C. versicolor not moving

[DocWoody8506]

I'm hoping to get some opinions on what to do about my versi...it's my first arboreal sling, I only have experience with terrestrials, so I'm pretty nervous. I received it well packed on Oct 22nd, and it ate a couple fruit flies within a day. I think it was in premolt when I received it, because within a couple of days, it started fasting and webbing. As of yesterday, it drank really heavily from some droplets I left on the web, and then it moved to the top last night and got into a really awkward position and hasn't moved again since. I attached some pics of it's enclosure. I'm hoping someone with more experience can tell me that it's just molting and that I'm being paranoid!

Also, I should add, it's cup is kept totally dry, no misting, just droplets placed on the web, and a water bowl below

 

[Smotzer]

Has it still not moved? It could have been preparing to molt

 

[Marlana]

I can’t really tell from the pictures. I would definitely recommend some more substantial feeders than fruit flies. Mine like tiny meal worms and small crickets. You can even prekill bigger prey for them and stick it inside their web for them to scavenge on.

 

[DocWoody8506]

Still not moving as of this morning I think it may be gone.

I left a dead cricket for it twice last week, and it wouldn't touch it.

 

[pvilches]

Don't have much experience with C. versicolor, but it looks like it's laying on its back from the pictures. To me it looks like it is going to molt, would make sense if it wasn't interested in food last week. Feels like it prepared the hammock and is trying to molt, but can't say with much certainty as I can't really see the T well in the pics. Is it getting good ventilation? Holes may be a bit small for its size.

Hopefully it's just molting! I once had my N. chromatus spend a day and a half laying on its back without moving and I was worried sick, but then I got home from work and found her stretching on top of its hide like nothing happened.

 

[CheshireGleam]

I recently got a couple C. versicolor, possibly even from the same dealer, both of mine were also in premolt when I received them. I keep them in the exact same set up as you aside from different fake plants and they lay around in fairly odd positions for quite some time, especially before and after they molted. One began molting halfway upright with a leg tucked under its abdomen that it subsequently lost in the molting process. I thought the worst due to how strange it looked during, hopefully yours is just going through the motions and it didn't have complications. Mine completely refused food until they molted, one of them waiting over a week to take a red runner. The first versi I had that was kept in the same conditions withered away after it molted, they just seem more sensitive than other T's in my experience. I don't mean to be a proponent of pestering, but have you tried to see if there's any movement at all? Wishing the best for you.

 

[vicareux]

Could just be pre-molty.
Also,temperature can play a factor in how active the spider is. How hot do you keep the room?

 

[DocWoody8506]

Yeah, from what I'm reading on here, they do seem somewhat sensitive. The room stays between 72-75 degrees during the day. I just added some water to the web with a syringe earlier, and it is still in exactly the same position. I have a couple of terrestrials, so I'm accustomed to pet rocks, but this seems off to me.

 

[Smotzer]

Yeah, from what I'm reading on here, they do seem somewhat sensitive. The room stays between 72-75 degrees during the day. I just added some water to the web with a syringe earlier, and it is still in exactly the same position. I have a couple of terrestrials, so I'm accustomed to pet rocks, but this seems off to me.

I dont normaly recommend this but you can try and lightly touch it on a leg with a paintbrush to see if there is any movement. Theyre really not that sensitive in my experience if your husbandry is correct. It looks like molting behavior but things do happen sometimes, but its not in a death curl or anything.

 

[DocWoody8506]

I dont normaly recommend this but you can try and lightly touch it on a leg with a paintbrush to see if there is any movement. Theyre really not that sensitive in my experience if your husbandry is correct. It looks like molting behavior but things do happen sometimes, but its not in a death curl or anything.

I may try that if it hasn't moved by tomorrow. I don't want to disturb it too much if its molting, but I am concerned. Definitely not in a curl, so here's hoping it's just molting!

 

[entomologic]

I have 3 C. versicolors and they act the same way right before molting. Usually for about a week they just kinda sit/hang in one position and don't move. I have very gently touched their feet with a paintbrush when they're like this with no ill-effects. They won't move much, just slowly get the leg out of the way. Though that might be a little hard to do with your setup without disturbing the web. You could also try gently blowing on the top holes near the feet and see if it responds at all.

 

[DocWoody8506]

I have 3 C. versicolors and they act the same way right before molting. Usually for about a week they just kinda sit/hang in one position and don't move. I have very gently touched their feet with a paintbrush when they're like this with no ill-effects. They won't move much, just slowly get the leg out of the way. Though that might be a little hard to do with your setup without disturbing the web. You could also try gently blowing on the top holes near the feet and see if it responds at all.

That is super comforting to hear! I've just left it alone in it's dark room, and we'll see what happens over the next several days.

 

[pvilches]

Any updates? @DocWoody8506

 

[DocWoody8506]

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure it died it never moved again, even when I touched it with a paintbrush. I'm just so paranoid about potentially throwing out a molting sling that I still have it in its enclosure. Super sad, I wish I knew what I did wrong.

 

[Jess S]

Really sorry, it's horrible to lose a t.
Probably not strong enough to complete the moulting process.
The only thing I'd suggest for next time is to increase the airholes on the sides slightly to just under the width of the slings carapace. That way you'll get effective airflow and prevent escape.
Add some on the 'lid' too. This will allow humidity and warm stale air to leave the enclosure, acting like a chimney.

 

[DocWoody8506]

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely make sure to do that with the next one. I think someday I'll try to get one as juvenile/sub-adult that's a little more established

 

[Jess S]

You will do fine with a sling as long as you increase the cross ventilation as they aren't that difficult to keep.

I believe that some slings are weaker than their sac mates, and either die young or can only survive if enclosure conditions are perfect for them. In other words they are less forgiving of, just for an example, overly damp conditions than a sac mate that may survive no problem kept the same way. That's just an example, I'm not suggesting your enclosure was too damp, as it definitely was not. Just want to clarify that!

I think you were just unlucky with this sling. You have the experience now to make it work next time.

 

[Craig73]

Don’t let it deter you, it happens. I lost an N. incei sling last week and those are pretty hardy.

Versicolor‘s are not hard to care for as long as you take the advice from this forum, cross ventilation, dry substraight, a little bark and leafs and you’re pretty much set. The occasional deaths do happen, but it happens with any species.

Sorry about your loss and hope you try again, they are gorgeous T’s.