Avicularia avicularia at the end of his days

[curiousme]

Let me start this post by saying that I am NOT asking for help/ advice, but merely offering up some observations on a M(ature)M(ale) in the process of dying. I do NOT want to be told that I should euthanize him either, as there are very few instances where I would do that to a pet. Now with that said...........

We bought an A. avicularia last February at a reptile show. Since Mr. Gone arrived late, he hurriedly looked for the species we hoped to buy before all the stands closed down. Finding one, he bought it without fully looking it over and brought it home in triumph, only to realize the little guy had a nice set of hooks and bulbs. This was in no way a big deal and was actually really neat, because we had a fully planted 10 gal. tank waiting for him. Since he was already a MM, he wandered every corner of the enclosure and is easily the most docile T we own.

Yesterday when checking in his enclosure, we found him on his back, toes all curled under. We assumed the poor little guy had died, not unexpected, but still sad. We left him where he was, just in case we were wrong. We know that MM very rarely survive a molt after maturity, but since he was on his back and not right side up we didn't disturb him. About 4 hours later, I idly glanced into his enclosure only to discover he was no longer where he had been! A quick search of the enclosure and I found him alive and well hiding under a leaf. He moved around the enclosure fairly well, was a little jerky in his movements, but all in all, definitely alive. Then when Mr. Gone came to bed, he yet again found Squidward on his back and this morning he is yet again still alive.

So since this is our first MM near death, my question is this..... Has anyone had this happen before? The apparent molt position, but then MM flips back over.

 

[WARPIG]

I have had more than my share of MM avis die as thats mostly what I keep. What you are seeing is not (IME) uncommon. He may be having a hard time holding on and falling onto his back. IME they don't die on their backs.
What he may also be attempting to do is molt one last time.

I kept three avi bodies which molted after they hooked out, here is one. This a MM A metallica, he molted unexpectedly in my care before I could mate him.

Let nature take its couse and enjoy the lil guy while you have him.

I only put one T down in 4 plus yrs, and it was two weeks ago, it was a MM N chromatus who attempted to molt past his mature molt and was stuck beyond help.

GL-

PIG-

 

[curiousme]

That is basically what I thought, so thank you for that reply. He was once again on his back a few hours ago and has now partially turned over, but I think he has died now. I was holding onto a small hope that he might make it through a molt, but I knew it was a small hope.