Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens slings fangs stuck in molt!!

[malinbjorg]

my Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens sling molted five days ago. since then it has been incredibly weak (i know that a molt takes a lot of their energy and that they are weak after but i am still worried because when he moves a bit he just drags his body slowly around, and i think some of its legs is deforemd...) three days ago i saw that some of the old molt is stuck around both of the fangs, and it is really tight. I've tried to moisten the area with some water drops. but it dont seem to work ... then i put it in an ICU in a dark room with a little heat, he's been there for 2 days without progress ... I've read that one can help a tarantula out of a molt with the right equipment...but im scared to help it that way bacause the molt is really tight and he's really skittish. is there anyone who has any advice on this? this is my first of two tarantulas...so i really dont want to lose this little guy...(sorry for my bad english)

 

[mconnachan]

It looks like your T has had an extremely bad moult, hope it makes it, but without fangs it's touch and go.....

 

[sasker]

I don't think the ICU is doing much good. This species likes it dry and two days in a warm humid environment is not helping it. I never had such a bad molt. I would try to carefully peel off the molt from the fangs. I wouldn't be bothered too much by the possible negative effects of this 'procedure' as the spider is in a bad state already and will likely die if nothing is done.

I am really sorry for you and I wish you success with the situation

 

[Jason B]

Yeah the icu is really not doing anything but increasing its misery. Are the fangs stuck together? If so I'd try to cut it off the old molt. Drip some water directly onto the fangs this will do more for hydration then that icu will do. It would be a good time to google "cricket soup" as it may be needed in the future.

This is one of those situations where you can do everything right and it still might die.

 

[Ghost56]

People... Look at the date.

Would be nice knowing if it made it or not though.

 

[JoshDM020]

People... Look at the date.

Would be nice knowing if it made it or not though.

Thats what i was thinking. Almost two months ago, help might have.... helped.

 

[Andrea82]

How come this thread just appeared in my unread posts yesterday if it was posted in April??

 

[mconnachan]

How come this thread just appeared in my unread posts yesterday if it was posted in April??

That's exactly what I thought after posting @Andrea82 , hope the spider made it....

 

[Ungoliant]

How come this thread just appeared in my unread posts yesterday if it was posted in April??

@mconnachan posted a reply, bumping it to the top.

 

[BishopiMaster]

I don't think the ICU is doing much good. This species likes it dry and two days in a warm humid environment is not helping it. I never had such a bad molt. I would try to carefully peel off the molt from the fangs. I wouldn't be bothered too much by the possible negative effects of this 'procedure' as the spider is in a bad state already and will likely die if nothing is done.

I am really sorry for you and I wish you success with the situation

Molting problems stem from humidity, deaths from t's that do not like humidity DO NOT result as molting issues. Who in their right mind would move a t into drier quarters that is having difficulty molting? Even if the t is a dry loving species, I don't understand how a warm humid environment will not at least 'help' it molt. The issues as far as I am concerned that present themselves with humidity on dry species are fungal and bacteria related. Please be careful with the advice quoted ^

 

[Andrea82]

@mconnachan posted a reply, bumping it to the top.

Ah, i see now, lol, thank you. Walks away yelling @mconnachan !What were you doing, answering a month old urgent question!?
Jk

 

[JoshDM020]

Molting problems stem from humidity, deaths from t's that do not like humidity DO NOT result as molting issues. Who in their right mind would move a t into drier quarters that is having difficulty molting? Even if the t is a dry loving species, I don't understand how a warm humid environment will not at least 'help' it molt. The issues as far as I am concerned that present themselves with humidity on dry species are fungal and bacteria related. Please be careful with the advice quoted ^

No proof anywhere ever that says higher humidity assists molts. Sure there are people who have had successful molts with higher humidity, but there are just as many with normal low humidity levels. Thats not to say it doesnt (for some species), there just isnt enough research on that subject in particular to call that a definite. However, raising the humidity of a dry species could actually stress the tarantula and indeed cause issues molting.

 

[BishopiMaster]

No proof anywhere ever that says higher humidity assists molts. Sure there are people who have had successful molts with higher humidity, but there are just as many with normal low humidity levels. Raising the humidity of a dry species could actually stress the tarantula and indeed cause issues molting.

Ahh, proof on arachnoboards, whats that? I was pretty sure that we all dabbled in the divine realm of experience. No proof you say, so, if we are dealing with the lack of why and how, tell me, how will humidity stress out a dry species during a molt? Let's talk about arachnids in general, youve got h arizonensis, dry loving scorpion, but molts underground in humid chambers. How about p muticus, burrows several feet underground, often at the base of roots, why go that deep? Why do dry tarantulas tend to be very heavy webbers, perhaps, to conserve moisture, maybe during periods like molting. I am just wondering, if proof is the thing here, why and how will humidity stress out a molting t which happens to be a dry species.

 

[JoshDM020]

Ahh, proof on arachnoboards, whats that? I was pretty sure that we all dabbled in the divine realm of experience. No proof you say, so, if we are dealing with the lack of why and how, tell me, how will humidity stress out a dry species during a molt? Let's talk about arachnids in general, youve got h arizonensis, dry loving scorpion, but molts underground in humid chambers. How about p muticus, burrows several feet underground, often at the base of roots, why go that deep? Why do dry tarantulas tend to be very heavy webbers, perhaps, to conserve moisture, maybe during periods like molting. I am just wondering, if proof is the thing here, why and how will humidity stress out a molting t which happens to be a dry species.

