~3/4" Kochiana Brunnipes sling self-amputation(?), husbandry check

[Wenzer]

Less than a week ago I finally decided on the sling I wanted to start with, it's around the 3/4" DLS mark, k. Brunnipes sling.

I left a tiny, decapitated dubia nymph in with the sling last night for the first feeding since I brought it home. I saw it was eating within 20 minutes after I left the nymph in there, everything looked fine before I went to bed.

Today it appears the sling may have molted, it's lighter/softer in color, although I wasn't expecting that to happen right now so it's a little surprising. More surprisingly is the fact that it is now missing both pedipalps and both front-most legs on either side.

Since I already planned to feed pre-killed/decapitated dubia nymphs until it is a bit bigger, I don't think there should be any issues with feeding or otherwise getting along until the sling can regrow the limbs... I know the pedipalps are primarily for sensory input and to help with prey, but the pre-killed prey should be able to help in that sense. I do want to read more about how it might impact physical balance, though! Still doing some searching

I wanted to ask here about the set up anyways, and see if maybe there's anything I should change? It is a small plastic spice bottle, around 2.5-3 inches diameter and maybe 4-4.5 inches tall with about 2 inches of substrate (50/50 zoo med creature soil and coco fiber) with a small piece of a silk plant leaf and an indent made for a starter burrow. I used a sewing needle to make one layer/ring of ventilation holes on the side of the bottle and some in the lid. The substrate was packed down firmly and I've been keeping it moist but not overly damp or wet (should I maybe keep it a bit more damp instead?). I added a tiny bit of water today once I noticed the sling had molted so it actually appears a bit more damp than I've been keeping.



ETA: I meant to add that I've gone back and forth about a water dish for this one, I actually was working on finding something small enough without taking up the whole space lol. But with the missing limbs now, might it be a bad idea to add a water bowl right now? My train of thought is with missing these limbs (particularly both of the pedipalps), would there be more of a risk of falling into a water dish with a lower chance of getting out safely? Maybe I'm way off base with that, though

 

[NMTs]

Generally speaking, molting issues are the result of inadequate hydration leading up to the molt - not meaning the enclosure or substrate was too dry, but that there wasn't enough water for the T to drink. That's a broad generalization, though, and any number of other factors could have been at least partly the cause. Given that you've had the T less than a week, it's likely that whatever the issue, it began before you even had it.

I have water dishes in all my sling enclosure, but I know there are a lot of others that don't use them. For a setup that small, tattoo ink cups work well, or you could also try an upside down lego block or the lid from a tube of lip balm - anything that will hold a few drops of water and fit will work! I wouldn't worry about your T falling in because there's no need to use something big enough for that to be a concern.

As for feeding and mobility with the missing limbs, it should manage just fine, especially if you're giving prekilled prey.

Good luck with your little one, and keep us posted!

 

[Wenzer]

Generally speaking, molting issues are the result of inadequate hydration leading up to the molt - not meaning the enclosure or substrate was too dry, but that there wasn't enough water for the T to drink. That's a broad generalization, though, and any number of other factors could have been at least partly the cause. Given that you've had the T less than a week, it's likely that whatever the issue, it began before you even had it.

I have water dishes in all my sling enclosure, but I know there are a lot of others that don't use them. For a setup that small, tattoo ink cups work well, or you could also try an upside down lego block or the lid from a tube of lip balm - anything that will hold a few drops of water and fit will work! I wouldn't worry about your T falling in because there's no need to use something big enough for that to be a concern.

As for feeding and mobility with the missing limbs, it should manage just fine, especially if you're giving prekilled prey.

Good luck with your little one, and keep us posted!

Funny you mention lip balm caps because I was actually looking at some old chapstick tubes I have in the bathroom cabinet! They're kind of tall though and I was trying to cut them down to a shorter height but just kept breaking them lol. I will figure something out though, or find a different way to cut these

Now that you mention the part about not drinking enough vs. environmental humidity, I'd almost bet that could be the case here. When I picked this little one up, it was in what I think is a 5 dram vial based on the dimensions. I don't know if it was living in the vial up to that point or if it was just for transportation but there was barely enough room for the sling to turn around, let alone a water dish, so who knows!

I'll work on a water dish to add, and I'll update for sure! Now if only my t. Verdezi would get his molt over with, lol

 

[NMTs]

You can always poke a little hole in the substrate and set them down in so they're flush instead of sitting on the surface of the sub - then the depth doesn't matter so much. See the tattoo ink cup in the pic below as an example.

0.0.1 Citharacanthus cyaneus sling - Ember

• NMTs
• Oct 29, 2022
• 4
• citharacanthus citharacanthus cyaneus cuban cyaneus dwarf tarantula

Unsexed C. cyaneus sling about 2 weeks post-molt, 1.75" DLS. Starting to show some colors other...

 

[Wenzer]

You can always poke a little hole in the substrate and set them down in so they're flush instead of sitting on the surface of the sub - then the depth doesn't matter so much. See the tattoo ink cup in the pic below as an example.

0.0.1 Citharacanthus cyaneus sling - Ember

• NMTs
• Oct 29, 2022
• 4
• citharacanthus citharacanthus cyaneus cuban cyaneus dwarf tarantula

Unsexed C. cyaneus sling about 2 weeks post-molt, 1.75" DLS. Starting to show some colors other...

Oh that's true! I'll just do that then, I should have another tube of chapstick I can sacrifice for the cap! Haha thank you!

 

[viper69]

Looks fine add water dish

 

[Wenzer]

Looks fine add water dish

Thank you, I just did using a chapstick cap I didn't bother trying to cut it down this time, though. Just buried it into the substrate like NMTs suggested. Can't believe that idea didn't cross my mind haha

 

[viper69]

Thank you, I just did using a chapstick cap I didn't bother trying to cut it down this time, though. Just buried it into the substrate like NMTs suggested. Can't believe that idea didn't cross my mind haha

yeah waste of time

 

[Smotzer]

Good job adding the water bowl! And

But with the missing limbs now, might it be a bad idea to add a water bowl right now?

It is perfectly safe to include one it won’t drown , I promise!