever position they happen to be in when death occurs.
In the video, she does appear to be in a stress pose.
Tarantulas do not always make molting mats.
Has she molted in your care?  Is the date of last molt known?
Does her abdomen look shriveled or irregular at all?  Or is it nice and smooth and rounded?
If it were me, I would wait 24 hours to see if a molt occurs.  (It's been 24 hours at this point...)
If nothing happens, then I'd turn her over and apply a drop of water to her mouth.  If she sucks it down, she is still alive.  If she doesn't move at all, and/or is stiff, and/or completely limp, and/or the drop of water does not disappear, then she has most likely expired.  BUT, don't throw her out for a week or so just to be sure.


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## keanex (Apr 20, 2013)

Formerphobe said:


> If you filled her water before you left, and were gone for two weeks, dehydration is probably not the issue, not for a healthy rosea.
> Not all tarantulas die in the classic 'death curl', which is usually the result of dehydration.  They can die in whatever position they happen to be in when death occurs.
> In the video, she does appear to be in a stress pose.
> Tarantulas do not always make molting mats.
> ...


She has not molted in my care, I don't know when she last molted. She appears alright though in size/shape. I think I'll wait until tomorrow and hope that it's not too late to force water into her.


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## poisoned (Apr 20, 2013)

prairiepanda said:


> That much time without water would have gotten her pretty dehydrated. If she's moving around the enclosure once in a while, she should be able to drink and get herself back up to health. However, if she's in the same spot all day every day you should put her in an ICU.


No it wouldn't. Ts lose only minute amounts of water and no healthy adult T should be dehydrated in 2 weeks. Except maybe Theraposa spp.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## keanex (Apr 22, 2013)

Update: She's still alive, but barely moving. She's been in the same vicinity for the past two days. I put her next to the water bowl so I'm hoping she'll get to it if that's what she wants.


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## dmensing (Apr 23, 2013)

My rosie stayed in that same pose for about over a week...she had a fall and injured a leg and she was terrified (no i wasn't handling, cat knocked the cage of the shelf).  She still does it often if her cage is moved.  She stayed in the position of hanging on her wall...instead of "head" up, she was head down towards the sub...for several hours too, for a few days.  Anyway, yeah-when I brushed her with a paintbrush, she wouldn't move either in her "I'm hiding" pose, as I like to call it...


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## keanex (Apr 24, 2013)

I'm pretty sure she's dead. Thanks for all the help guys.

Reactions: Sad 1


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## sbullet (Apr 24, 2013)

Kazaam you are just the wittiest little individual aren't you.  Like bugs bunny !



Kazaam said:


> I'd like to bring up that I used to have a G. rosea that did backflips all day, when your tarantula starts doing backflips you may complain about odd behaviour.


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## PrettyHate (Apr 24, 2013)

keanex said:


> I'm pretty sure she's dead. Thanks for all the help guys.


In all seriousness, wait until she begins to stinks before you conclude she is dead. 




Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2


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## keanex (Apr 24, 2013)

Well she moved around a little while I was at work and eventually came out of the defensive position. I waited 24 hours and she was sitting in the same spot. I waited 24 more hours, same thing. She doesn't move at all now.


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## Hawk (Apr 24, 2013)

dmensing said:


> she had a fall and injured a leg and she was terrified (no i wasn't handling, cat knocked the cage of the shelf).


Those darn cats! My cats knocked my snakes cage down one night and we looked for it all night exhausted! >.<

---------- Post added 04-24-2013 at 05:56 PM ----------

Hope your Rosie gets better, just wait to conclude if she had passed or not just like PrettyHate said. Good luck.

-Hawk


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