Broken Fang Fossorial

[sasker]

I have it 'New Mexico in drought' dry in there with a water dish she doesn't seem to want (I've found her curled up with the dish nice and full

I never fully let the lower areas dry out for my P. muticus. As @Dennis Nedry stated, deep under the ground it is always a bit more moist than on the sun-baked surface. Another thing, I removed the water dish for mine because she never drinks from it. Instead, I poor down some water into her burrow. I can see mine quite well from the side of the enclosure and she really drinks quite a lot when I do so. I believe others have the same experience. See also here: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/the-mad-king.306291/#post-2779445

Personally, I think that P. muticus not willing to eat is more often than not a matter of dehydration. If it is really dry in her burrow and she rarely drinks, I am not surprised that she is not eating.

 

[Nightstalker47]

So just an update. This appears to still be a problem with her. I have had trouble with her wanting food recently (last few months) and decided to throw in a freshly molted dubia.

It looks like the fang is deformed. Not sure if this is a reoccurring thing with her, but perhaps I'll moisten her sub a bit more?

View attachment 274567 View attachment 274568

Good news is she can still eat. Definitely keep the bottom layers of the sub moist, it should never dry out completely.

The consensus on keeping this species dry is dead wrong.

 

[Mithricat]

My thoughts:
If one were to "flash dry" the exoskeleton (while providing moisture to mouth parts to prevent dessication, of course), the tarantula would harden funky.

This is a common misconception, the drying (hardening) of the exoskeleton actually has nothing to do with drying or moisture, even if you were to place a tarantula in a very dry environment post-molt it would still harden normally.

 

[bryverine]

This is a common misconception, the drying (hardening) of the exoskeleton actually has nothing to do with drying or moisture, even if you were to place a tarantula in a very dry environment post-molt it would still harden normally.

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants here, but how is it hardening if it's not removing moistute content?

 

[Mithricat]

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants here, but how is it hardening if it's not removing moistute content?

It's a biochemical process, the protein structure is altered and as a result is the exoskeleton hardens. Technically that happens by crosslinking members of particular classes of protein molecules. It doesn't have to do with moisture or drying.

 

[bryverine]

It's a biochemical process, the protein structure is altered and as a result is the exoskeleton hardens. Technically that happens by crosslinking members of particular classes of protein molecules. It doesn't have to do with moisture or drying.

Interesting! I'm used to states of matter such as metals and polymers - biology is certainly a stretch for my understanding.

Could you compare it to a reaction similar to the oxidation of aluminum? *interaction with air creats a hard layer that thickens with time.*

 

[Mithricat]

Interesting! I'm used to states of matter such as metals and polymers - biology is certainly a stretch for my understanding.

Could you compare it to a reaction similar to the oxidation of aluminum? *interaction with air creats a hard layer that thickens with time.*

Not so much to oxidation, I guess polymerization would be a more appropriate comparison.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I'm not trying to be a smarty pants here

Ah ah such term always crack me up. Smarty pants.
I'd love to imagine out of control living pants that cause misunderstandings of every kind to the owner: from religious ones to whatever

 

[bryverine]

Ah ah such term always crack me up. Smarty pants.
I'd love to imagine out of control living pants that cause misunderstandings of every kind to the owner: from religious ones to whatever

I didn't want to get in trouble.

 

[Andrea82]

I pour some water down the burrow for my A.junodi and P.muticus. Not flooding it, obviously, but just a part where the spider isn't. A few minutes later I can see both if them on the spot I poured water on.
Just make sure you're not pouring it on them. I made the mistake once with my Princess and she was not amused, which was audible from a meter away