A. Chalcodes Small Abdomen

Aline Lassala

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IMG_1125.JPG IMG_1121.JPG I received her yesterday after unfortunately being a day delayed in shipping, i don't know if she's dehydrated or starving or what..
p.s. i've fed her a cricket yesterday and today..
 

EulersK

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Um... A. chalcodes? o_O The colors are a bit off, unless that's a trick of your camera. This is an adult female A. chalcodes:

 

Venom1080

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that abdomens fine. id feed it a few times a week till its plumper. make sure theres a dish in there.
 

cold blood

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Doesn't look dehydrated to me in the least...looks very healthy in fact.

Op, a small abdomen isn't a sign of anything bad, its merely a sign that the t molted recently. That's the life cycle of a t, molt and emerge skinny, feed and plump up, then molt again and start the process over.
 

cold blood

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The only other time a t gets a small abdomen is if its a MM, in which case, that's just par for the course....they all have smaller abdomens and won't ever plump up in traditional fashion.
 

Belegnole

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Unless you have a captive bread guaranty it might be a wild caught. In that case it also wouldn't be fat like most of our T's. Water and some food should fatten it up....
 

cold blood

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Unless you have a captive bread guaranty it might be a wild caught. In that case it also wouldn't be fat like most of our T's.
What difference would wild caught make...wild ts come through molts skinny and eventually plump up just like captive ones.....same life cycle regardless of where they live.
 

Belegnole

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What difference would wild caught make...wild ts come through molts skinny and eventually plump up just like captive ones.....same life cycle regardless of where they live.
I was not responding to either of your posts.

The carapace in the photos is what got me thinking it might not have just molted. If the specimen in question is not recently molted I thought it might be something else. I have seen many wild caught that were not as "well fed" as our T's. For that reason most had smaller abdomens than ours do. Just another idea.
 

cold blood

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I was not responding to either of your posts.

The carapace in the photos is what got me thinking it might not have just molted. If the specimen in question is not recently molted I thought it might be something else. I have seen many wild caught that were not as "well fed" as our T's. For that reason most had smaller abdomens than ours do. Just another idea.
I almost hit you with a "clarification" because I thought I was missing your point.

That makes sense though.
 

Tanner Dzula

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What difference would wild caught make...wild ts come through molts skinny and eventually plump up just like captive ones.....same life cycle regardless of where they live.
The big difference with this species, being native to here in AZ, is they dont get very much water. most of their water naturally comes during the rainy season/food theve eaten.
so many of the Wild caught species here in AZ will be some what Less hydrated then, say, some of the Tropical species.


but like you said, some water and food and it will plump right up no problem.
But from the A. Chalodus ive owned/seen even CB will be on the smaller side ESPECIALLY after a molt. but yah, even mine, being a female, normally while hydrated, her abdomin looks tiny. mine usually, while her abdomin is the same size of her carapace(basicly signs of a normal healthy T) and there will be a lot of Bald swelling, looking like shes in heavy pre-molt. basicly, the wild caughts that ive seen just kind of have naturally small abdomins.
BUT at the end of the day there is stil la difference between small, and shrivelled from dehydration, and thats the difference you gotta look for and know about.
 

Aline Lassala

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The big difference with this species, being native to here in AZ, is they dont get very much water. most of their water naturally comes during the rainy season/food theve eaten.
so many of the Wild caught species here in AZ will be some what Less hydrated then, say, some of the Tropical species.


but like you said, some water and food and it will plump right up no problem.
But from the A. Chalodus ive owned/seen even CB will be on the smaller side ESPECIALLY after a molt. but yah, even mine, being a female, normally while hydrated, her abdomin looks tiny. mine usually, while her abdomin is the same size of her carapace(basicly signs of a normal healthy T) and there will be a lot of Bald swelling, looking like shes in heavy pre-molt. basicly, the wild caughts that ive seen just kind of have naturally small abdomins.
BUT at the end of the day there is stil la difference between small, and shrivelled from dehydration, and thats the difference you gotta look for and know about.[/QUOTE
The big difference with this species, being native to here in AZ, is they dont get very much water. most of their water naturally comes during the rainy season/food theve eaten.
so many of the Wild caught species here in AZ will be some what Less hydrated then, say, some of the Tropical species.


but like you said, some water and food and it will plump right up no problem.
But from the A. Chalodus ive owned/seen even CB will be on the smaller side ESPECIALLY after a molt. but yah, even mine, being a female, normally while hydrated, her abdomin looks tiny. mine usually, while her abdomin is the same size of her carapace(basicly signs of a normal healthy T) and there will be a lot of Bald swelling, looking like shes in heavy pre-molt. basicly, the wild caughts that ive seen just kind of have naturally small abdomins.
BUT at the end of the day there is stil la difference between small, and shrivelled from dehydration, and thats the difference you gotta look for and know about.
thanks for the info!! and she is a wild caught so i figured that could be a reason.
 

Aline Lassala

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The big difference with this species, being native to here in AZ, is they dont get very much water. most of their water naturally comes during the rainy season/food theve eaten.
so many of the Wild caught species here in AZ will be some what Less hydrated then, say, some of the Tropical species.


but like you said, some water and food and it will plump right up no problem.
But from the A. Chalodus ive owned/seen even CB will be on the smaller side ESPECIALLY after a molt. but yah, even mine, being a female, normally while hydrated, her abdomin looks tiny. mine usually, while her abdomin is the same size of her carapace(basicly signs of a normal healthy T) and there will be a lot of Bald swelling, looking like shes in heavy pre-molt. basicly, the wild caughts that ive seen just kind of have naturally small abdomins.
BUT at the end of the day there is stil la difference between small, and shrivelled from dehydration, and thats the difference you gotta look for and know about.
also i have a question, how often should i feed her(i know it's like 3-5 crickets a week).. yesterday i offered twice (7 hours apart) and she instantly snatched at it both times like she was starving or something haha, today i fed her and she also snatched immediately. i don't want to "overfeed". and i'm keeping a Feeding Log
 

Ungoliant

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also i have a question, how often should i feed her(i know it's like 3-5 crickets a week).. yesterday i offered twice (7 hours apart) and she instantly snatched at it both times like she was starving or something haha, today i fed her and she also snatched immediately. i don't want to "overfeed". and i'm keeping a Feeding Log
I feed my juvenile and adult tarantulas about once a week, using their abdomens to gauge whether they should be fed or not.

An obese tarantula is more vulnerable to suffering abdominal ruptures from even a short fall.
 

Aline Lassala

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I feed my juvenile and adult tarantulas about once a week, using their abdomens to gauge whether they should be fed or not.

An obese tarantula is more vulnerable to suffering abdominal ruptures from even a short fall.
yes im definitely going to be careful on feeding, i'm done for the week. especially since she's been attempting to climb..
 

Crone Returns

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yes im definitely going to be careful on feeding, i'm done for the week. especially since she's been attempting to climb..
I had to put a good 4" of substrate in when I got mine. Huuuuge water dish. She tried to climb at first, then learned that her feet always touch the ground when she "climbs".
She like"jeez mom you're no fun."
 
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