A genic with some sort of growth from abdomen..

Lanzino97

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Messages
4
Hi guys!
I have a question regarding an 11cm female A geniculata.
2 days ago I noticed something on top of her abdomen. It looked like white fluff, similar to the mould I used to see in some enclosures with coco fibre before I started using springtails. I thought she may have picked up a piece of mouldy substrate from somewhere in the enclosure as it’s a new enclosure so the springtails may not have fully colonised yet, but as there was no mould visible Anywhere I decided to investigate. I attempted to brush it off with a soft paintbrush, but all it did was remove the white fluff to show this light brown sort of spike sticking up from her. I still thought okay, it’s most likely a piece of cork bark or substrate, so I continued to brush at it and although I brushed as hard as I could without harming her, it didn’t budge. She was obviously quite stressed with me poking her so I left it and decided to just keep an eye on her. Now, 2 days later, this growth which I am convinced is attached has now regrown this white fluff, although not as much as before. I’m obviously thinking it’s some kind of fungal growth, but I have no clue how any of this works and I can’t find anything online about it. Just posting here as I know there’s some really knowledgable keepers on here so I’m hoping someone can try to help me figure out what’s going on, and if there’s a way to fix it.. still hoping it’s just me overreacting!
I’ve attached pics below of when I initially noticed it, vs when I brushed off the fluff.

Some general info on her: she’s feeding fine, molted around a month ago and was rehoused almost 2 weeks ago now. I’ve owned her for almost a year with no issues. Her enclosure consists of coco fibre with a bit of vermiculite, some leaf litter (boiled and left to sit in a dry container for around 6 months), some sphagnum moss, cork bark hide, springtails and a water dish. She doesn’t use her hide but never has. She has only ever eaten shop-bought crickets, mealworms and recently, 2 wax worms.
Thanks in advance!
 

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Chebe6886

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
522
As long as she’s eating and acting morally I’d just let it be. Give her a molt to see what happens and if it’s still present then I may wonder if it’s something serious. Regardless if it’s attached to her there’s little if anything you can do. As long as she’s eating and acting normal for herself I would do my best to not think about it. Hardly an actual solution but you always have to ask yourself “what can I do that’s practical?”. Unfortunately for a tarantula there very little outside of providing a healthy environment.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Wow that's a first for me. That is unusual looking indeed. It could be "anything".I haven't seen that. Your detailed description makes it sound like a fungal growth.
 

Baby T

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
266
Looks similar to calcium growths that some lizards get... What are you feeding it?
 

Baby T

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
266
Sorry, just read the bottom part of your post regarding crickets and worms
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
It can be found in South America too
Even if that's the case, unless it's a WC genic (which is highly unlikely given how readily available CB specimens are in Europe) then I seriously doubt it's any sort of parasitic fungus.

Quote below from the following thread


Then there are the true entomopathogenic fungi. Quite a few of those don’t differentiate between insects and arachnids, but are quite happy to use arachnids as a host, too. The notorious and spectacular Cordyceps fungus and its relatives belong here, but there are quite a few more. The thing with any of these obligate parasites is: they need to come from somewhere. They don’t just ride in on wind currents from the Amazon. The spores don’t go that far, and even if they do: a single spore has no chance in a healthy tarantula. Remember the immune system? There needs to be a certain load of spores for them to succeed. Entomoparasitc fungus comes in on infected WC tarantulas, or, very rarely, in infected crickets (not Cordyceps, but other parasites). Since the crickets will die in masses from the fungal infections a cricket breeder who gets his breeding stock infected will be out of said breeding stock very soon, so the chances that infected crickets will make it to you are slim. And even if the tarantula eats an infected cricket – the fungus on the inside of the cricked will just get digested, like anything else inside that cricket.

The symptoms of a systemic infection with parasitic fungus in a tarantula are hard to see. It will most certainly NOT get fuzzy growth on the outside of its body – real entomoparasites grow on the inside. When they break through the exoskeleton to release the spores from the fruiting bodies the tarantula is already dead. All you will see is the tarantula getting weaker and weaker – and remember, we are talking about WC tarantulas here.
 

EpicEpic

Arachnoangel
Joined
Apr 13, 2020
Messages
872
I'd try to lightly move it with a brush. In the first pic I'm not convinced its attached. How long has it been there? If just for a very short time, im even more certain its not a growth. Growths tend to "grow". You would've noticed it quite a while ago!
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
2,533
Maybe its a A geniculata and Ceratogyrus hybrid? (Sorry couldnt help myself)🙂

Actually, i dunno what it is. But if the tarantula acting normally otjerwise i think it will be alright
 

Dorifto

He who moists xD
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
2,681
Even if that's the case, unless it's a WC genic (which is highly unlikely given how readily available CB specimens are in Europe) then I seriously doubt it's any sort of parasitic fungus.

Quote below from the following thread

I doub't too that it could be cordiceps, but there is a possibility. Looks more like some rotten food or something, but without more info from the OP we will never know it.
 
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