can slings tear off extra legs and use them to club with?

[krystal]

i am baffled...yesterday when i checked in on my l. cristata sling, i noticed s/he is down two legs, so s/he's a little wobbly. the ex-limbs (the second and third legs) are located right next to each other, and i can't figure out what in the heck happened. possibly s/he tore them off to use as weapons to hit (or throw at) crickets? i have to admit, i crack a smile when i envision my t ripping of a limb and hurling it at a cricket, but i am also slightly worried. my l. parahybana sling is also missing a leg, but that was due to a bad moult. are my spiderlings destined to be 7- or 6-legged forever (because they are constantly falling off)? the l. parahybana has had leg problems before (a leg became deformed after a moult). does anyone have any hints, suggestions, household tips that might make my spiders keep their legs instead of losing them all of the time?

and more importantly, should i make them go to an aggression class?

 

[JacenBeers]

This was the funniest post ever.

 

[MrDeranged]

It's really hard to say what might be causing it Krystal. Is there anything in the enclosure that they could be damaging them on? Is it possible for them to climb to a point where they could fall and damage the leg? Those are the two most probable scenarios. If neither is a possibility, then it could be that there is some kind of damage (internal maybe) that you did not see, but that the T felt the need to throw the leg because of.

Scott

 

[krystal]

neither of the tarantulas are climbers, but, in order to suicide-proof their containers, i piled the substrate up so it is within an inch and a half from the lid (they're in "chicken out" restaurant containers).

i didn't think of "internal problems" before. although i can't imagine what could have happened...

*sigh* maybe my tarantulas have always wanted to be like the 6-legged bugs...

 

[MrDeranged]

Transinsectuals maybe???

 

[krystal]

THAT was FUNNY!

 

[Mister Internet]

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAA

Actually, some organisms self-mutilate in response to stress stimuli... not sure if it's the same with T's, but a lot of higher mammals (dogs, horses, even humans) have been known to gnaw, mutilate, and even self-amputate limbs when subjected to stress. Maybe it's a response to a stressful stimulus?

 

[Arachnopuppy]

That was funny.

 

[Chris]

How large were the crickets you fed them? I would venture a guess that perhaps the cricket did some damage to the legs while struggling or perhaps even bit the spider.

 

[savian]

I know it was the one armed man who is doing it. Is the humidity high enough? I would be think that it is maybe getting stuck and can't pull the leg out quick enough. That sound dirty for some reason.

 

[krucz36]

male pattern leg baldness?

 

[krystal]

now that you mention it, my spiderling HAS been asking me a lot lately if he looks as if he's getting old...

the humidity is fine--wet enough for the ground to be moist, yet not muddy. and i always add in a little extra food for the crickets to eat so they won't mistake my spiderling for a heap of wet dog food.

i certainly hope my spiderling isn't gnawing off his legs because he's stressed out. however, i wonder if i were to do something like that in response to stress, would it qualify me for workcomp?

 

[krucz36]

as long as you gnaw off your leg, and not someone else's sure!