Broken fangs

[Kyle G]

My pink salmon bird eater who is 1+ year old broke off both its fangs.... heard a cracking sound while feeding my other t's. Looked over and saw it putting fangs through lid and they broke off... will it be ok?? I've had many types of tarantulas over the past 8 years. Only had this happen once with another one.

 

[Devin B]

They will grow back next molt. I hope it is close to a molt. If not I've read that people make cricket soup for their T's so it can still eat do you have any Pics.

 

[Kyle G]

Last molted on Aug 10. Will try for pics next time it moves.. about 3-4 inches in size.. fangs are nubs.

 

[Kyle G]

Here's one lol

 

[Kyle G]

Hope it's plump enough to make it to molt

 

[miss moxie]

Yeah it should be fine. It's not chubby, but it's not skinny either. If you can raise the the ambient temperature in the room, you can help trigger a quicker molt.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Last molted on Aug 10.

about 3-4 inches in size

This won't be entirely accurate as I doubt you keep to the same temps/feeding schedule as me and the tarantula's genetics also come into play but my girl at that(ish) size took around 3 months between moults so I'd think yours is due a moult within the next month or so,

Hope it's plump enough to make it to molt

It's pretty plump, it should be fine.

 

[Ungoliant]

They will grow back next molt. I hope it is close to a molt.

Note: if it's too close to the next molt, it might take more than one molt for the fangs to completely regenerate.

 

[sasker]

@Kyle G : you have my sympathy. I also have an LP with two broken fangs. I came across more stories of people having this species breaking their fangs. Apparently their is some hamster DNA mixed in this species

 

[EulersK]

Hope it's plump enough to make it to molt...

Agreed. It could absolutely molt with an abdomen that size. Your tarantula will be fine. If you begin to see hunting behaviors, try offering a "slurry" of food in a small dish. In other words, grind up your feeders and offer them. I've raised many tarantulas in the past with broken fangs from previous owners. It's not particularly difficult.

The better question is why this happened. Can we see the entire enclosure? The tarantula doesn't need to be in the shot - I'm more interested in the actual enclosure. You say that you've kept tarantulas for far longer than I have, but there are easy mistakes to make. Care to share?

 

[WoofSpider]

@Kyle G : you have my sympathy. I also have an LP with two broken fangs. I came across more stories of people having this species breaking their fangs. Apparently their is some hamster DNA mixed in this species

Makes me a bit worried. I've definitely seen mine poking around the ventilation holes. Will need to keep an eye out.

Agreed. It could absolutely molt with an abdomen that size. Your tarantula will be fine. If you begin to see hunting behaviors, try offering a "slurry" of food in a small dish. In other words, grind up your feeders and offer them. I've raised many tarantulas in the past with broken fangs from previous owners. It's not particularly difficult.

The better question is why this happened. Can we see the entire enclosure? The tarantula doesn't need to be in the shot - I'm more interested in the actual enclosure. You say that you've kept tarantulas for far longer than I have, but there are easy mistakes to make. Care to share?

I would also like to see what the enclosure looks like. Particularly where the T broke it's fangs.

 

[darkness975]

Sounds like a Kritter Keeper or a Metal Mesh lid. I honestly have never figured out how they manage to break their fangs like this.

I understand that they are not exactly the highest on the intellectual evolutionary ladder but for them to sit there and keep applying more and more pressure until the fangs literally break off seems like a candidate for a Darwin Award.

That kind of pressure exerted on our own limbs would cause unimaginable pain. It is incredible what they trudge through.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

@Kyle G : you have my sympathy. I also have an LP with two broken fangs. I came across more stories of people having this species breaking their fangs. Apparently their is some hamster DNA mixed in this species

i Also have a LP who has managed to break their Fangs, Mine has broken a fang twice, once with each fang, and both from completely separate situations.

Im beginning to think there is just something about this species in particular that might make their fangs a little brittle. I've never had a tarantula break a fang, and yet My LP broken 2 and i dont seem to be alone with this happening to LP's.

Mine broke one on a set of Tongs i was using to spot check clean her enclosure, the other time was apparently with her water bowl. she was just a juvie at the time, and i was fairly new in the hobby and i had heard that Water caps were good for water bowls as they are not as hard or tough as like metal/ceramic/glass bowls.

so i had added a basic water bottle cap, and a few days later when i went to feed her, the cap was flipped over and a fang was sticking right out of it. she had left it upside down, webbed over and in the middle of the enclosure.


BUT, on the bright side, both times they have grown back just fine, the first one(with the water dish) was ~3-4 weeks after a molt so it was pretty much back to normal with the next molt.
The other time with the tongs happened when she was ~5" and happened a little before her next molt. she had molted, and she ended up with a full fang and then half a nubby fang, and after her next molt she was nearly back to normal(one fang was maybe 10% smaller then the other and a little skinnier)

after her most recent molt now she's completely normal now with two massive fangs. she looks to be pretty good size, and a lot of times, problems that happen like these can sometimes kick them into pre-molt in a effort to try to fix the issue.

As long as you keep plenty of water present she should be fine. if they still are not fully formed back after the molt then id try either smushed up pre killed(if there is a decent amount of fang) or cricket soup(if they are just nubs still) and she should eventually get it fixed!

