dead a. versicolor sling.. ?

[jdmjames]

i just got 2 versi's on wednesday. i just went to look in the little enclosures i made and one was down on the floor in a little ball. i took a look stuck my finger in thinking it will startle and it will move and it didnt. i was expecting it to feed on its 1st cricket with me but now its dead. any ideas why this could have happened? the other one is fine, it started webbing already and it just killed its 1st cricket and is now eating it. which is good but im scared its going to die now too. im new but i dnt think ive done anything wrong? humidity ventilation a stick to climb and a leave turned so it can even hide in. /: any suggestions?

 

[AbraCadaver]

First off, are you sure it's dead? does it smell?

Avicularia, and especially slings, roll up into a ball if they're scared or insecure.

Second, if you truly are sure it's dead, it could be a number of reasons. It could have been humidity or ventilation, it could have taken a fall, or it may simply have snuffed it. Slings sometimes die for no apperant reason, and it seems to happen more often with avics. Wheter it is because they are prone to it, or just harder to keep as slings is debated, so I'm not gonna go into that.

What I would like is this;

Detailed information about the enclosure. By humidity, what do you mean? By ventilation, what do you mean? How big was the enclosure? Pictures would be great.

I would also like to know the size of the spider, and also to see a picture, if possible.

Also, I would like to know how you keep your other sling, so if there is something in your husbandry doing it, we can prevent another death, at least because of husbandry.

 

[jdmjames]

the enclosure is about 1.5 inches wide and long and 3.5 inches tall with 1 inch of coco fiber "eco earth" ventilation is about an inch hole at the top of the enclosure with a screen covering it. the humidity seems fine, not wet in there but its not dry, little condensation down at the bottom in the center of the enclosure. now that you say it could have fallen that seems it could have been the problem, it did fall a couple times last night while i was watching it climb around the enclosure. i dnt have any pics but im pretty sure its dead, doesnt smell but its not moving, curled up, and completley unresponsive. its on a paper right now same position as it was in the enclosre right where i put it 45minutes ago. /: shes about 1/4inch maybe 1/2 extended

 

[AbraCadaver]

Ok, I would advice you to put it back in the enclosure, and leave it be untill it eaither starts moving, or starts smelling. Many people have had seemingly dead tarantulas suddenly wake up and be fit as a fiddle, or simply just molting.

The enclosure sounds fine, and a fall from those heights would probably not kill it, unless it hit something spot on. Avic slings can handle some crazy falls.

As I mentioned, however, slings sometimes die, without any obvious reasons. Any spider can, of course, but it seems to happen more often with slings, and again more often with avics.

Good luck with your little critters, and welcome to the hobby and AB!

 

[jdmjames]

i'll try. i hope it does wake up, im sad it died. its back in the enclosure now. thanks for the help and for the welcoming.