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.)
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.)
Attachments
-
279 KB Views: 48