 

[sasker]

I would also like to see what the enclosure looks like. Particularly where the T broke it's fangs.

Mine was caused by a kritter keeper lid. I first noticed a trail of hemolymph leading to the lid where the fang was still sticking out. I have no idea where she broke her other fang. As soon as she molts I will place her in a different, less hazardous enclosure.

Im beginning to think there is just something about this species in particular that might make their fangs a little brittle.

That, or they have particularly strong muscles behind those fangs. Or less control over their muscle power. Or they are just a more nervous species, more prone to self harm Compared to my Pamphobeteus sp, my LP is a very careful hunter and she seems more often scared of prey. My Pampho is a monster when hunting, obliterating anything that moves, but the rest of the time she just sits there, comfortably, without any 'Escape from Alcatraz' tendencies. I am less worried about her fangs.

id try either smushed up pre killed(if there is a decent amount of fang) or cricket soup(if they are just nubs still) and she should eventually get it fixed!

Thanks! I tried a smashed up red runner, but she had no interest. I think she will molt soon. Hopefully she will recover both her fangs, because feeding her prekilled animals/wax worm soup may not work. She is a really fussy eater.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

Mine was caused by a kritter keeper lid. I first noticed a trail of hemolymph leading to the lid where the fang was still sticking out. I have no idea where she broke her other fang. As soon as she molts I will place her in a different, less hazardous enclosure.



That, or they have particularly strong muscles behind those fangs. Or less control over their muscle power. Or they are just a more nervous species, more prone to self harm Compared to my Pamphobeteus sp, my LP is a very careful hunter and she seems more often scared of prey. My Pampho is a monster when hunting, obliterating anything that moves, but the rest of the time she just sits there, comfortably, without any 'Escape from Alcatraz' tendencies. I am less worried about her fangs.



Thanks! I tried a smashed up red runner, but she had no interest. I think she will molt soon. Hopefully she will recover both her fangs, because feeding her prekilled animals/wax worm soup may not work. She is a really fussy eater.

true. if she is a fussy eater, try Large horned worms, IF you have anybody in the area who cultivates them safely.

Thats what I've done and have heard other people doing, they are almost all Liquid on the inside, like wax worms, but MUCH larger, if you cut its head section off, it will literally just pour liquid out, and still squirm, so it might be easier for the T to eat that way as they wont need to use the enzymes to really liquify it before hand. much like cricket soup, but it will retain some movement to possible stimulate the feeding response.

 

[sasker]

I really have never seen any horned worms for sale in Bulgaria, but I might be able to order them somewhere else in the EU. My LP is about 5", so I think an adult sized (ha!) horned worm would be a bit big for this little chicken sh*t anyway. I will first try with wax worms if I detect any hunting behaviour. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Tanner Dzula]

I really have never seen any horned worms for sale in Bulgaria, but I might be able to order them somewhere else in the EU. My LP is about 5", so I think an adult sized (ha!) horned worm would be a bit big for this little chicken sh*t anyway. I will first try with wax worms if I detect any hunting behaviour. Thanks for the tip!

if you end up ordering them, just make sure its from somebody who raises them for Feeding reptiles specifically,

in nature they are a lot like Dart frogs, where their body holds on to toxins from the plants they eat, so if fed normally(with tomato or other such planets) they can be toxic, but most breeders keep some separate as feeders and raise them on mulberry mulch, so they pose no harm to reptiles/inverts.

and if the wax worms work, id check it out, they com varying in size form .5" to like a full 3-4" in size, i usually get some from my local shop that are ~2". good size for most T's and they last awhile.
if your LP is 5" then even a full grown wouldn't be a big issue, they are mostly liquid after all, but i just wouldn't do it often. they seem toward well in between healing molts, because they can get a lot out of it in 1 feeding and you dont have to worry as much about multiple feedings in between molts.

plus, if you try it you'll see, once you cut the head off, I'm not kidding the liquid literally just pours out, almost like a ballon that pops, so a lot of it the tarantula wont even get, whether they go to eat it or not. so i tend to get the much bigger ones, so after all the extra lost liquid, theres usually a little less then half left that the actual tarantula ingests from.

 

[sasker]

Just a quick update. My LP with broken fangs molted and she recovered both her fangs. The one she broke most recently is slightly smaller than the other one, but fully functional. Luckily she was already quite well-fed before she broke her fangs and I ended up not giving her any food between the moment she broke her second fang and her molt. At first she seemed to be in hunting mode, but she continued her molting cycle without any trouble.

 

[darkness975]

Just a quick update. My LP with broken fangs molted and she recovered both her fangs. The one she broke most recently is slightly smaller than the other one, but fully functional. Luckily she was already quite well-fed before she broke her fangs and I ended up not giving her any food between the moment she broke her second fang and her molt. At first she seemed to be in hunting mode, but she continued her molting cycle without any trouble.

View attachment 257547 View attachment 257548

Another molt and you won't even be able to tell the difference, they will be the same size.

Glad this story had a happy outcome.

 

[Kyle G]

Still waiting on mine to molt since it broke it's fangs off at least it' drinking plenty of water