- Joined
- Feb 22, 2013
- Messages
- 3,292
As of this morning, I'm certain that my MF C. cyaneopubescens has passed. The cause is entirely unknown.
As many of you know, I tried pairing her with a MM three months ago. She was entirely unresponsive, but otherwise behaving normally. She started refusing food almost immediately after the first attempt. A few more attempts were unsuccessful, with her entirely ignoring the male every time. She began to contort herself in strange positions, although she would still move around the enclosure. I assumed premolt, as this is common behavior. What isn't common is how long it went on - she continued this behavior up until the beginning of October. She was still very much responsive, as she would either scurry or throw a threat when touched with a straw.
I came home from a week's vacation last night to find her in another strange position, but I just went to bed as this was par for the course at this point. This morning, she's in the exact same position and completely unresponsive. She is limp and in a strange position, although not in a death curl. I'm going to leave her be for the next couple days on the slim chance that she's doing an upright molt, but I have no hope at this point. Even tarantulas in the process of molting have some kind of response, and she has none. She must have very, very recently died as her abdomen is not shriveled in the slightest.
I'm quite upset. Not just because of the pairing attempt... honestly, I couldn't care much less about that at this point. This was my second spider and my first sling. I raised her from a 2i, and to have an unexplained death is very disheartening.
Any speculation on what could have happened is welcome.
As many of you know, I tried pairing her with a MM three months ago. She was entirely unresponsive, but otherwise behaving normally. She started refusing food almost immediately after the first attempt. A few more attempts were unsuccessful, with her entirely ignoring the male every time. She began to contort herself in strange positions, although she would still move around the enclosure. I assumed premolt, as this is common behavior. What isn't common is how long it went on - she continued this behavior up until the beginning of October. She was still very much responsive, as she would either scurry or throw a threat when touched with a straw.
I came home from a week's vacation last night to find her in another strange position, but I just went to bed as this was par for the course at this point. This morning, she's in the exact same position and completely unresponsive. She is limp and in a strange position, although not in a death curl. I'm going to leave her be for the next couple days on the slim chance that she's doing an upright molt, but I have no hope at this point. Even tarantulas in the process of molting have some kind of response, and she has none. She must have very, very recently died as her abdomen is not shriveled in the slightest.
I'm quite upset. Not just because of the pairing attempt... honestly, I couldn't care much less about that at this point. This was my second spider and my first sling. I raised her from a 2i, and to have an unexplained death is very disheartening.
Any speculation on what could have happened is welcome.