A. avic - mold on leg?

ameh

Arachnopeon
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Oct 5, 2016
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Hi everyone. This is my first post and I am rather new to owning a tarantula.

I got my A. avic almost three weeks ago. Came in a Kritter Keeper and I have moved him since then into an 11 inch tall Sterilite tote. It may be too wide, but I only see him on one side of the enclosure on his piece of wood. (I poked holes on two sides for ventilation but I am thinking of adding more on all four sides. Also, there are a few airholes on the lid as well.) The substrate (coconut fiber) is mostly dry and I occasionally spritz the walls with water. There is a small water dish in the enclosure that I refill whenever I see empty. I have incorporated a piece of wood (not cork bark) I have bought from the pet store there but I am thinking of removing it because now I'm afraid it's not "sterile" for him.

About three days ago, I noticed this white crust on his leg right at the joint.

It almost looks like mold, but I am not sure. I used a paintbrush to brush it away but nothing happened. I gently prodded it with my fingertip and it seemed rather hard and crusty. Is it a scab? I feel bad for touching it but I thought if it were mold, bits of it would brush off. :( I haven't found any mold in the enclosure itself.

Also, my A. avic hasn't eaten since I got him. Because I worry about the size of his enclosure, I tong feed him crickets. Twice he just backed up, and once he actually grabbed the cricket but just sort of held onto it. His abdomen was rather small looking when I got him. I read that their abdomens are pretty small anyway, but I just worry. He's also missing some hairs there, too. A little under half of his abdomen has no hair. Is he going to molt soon? He seems sluggish some days but over night he always seems to be in a new place in his enclosure. Hasn't webbed yet either.

Any help is appreciated. I just feel really guilty. :(
(Also, I am not sure on the sex, I just refer to him as male for now.)
 

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KezyGLA

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It looks to me like some dried poop.

It doesnt look like anything that will cause any harm.

I always use cork bark as it is much less likely to harvest mould growth than wood.
 

ameh

Arachnopeon
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Oct 5, 2016
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It looks to me like some dried poop.

It doesnt look like anything that will cause any harm.

I always use cork bark as it is much less likely to harvest mould growth than wood.
Oh gosh, I hope that's the case. I know some people confuse their feces with mold, but I never thought about him getting poop on himself...

I plan on changing it with cork bark soon. Thank you for your input!!
 

BobBarley

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Oh gosh, I hope that's the case. I know some people confuse their feces with mold, but I never thought about him getting poop on himself...

I plan on changing it with cork bark soon. Thank you for your input!!
Agreed looks like poop.

From the pic it looks like a worn out mature male. Could you get a full pic of him? If he is a mature male, that'd explain the refusal to eat. Mature males don't eat much.
 

ameh

Arachnopeon
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Oct 5, 2016
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Agreed looks like poop.

From the pic it looks like a worn out mature male. Could you get a full pic of him? If he is a mature male, that'd explain the refusal to eat. Mature males don't eat much.
Here he is. He's got bits of substrate all on him.
 

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BobBarley

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Looking like a mature male... Sorry man but he doesn't have long to live.

EDITED TO ADD: You probably shouldn't breed him, if that's what you're thinking. The pet store Avicularia species are misidentified and the whole genus is a mess. It's pretty much impossible to ID an Avicularia by photo (except for a certain few species). Adding in quite random imported blood wouldn't help.
 

ameh

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Oct 5, 2016
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It looks like a he. Its colour is a bit off. Are his pedipalps bulbous?
Yes, they are. And I thought his color looked pretty strange as well. He looked darker in the pet store. I thought maybe that strange coloring meant a molt soon.
 

BobBarley

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Yes, they are. And I thought his color looked pretty strange as well. He looked darker in the pet store. I thought maybe that strange coloring meant a molt soon.
If the pedipalps are bulbous it is indeed a mature male... Sorry.
 

KezyGLA

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Yes, they are. And I thought his color looked pretty strange as well. He looked darker in the pet store. I thought maybe that strange coloring meant a molt soon.
The colour change and boxing gloves comes with maturity. He wont eat much now and will expire not long from now. Sorry to inform :(
 

ameh

Arachnopeon
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Oct 5, 2016
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Looking like a mature male... Sorry man but he doesn't have long to live.

EDITED TO ADD: You probably shouldn't breed him, if that's what you're thinking. The pet store Avicularia species are misidentified and the whole genus is a mess. It's pretty much impossible to ID an Avicularia by photo (except for a certain few species). Adding in quite random imported blood wouldn't help.
:( I will enjoy him while I have him them. No intention to breed, especially since I am new to owning. I thought he looked closer to the A. avic species.

Thank you very much for your input.
 

ameh

Arachnopeon
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Oct 5, 2016
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The colour change and boxing gloves comes with maturity. He wont eat much now and will expire not long from now. Sorry to inform :(
It is all good. Thank you for the help. I will at least have a better eye when it comes to purchasing a tarantula. He is a very sweet spider. At least, as "sweet" as a spider can be.
 

Andrea82

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Did you buy him as a female?
If yes, I would contact the pet store for a (partial) refund.
He looks pretty worn out :(
 

ameh

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Did you buy him as a female?
If yes, I would contact the pet store for a (partial) refund.
He looks pretty worn out :(
No, he was up front that he wasn't sure on sex. He said if he had to guess on age he would have said between 8 months to a year. Of course, he also said they were wild caught so there is no way of knowing. Plus, he'd be a pretty huge spider for only 8 months, huh? I feel really gullible, I was just excited about buying so I didn't think much of it. I'm thinking of just sticking to buying online from now on. :(
 

Andrea82

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I'm not sure, but Avicularia males can mature within a year from what I've gathered.
Don't feel bad, it happens at least once to many beginners. I too got a P.cambridgei male, from which the LPS said it was good for another molt or two. Nope, he was already mature. This was really stupid of me, because the whole Psalmopoeus genus males are soo easy to recognize due to the drab color...lesson learned, never bought at a LPS again. On the bright side, that male is still alive and kicking after one and a half years mature :)
Look into the classifieds here, lots of good sellers who know their stuff :)
 

basin79

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No, he was up front that he wasn't sure on sex. He said if he had to guess on age he would have said between 8 months to a year. Of course, he also said they were wild caught so there is no way of knowing. Plus, he'd be a pretty huge spider for only 8 months, huh? I feel really gullible, I was just excited about buying so I didn't think much of it. I'm thinking of just sticking to buying online from now on. :(
Does the pet shop bloke know T's? Have they often got a lot in etc? If yes he'd have known full well that he was a MM and should have been honest. If he does indeed know T's he has definitely done a number on you and I wouldn't shop there again.

If not then it's extremely unfortunate you've ended up with a MM.

If you're ever able, buy off someone or somewhere that has a great track record. A juvenile or young adult female is your best bet 99.9% of the time. They do cost more but you know you'll hopefully have many, many happy years together.



Oh and welcome to the wonderful world of tarantulas. They're absolutely fantastic.
 
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