Death curl, but movement

[jixan]

I have a Theraphosa stirmi sling, about 1.5 inch, who moulted recently. A few days later I found it in a death curl (toes touching in the middle under the carapace, static - not usual spider yoga). It was still like that the next day, and I'd sadly written it off as dead.

What's confusing me is that, despite being more or less locked in that position, it does respond to gentle stimulus (i.e. touch with soft paintbrush, or shining a light directly on it) with slight waving of pedipalps, or small movement of legs (before returning to curl). It isn't capable of moving away. I've moved it out of the original enclosure, but this is now several days later, and still the same.

I'm pretty sure it's, if not already actually dead, then clearly in a very very bad way, but I don't want to completely write it off until I'm sure. What am I seeing here? Can spiders still twitch a little after death? Is it just impulses?

 

[vicareux]

Most likely alive. Fill a water dish and put its mouth parts in.

 

[Smotzer]

Put it back in its enclosure, if it’s in an “ICU” take it out immediately, and put it and it’s mouth/chelicerae over a water dish that is fully filled up so it can drink as much as it wants. It sounds like it may be dehydrated post molt.

 

[viper69]

Could be impulses too, water it

 

[Jumbie Spider]

Check temps too. It's been chilly recently.

 

[Liquifin]

Pictures would help a lot to see what is going on. As describing things only can help us give an idea of what's wrong, but it won't let us see what is wrong. So please post pictures for further insight and help.

 

[jixan]

It's not in an ICU (nor has it been), I just moved it in case there was something with the other one that was poisoning it (can't think what though). It's just on moist (not sopping) sub with spagnum moss around, and I've watered the sub underneath the mouthparts (as well as trying the drops directly on the mouthparts).

It has been chilly where I am, to be fair, from 66 at night to 72 during the day, but it doesn't seem to make a difference when the heating's blasting and it's closer to 80 in the room.

I'll try and get a picture, but there's not a whole lot to see - it just looks like a dead T sat on some sub. Will try though. Edit: image attached

 

[coolnweird]

Next time you see a T in death curl, don't wait it out, time is of the essence! You need to place the T's mouthparts in water, or flip it over and drip water directly onto the mouth. It may be too late now, unfortunately.

Additionally, 66° is NOT chilly. My T's have been kept at 65°-72° their entire lives (with me), I still have good growth rates and healthy spiders! Blasting a heater can really dry out the air in your house, which in turn dries out the substrate faster.