A. avic post-molt death

[christinas]

Little A. avic RIP, about 1.5 inches, just got him from a pet store, molted yesterday. Everything seemed to be fine until a couple hours later when I found him dead. Why?

 

[Nightstalker47]

Pictures of the spider would be useful, there are several possibilities...not much to go on without them.

Most likely wasn't your fault though, LPS are pretty terrible with tarantulas. Wouldn't be surprised if they sold you an already half dead spider, how long did you have it?

Share some pics of your entire setup and the tarantula, we can see if there are any issues from there.

 

[EulersK]

Yeah, you've given us zero real information. Just because it's an avic, I'm immediately inclined to say that the enclosure is too damp with not enough ventilation. But pictures of your setup would help us give you advice for the future.

 

[christinas]

I've had him for about two weeks. He never ate; almost immediately made a thick web and was mostly just sitting there until he molted yesterday; I thought it was a successful molt until I found him dead a while ago. There seems to be something weird about his abdomen, the way it is attached to the body, but that could be due to the decomposition I guess ?

 

[draconisj4]

If you found it on the ground is it possible it could have fallen and hit the edge of the water dish?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Looks like it might fave fallen and ruptured its abdomen but not sure, I had a Y. diversipes sling moult the day after I got it and then die about a week later from what I assume was a sucking stomach issue.

 

[cold blood]

Abdomen does kinda look like something went wrong in the molt process...its uncommon, but it certainly can and does happen. Sorry for the loss. Don't blame yourself, its nothing you did and probably not something you could have prevented...just bad luck IMO.

 

[christinas]

@The Grym Reaper @draconisj4
Yes something like that could have happened. I don't know how to prevent it though, I didn't think Avics were supposed to fall. Last time I saw he was hanging out in his web and then I found his motionless body next to the water dish.

@cold blood Thanks, molting is always very stressful to me since I had another one of my Ts die due to a bad molt, but that time she never even made it out of her exo ... I got this T to replace my previous A. avic who died presumably of old age (MM who lived for 13 months past his ultimate molt). Now I am scared to get another Avic since I have no idea what to do to help them molt safely. I was taught that the best thing was to just leave them alone with no disturbances but even that is not enough sometimes ...

@EulersK The enclosure was not damp. Here is a picture of the substrate. About ventilation, I can't say for sure ... is there a way to determine whether ventilation is adequate or not?

 

[cold blood]

I don't know how to prevent it though, I didn't think Avics were supposed to fall

No t is supposed to fall....you can't always prevent such a thing, its up to the t to make a proper web mat/tube.

Now I am scared to get another Avic since I have no idea what to do to help them molt safely.

Don't be scared of avics, this was just poor luck and not indicative of anything common with them. Unless you can spin more web, you cant prevent molting accidents....The only thing you can do is provide enough anchor points for the t, outside that, its up to them...nothing you posted showed you did anything wrong...the wood was good, there were plants at the elevated position around the wood and the t did utilize it...it just failed to seal its self like most avics tend to do.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Now I am scared to get another Avic since I have no idea what to do to help them molt safely.

Honestly, don't be, you had a freak shitty situation (my first Avic was a wild caught A. avicularia from a pet shop that I had to put down because he was riddled with nematodes).

They're a great genus to keep.

 

[christinas]

@cold blood @The Grym Reaper Thanks, I guess I will try to get another one then. I did have one that lived to a ripe old age so maybe this was just bad luck. I just wish Ts weren't so fragile ...

 

[cold blood]

. I just wish Ts weren't so fragile ...

They're really not though.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I just wish Ts weren't so fragile ...

They're not really, every now and again you'll get unlucky with one, I've lost 4 out of 50+ tarantulas and I know for a fact that only one was possibly due to an error on my part, it's sad but it happens.

First time a T died on my watch it knocked the hell out of my confidence, it sucks but I realised that you can do everything right and you can just get really unlucky, it sucks but it's part and parcel of T keeping.

 

[Greasylake]

Honestly, don't be, you had a freak shitty situation (my first Avic was a wild caught A. avicularia from a pet shop that I had to put down because he was riddled with nematodes).

They're a great genus to keep.

My first was also a WC A. Avic from a pet store. I think nematodes ended it too as after it died I noticed there was white liquid all over its mouth parts. I won't say that's 100% certain because I never saw nematodes and it's also possible that I may have accidentally introduced some toxin that were on my clothes or hands, but after she did I was ready to quit the hobby after only one T, but as y'all can see I'm still here