Brachypelma Vagan, strange blisters on leg.

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
Hi, we've got a B. Vagan that's a little over a year old. She molted about a week ago, and has these strange blister things on her legs. There are also bald spots on her abdomen, but I assume those are from kicking post molt. We moved her into a larger enclosure today.

Her behavior is very normal. She hasn't resumed eating yet, and stopped about a month before molt. Substrate is excavation clay and peat moss. If anyone has any insight to the bald spots and blisters(?) on legs I would be greatly appreciative.

Normal post molt stuff, enclosure issue, sickness, etc. Thank you guys so much. W0QTqpad-1280246189.jpeg hQ70crrr-1280235341.jpeg VdEA2E0f-1280240470.jpeg vpVPeKxF-1280250043.jpeg
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
Hello! A few things first. One, this tarantula species is now known as Tliltocatl vagans. Two, this spider is way older than a year old. Like, waaaay older.

Anyway moving on. The "blisters" on the legs to me look like areas where setae just didn't reform with the new exoskeleton. You'll usually see regenerated legs look like that before it's fully formed again, but in your case it just looks like your spider had a less-than-perfect moult. As for the bald spots they don't look like typical hair kicked spots to me. They look more like cysts I've seen on tarantulas. There's a thread here about cysts and users' experience with them.

Out of some small curiosity, you wouldn't happen to have a heat mat with your spiders enclosure would you? The bald spot on the bottom of the lower right (left in the photo) toe pad almost looks like a burn mark to me.
 

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
Okay, I didn't know that, good to know! The age was just a guess, we got her as a sling last November. Is the less-than-perfect molt something to be concerned about? Do you think it will complicate future molts? Is there anything that can be done to help facilitate a smooth process for her next molt?

Reading through that thread it seems somewhat up in the air as far as the outlook pertaining to the bald spots is concerned. Offer food and hope she makes it to the next molt.

There's no heating pad, she's kept in a room that is usually low 70's with a small lamp nearby in the wintertime. Her enclosure is pretty basic, just a large hatbox that was drilled for ventilation.

Thank you for your help.
 

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
I am guessing what you perceived as a sling was a sub adult juvenile. Slings are tiny, like Dime size. They don't grow to adulthood in a year and change. They take about 3 years to get to about 3". On this thread there are pictures of slings. https://arachnoboards.com/threads/tliltocatl-vagans-ex-brachypelma-vagans.306191/page-13
Very well could be, we got her from fearnottarantulas and this is our first T. She isn't quite as big as she looks in the original photos, probably around 2in. This is what she looked like when we got her.

Screenshot_20210126-172226_Gallery.jpg
 

Kibosh

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 6, 2013
Messages
257
Good job on careing for your first T to maturity. Always a treat and sadly most peoples first T suffer from the keepers lack of experience.
 

spideyspinneret78

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
1,253
I could definitely be wrong, but it almost reminds me of fungal growth. Unusual looking- especially since the patches of missing setae are circular.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
This is very odd to me. I haven't run into this myself.

Is the less-than-perfect molt something to be concerned about? Do you think it will complicate future molts? Is there anything that can be done to help facilitate a smooth process for her next molt?
Maybe
Maybe
No, but if you notice her exoskeleton bulging out, slow down on feeding.

@spideyspinneret78 The geometry caught my attention as well.
 

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
I could definitely be wrong, but it almost reminds me of fungal growth. Unusual looking- especially since the patches of missing setae are circular.
I didn't see any abnormalities around her booklungs or mouth on the recent molt, what else can I be looking for? I can also put up some pictures of the Molt if it would help.
 

spideyspinneret78

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jul 19, 2019
Messages
1,253
I'm mostly looking at the circular bald spots...they remind me of how fungal growth on skin often looks (think ringworm, mold growing on agar, etc). Posting photos of the molt couldn't hurt, maybe it would help us figure out what's going on.
 

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
Dang!! Worlds fastest growing sling. What you feeding that thing?
Dubia roaches and meal worms, cheap easy food to breed. Usually give her one every week or two. Fed her a good amount of flightless fruit flies for her first couple molts!
 

Poonjab

Arachnoking
Active Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2019
Messages
2,755
Dubia roaches and meal worms, cheap easy food to breed. Usually give her one every week or two. Fed her a good amount of flightless fruit flies for her first couple molts!
You’re feeders have performance enhancing drugs in them apparently. Leaching into the T increasing androgens in the body. Getting swole and going bald 😂
 

Caelum

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 26, 2021
Messages
6
I'm mostly looking at the circular bald spots...they remind me of how fungal growth on skin often looks (think ringworm, mold growing on agar, etc). Posting photos of the molt couldn't hurt, maybe it would help us figure out what's going on.
Sure thing! Don't want to bug you guys too much - I really do appreciate all the help.

HXQcIFRd-1280588744.jpeg vOV8pVpy-1280596742.jpeg

The leg came off when I was (trying) to preserve it
 

The Grym Reaper

Arachnoreaper
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
4,835
Patches on the abdomen look like they might be cysts, not sure what's going on with the legs, at first I thought it'd just rubbed the setae off (happens sometimes, particularly with longer moult cycles) but that doesn't appear to be the case on closer inspection.

They take about 3 years to get to about 3"
Mine hit 3.5" in about 2 years
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
806
T. vagans actually grow fast especially the males.

I bought mine on 03/03/20 and it was 1 inch.

Early December 2020 it molted from 3.5 inches to 4.5 inches dls. Even being male that is an extreme growth rate.

I knew vagans grow faster than something like T. albopilosus but wow...and he is crazy.
 

Katiebug

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
2
I'm mostly looking at the circular bald spots...they remind me of how fungal growth on skin often looks (think ringworm, mold growing on agar, etc). Posting photos of the molt couldn't hurt, maybe it would help us figure out what's going on.
SOS!
This week she developed a fuzzy grey patch center top of the abdomen. Just chilled there while i brushed it off with a paintbrush, but it revealed a new bald patch underneith. Not circular like the others, and it looks like the grey mold/fungus is underneith her exoskeleton too. Her underside (book lungs, mouth, etc) still look normal. I gently brushed off what i could before she started walking away, and then seeded her with some springtails (only thing i could think of)
What do you think it is and whaaaat do I do?
20210323_114048.jpg
 

vicareux

A. geniculata worship cult member
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Messages
496
While i don't know much about what's growing on your tarantula,i have noticed something.
I may be crazy but does this look a snail?
1616524908581.png
If it is a snail emerged from the substrate/moss patch,and your enclosure conditions support snail life,i reccomend you changing whatever you're keeping your tarantula on. Whatever's growing on your T might've come from the substrate.
 
Top