I edited my previous post to correct myself a little. Its just been the most widely accepted knowledge through all of my questions and searchings on these boards that dry species (such as G. rosea. You mentioned scorpions, but i have very little experience with them, and P. muticus (PBUH) which ive read about but have yet to own) tend to worsen when placed in ICUs (also, id like to see someone coax a P. muticus into an icu). That seems to be the MOST common reaction. Ive read a lot of reports on here of C. cyaneopubescens (the species in question in the op) also worsening in condition when placed in higher humidity. I wasnt saying that I had proof of anything, i was saying that NOBODY does, and giving "Molting problems stem from humidity," as a rebuttal for a species that doesnt burrow and webs in a dry environment (webbing cant retain moisture where there isnt any in the first place) isnt very sound.

 

[BishopiMaster]

I edited my previous post to correct myself a little. Its just been the most widely accepted knowledge through all of my questions and searchings on these boards that dry species (such as G. rosea. You mentioned scorpions, but i have very little experience with them, and P. muticus (PBUH) which ive read about but have yet to own) tend to worsen when placed in ICUs (also, id like to see someone coax a P. muticus into an icu). That seems to be the MOST common reaction. Ive read a lot of reports on here of C. cyaneopubescens (the species in question in the op) also worsening in condition when placed in higher humidity. I wasnt saying that I had proof of anything, i was saying that NOBODY does, and giving "Molting problems stem from humidity," as a rebuttal for a species that doesnt burrow and webs in a dry environment (webbing cant retain moisture where there isnt any in the first place) isnt very sound.

Well, webbing can retain moisture after the water seeps into the burrow, or any water in a root system that seeps down. i think we have to start by acknowledging one thing, does humidity help tarantulas molt?

 

[JoshDM020]

Well, webbing can retain moisture after the water seeps into the burrow, or any water in a root system that seeps down. i think we have to start by acknowledging one thing, does humidity help tarantulas molt?

There is insufficient data to reliably answer that question. Some people think it does, some believe it makes no difference at all. With a GBB, though, in captivity, there should generally be no water outside of the water dish unless youve got a weirdo that likes to dump it. Its how i keep mine and it molted perfectly not too long ago. I would rather maintain its regular environment than make a stressful change to do something that may or may not have any effect.

 

[BishopiMaster]

There is insufficient data to reliably answer that question. Some people think it does, some believe it makes no difference at all. With a GBB, though, in captivity, there should generally be no water outside of the water dish unless youve got a weirdo that likes to dump it. Its how i keep mine and it molted perfectly not too long ago. I would rather maintain its regular environment than make a stressful change to do something that may or may not have any effect.

If we are relying on data, we might as well all keep our arachnoxperienced mouths shut, not that i am 100% partial to data, but we have to recognize the knowledgebase we use.Granted, yes, the GBB is found in the venezuelan desert, but what do you also see with desert tarantulas, even amongst the females, the abdomen tends to shrivel up, so how impervious to dehydration are they really, yeah you can provide a water dish, but there is also the matter of evaporation with these drier tarantulas, (in the wild).

 

[JoshDM020]

If we are relying on data, we might as well all keep our arachnoxperienced mouths shut, not that i am 100% partial to data, but we have to recognize the knowledgebase we use.Granted, yes, the GBB is found in the venezuelan desert, but what do you also see with desert tarantulas, even amongst the females, the abdomen tends to shrivel up, so how impervious to dehydration are they really, yeah you can provide a water dish, but there is also the matter of evaporation with these drier tarantulas, (in the wild).

Impervious, no. Even the most resilient species will eventually dehydrate without water of some sort, that is true. In the wild, even in the desert, there is rain. Yes, that will result in a moist area of living, but that will also dry out relatively fast in that environment. In captivity, there is rarely the occasion where they wont have access to water. And it will usually only be in the substrate if the spider dumps the dish. But that will only effect the spider as it sees fit. It may dump the dish frequently or rarely, as personality varies from spider to spider. You arent wrong by any means with moisture in its natural environment, but there isnt very much even there. This isnt a burrowing species, so it really wouldnt benifit from excess humidity while molting in captivity any more than it would in the wild.

 

[BishopiMaster]

Impervious, no. Even the most resilient species will eventually dehydrate without water of some sort, that is true. In the wild, even in the desert, there is rain. Yes, that will result in a moist area of living, but that will also dry out relatively fast in that environment. In captivity, there is rarely the occasion where they wont have access to water. And it will usually only be in the substrate if the spider dumps the dish. But that will only effect the spider as it sees fit. It may dump the dish frequently or rarely, as personality varies from spider to spider. You arent wrong by any means with moisture in its natural environment, but there isnt very much even there. This isnt a burrowing species, so it really wouldnt benifit from excess humidity while molting in captivity any more than it would in the wild.

it wont dry out fast in a burrow, and in the wild GBBS DO live in burrows, if anything, we can call them opportunistic burrowers, one of the functions, as i understand it with humidity is that it keeps the exoskeleton pliable while the tarantula molts.

 

[JoshDM020]

it wont dry out fast in a burrow, and in the wild GBBS DO live in burrows, if anything, we can call them opportunistic burrowers, one of the functions, as i understand it with humidity is that it keeps the exoskeleton pliable while the tarantula molts.

It COULD assist with that and really i feel like most of the issue is not knowing how much is TOO much. Because a desert dweller can have too much humidity. I imagine it would be like drowning a little more with every breath. They also excrete fluids from their own bodies as they molt that serve the same purpose you mentioned.
Edit: also, i feel like the fluids they secrete are much more suited for that purpose and regular water may not be enough to do that without BEING too much. Which is an interesting thought. Chemical research should be done on that.