Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula death question

[michele]

Hi, I'm brand new here and I was wondering if I could find out what went wrong with my daughter's
Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula. She brought
him home from her science
teacher 2yrs ago in a broken tank with big bark pieces as substrate. The
teacher couldn't remember the last time he molted, but said he was old. He
told my daughter he just put in a bag of 10 crickets every week. We did a
lot of research and used coconut fiber (it's what we use for their hermit
crabs) and kept him in a quiet place away from the windows. The room is
always consistent with temperature. We fed him a few small crickets every
couple of weeks (I realize now from reading your site that that was even too
much). He molted 2 months after bringing him home and did great. Then,
recently, he flipped over without spinning web and scooted a little at a
time over the next 9 days but made no progress. I didn't wet the tank, but I
did bring the humidifier over after the 5th day and ran it near his tank and
covered his tank with a towel to hold in what moisture I could. After the
6th day, I placed a drop of water on his fangs once a day. I was just
desperate, knowing he hadn't had any fluid in that many days. Before that,
we didn't mess with him at all. He passed 3 days ago, and we are sad and
confused about what may have happened this time that was so different from
last time. I know this is long, but I would greatly appreciate any input. My
daughter is coming home from college tomorrow and I'd like to be able to
tell her something. I never thought I would ever appreciate a pet like this,
but I would consider having another if I felt like we could do it right. The 1st photo is before the attempted molt. The next 2 are from the failed molt and after he passed. Thanks.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I'm sorry for that, man. But who knows? They, Grammostola rosea, love TOTALLY bone dry substrate (coco fiber, btw, is a good substrate, never had a problem using that in almost 25 years - unlike peat moss, had a couple of T's who hated that) the water dish is enough for mantain the humidity they needs.

You said the teacher (the previous owner?) said that he was old, plus the enclosure.. a broken tank, with as substrate big bark pieces.. only? Yikes, poor thing.

However, i'm sure you loved the Theraphosidae Michele. Say to your daughter that "he died of old age trying to molt again." (males lifespan is shorter than females) a "sweet lie".. and maybe that's the truth.

 

[michele]

Yes, the teacher was the previous owner. Thanks, Chris. I will let her know. At least I've found this site for next time.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes, the teacher was the previous owner. Thanks, Chris. I will let her know. At least I've found this site for next time.

Nothing. I can't be sure, of course, for the cause of death.. but i think probably old age. Hope you will remain into T's, Michele. They are great, lovely animals.
Ciao.

 

[Thistles]

That specimen looks female to me, but I otherwise agree with Chris. This was a wild caught animal of unknown age, but at that size she was certainly mature. It could have been old age or just something wrong during molting. Sometimes things just die. Thank you for trying to do right by her.

 

[Beary Strange]

He was a she and it looks like she died of pretty extreme dehydration. The fact that she died right next to a completely empty water dish says a lot.

 

[michele]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the help. I wish I had found this site sooner.
Belle Fury, The dish you're referring to isn't a water dish. When he/she started balding, I removed the crickets, but offered a shallow dish of meal worms just in case because he hadn't eaten in over a week and I wanted to make sure he didn't go without anything in the tank, while also making sure nothing could get to him if he decided to molt. He had a full water dish next to his hidey. As far as looking dehydrated.. that was my biggest concern with the molt continuing on for nearly 2 weeks. His body looked nothing like the last photos right before he flipped over. I moved a humidifier next to the tank and placed a drop of water on his fangs each day after day 5. I wish I had known exactly what to do, but we tried. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the help. I wish I had found this site sooner.
Belle Fury, The dish you're referring to isn't a water dish. When he/she started balding, I removed the crickets, but offered a shallow dish of meal worms just in case because he hadn't eaten in over a week and I wanted to make sure he didn't go without anything in the tank, while also making sure nothing could get to him if he decided to molt. He had a full water dish next to his hidey. As far as looking dehydrated.. that was my biggest concern with the molt continuing on for nearly 2 weeks. His body looked nothing like the last photos right before he flipped over. I moved a humidifier next to the tank and placed a drop of water on his fangs each day after day 5. I wish I had known exactly what to do, but we tried. Thanks for the replies.

Could be old age or a bad molt. We don't know, at the end, the exact age nor if was a WC specimen etc
It's rare a bad molt but happens, sadly. Dehydrated Theraphosidae looks sort of (not sure if i know the right word now, sorry, i'm Italian) somewhat shrunken? and from the pics, the first especially, the abdomen doesn't seem a severe dehydrated one IMO.

 

[REvan342]

It's sounds like he was a mature male who attempted a molt.... Mature males (especially ones that hook out) tend to have a high mortality rate if they attempt a post mature molt. The best way to prevent a post mature molt is to not overfeeds your Males.

 

[michele]

I talked to pet shops and looked up information and still felt lost about his care. As soon as I Googled "problems molting" this site came up. I wish I had known about over feeding. We were told by the previous owner to feed a bag of 10 crickets each week. I read that was too much so we offered 3 small ones every 2 wks and I'm reading here that that may have been too much, especially like you said if he was mature and you want to prevent them trying to grow further. I appreciate everything. I would consider another but I want to continue reading before I do. We were thrown into this because my daughter's heart is too big some times.

 

[le-thomas]

We don't know, at the end, the exact age nor if was a WC specimen etc

The age was probably upwards of ~10 years, given that the spider is mature; this species grows very slowly.

The chances of this spider being captive bred and born are slim to none. G. rosea captive specimens are uncommon as is, and the majority are spiderlings; it's almost impossible (at least in the US, probably the world) that this spider was bred in captivity a decade ago, and then raised to maturity, only to be sold off to a school.

Probably old age, nothing for you guys to beat yourselves up over. If you weren't already, keep a water dish with this species. I would definitely recommend getting another tarantula. They're grrrrreat!

 

[michele]

He always had a full water dish though I never actually saw him drink. The dish in the photo was for meal worms because it looked like from the bald spot that he was preparing to molt and I didn't want crickets to climb on him. Thanks for all the help.

 

[skippydude]

This T wasn't dehydrated, nor is it a mature male.(no hooks, no emboli and ventrally appears female)

Looks very much like a bad molt, probably due to age and nothing you did caused it's demise and nothing you could do to change it.

Though sad "Death is a part of life" It's the inevitable part

 

[Beary Strange]

It's sounds like he was a mature male who attempted a molt.... Mature males (especially ones that hook out) tend to have a high mortality rate if they attempt a post mature molt. The best way to prevent a post mature molt is to not overfeeds your Males.

Go look back at the pics provided. Not a mature male, not even a male.

Throwing out random crazy things that could have happened ignoring what we can clearly see in the pictures is silly, and not going to help this person learn how to take better care of any tarantulas they have in the future. This doesn't look like a bad molt, it looks like cut and dry dehydration. Age may have been a factor in why she was dehydrated.

---------- Post added 09-28-2015 at 08:02 PM ----------

This T wasn't dehydrated, nor is it a mature male.(no hooks, no emboli and ventrally appears female)

Looks very much like a bad molt

Are you not seeing the shriveled rump or do you just really not want to make the OP feel bad?

 

[cold blood]

op, was there any supplemental heating being used to warm the enclosure?

 

[skippydude]

[/COLOR]
Are you not seeing the shriveled rump or do you just really not want to make the OP feel bad?

I see a rump that is larger than the carapace, a T doesn't have to look like a wood tick to be healthy.

Dehydrated Ts legs curl under usually in a standing position. Lack of hydration shuts their hydraulic system down. This T flipped in an attempt to molt and didn't survive the process, again I say it died from old age and nothing more.

 

[michele]

No one is trying to soothe my feelings. They're all offering their best advice and trying to help. I feel bad regardless of dehydration or age. If there's something else besides food, temperature , water and peace and quiet, I want to understand. If something stands out about the dehydration or another cause, I need to know. It's not about whether or not I should feel bad. If I didn't I wouldn't be here.

---------- Post added 09-28-2015 at 11:18 PM ----------

I didn't have any heating. Central air is on but the room stays at 75. He/she was on a dresser away from the window and I live in a wooded area so no direct sunlight.

 

[cold blood]

op, was there any supplemental heating being used to warm the enclosure?

op^^^^^^^^^^^^

I see a rump that is larger than the carapace, a T doesn't have to look like a wood tick to be healthy.

Dehydrated Ts legs curl under usually in a standing position. Lack of hydration shuts their hydraulic system down. This T flipped in an attempt to molt and didn't survive the process, again I say it died from old age and nothing more.

The very bottom pic in the original post is exactly like you just described...to a tee. The abdomen is clearly sunken.

 

[michele]

I'm not sure my reply went through. The central air is on in the house. It stays about 75. No supplemental heating. The tank was on a dresser away from the window. Our house is in a wooded area so not much direct sunlight anyway. He/she didn't have any sunken areas when he flipped over...just a bald spot. After the 1st week went by things began to look the way they do in the bottom photos. The only info I could find was to place a drop of water on his fangs since he couldn't right himself. I moved a humidifier over to his tank also.

 

[le-thomas]

I'm not sure my reply went through. The central air is on in the house. It stays about 75. No supplemental heating. The tank was on a dresser away from the window. Our house is in a wooded area so not much direct sunlight anyway. He/she didn't have any sunken areas when he flipped over...just a bald spot. After the 1st week went by things began to look the way they do in the bottom photos. The only info I could find was to place a drop of water on his fangs since he couldn't right himself. I moved a humidifier over to his tank also.

Based on the first photo, she was well fed and hydrated. Dead tarantulas lose moisture very quickly; when I find a dead tarantula, it looks "deflated", just like yours does. I honestly believe that the "shriveling" happen post-mortem and that the tarantula was in good health, dying of old age/unavoidable complications.