Did I Hurt My Tarantula?? :(

[Redneck]

Well I hope everything is OK with you new critter..

Hopefully we can help you when you get the pictures & video loaded..

 

[Purpleorange8]

If it is a mature male it should have it should have tibal hooks or whatever on its front two legs I think. I am more of a scorpion guy. Look for hooks on it when you get the chance

 

[Ashes44]

Pictures

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5627211&l=a1edf1c516&id=644815406

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5627212&l=9e363cf176&id=644815406

When she was in defense mode yesterday, I didn't notice any hooks anywhere. I also read that the only way you can really determine the sex of them is after they molt, though I'm just a newby so I still feel like I know nothing.
ALSO, in these pics, she is so brown. Right now, she is much darker (her butt).

 

[Purpleorange8]

Try and get some pics of the legs, but it kinda looks like a female. Males tend to be skinnier. But then again you can't tell until you see hooks or the molt of the bottom of the abdomen

 

[Redneck]

Try putting her in an ICU..

An ICU is made out of a bowl with a lid.. With vent holes.. Moist paper towls..

Try putting her mouth in a water dish.. You can use any bottle cap as a water dish..

That does not look like she is molting.. Sorry to say this.. But it looks like a death curl.. Maybe if you offer her water she might be able to pull through for you..

You say that she flipped over on her back & you flipped her back over?

I have not read through the whole thread..

Honestly.. It dont sound good.. If she does not make it.. You can always try again..

 

[Ashes44]

She's Drinking

She's drinking quite a bit. Here is a picture so I can make sure I placed her correctly. She's had the water in there, but I guess she was too weak to get to it? Do I have her too far in?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5627313&l=44df40139a&id=644815406

 

[jebbewocky]

I'm pretty sure this isn't an MM. Whether or not it's F or M, I have no idea, but I looked for tibial hooks and didn't not see anything. It's possible I didn't get a good enough view.

Anyway, like Redneck said. Put it in an ICU.

 

[Redneck]

She's drinking quite a bit. Here is a picture so I can make sure I placed her correctly. She's had the water in there, but I guess she was too weak to get to it? Do I have her too far in?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5627313&l=44df40139a&id=644815406

No you do not have her to far in.. Just dont let her abdomen get in it.. You wouldnt want her to drown.. Your doing just right with the water dish.. As long as you keep water in that cap & keep her mouth in the water she should drink..

Good luck!

 

[smallara98]

Yeah... She does look like shes in a death curl Put her in a ICU... She might pull through!

 

[Ashes44]

Death Curl

Okay so I guess what I'm not understanding is the whole death curl thing. Do the Ts do it on purpose, like are they committing suicide essentially? Why is she still drinking water if she is in a death curl? Does that mean she wants to live but I stressed her out too much?

 

[Ashes44]

Handling

Today I did pick her up three times to move her since she obviously can't do that herself. She was spilling the water and I needed to soak it up. I figured that whole thing out to where she can't sit in water at all. This morning she picked her butt up herself so I thought it was looking better, just don't know yet. I will check on her ina couple of hours before I go to work!

 

[smallara98]

Today I did pick her up three times to move her since she obviously can't do that herself. She was spilling the water and I needed to soak it up. I figured that whole thing out to where she can't sit in water at all. This morning she picked her butt up herself so I thought it was looking better, just don't know yet. I will check on her ina couple of hours before I go to work!

Dont check on her! Will you ever get it?? Im sorry if I sound rude (usually am not) but if you keep checking up on her and touching and picking her up, she will most likely die of stress. Just leave her be. For at least 1 day (whole 24 hours) in a dark spot. Closet would be nice.

 

[Redneck]

Dont check on her! Will you ever get it?? Im sorry if I sound rude (usually am not) but if you keep checking up on her and touching and picking her up, she will most likely die of stress. Just leave her be. For at least 1 day (whole 24 hours) in a dark spot. Closet would be nice.

Yes.. Do not keep touching and holding her..
Leave her in the ICU.. If water splashes out of the lid its OK..

Just be sure her mouth is in the dish.. If she is still moving there is still a good chance she will make it.. IF you leave her be to drink..

You can check on her.. Just DONT keep touching her..
Leave the ICU in a dark, quiet place.. As stated a closet with suffice..


Again.. Good luck!

 

[NChromatus]

She's drinking quite a bit. Here is a picture so I can make sure I placed her correctly. She's had the water in there, but I guess she was too weak to get to it? Do I have her too far in?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5627313&l=44df40139a&id=644815406

That's perfect. Just leave her/him be and let her drink, like Redneck is saying, in a nice, dark, low-vibration place (includes footsteps, which they can feel) and she might pull out of it.

The death curl isn't purposeful- it comes from low hemolymph pressure. It's often seen in tarantulas that have become dehydrated. Since T's legs work on something like a hydraulic system (they don't have what we'd classically call muscles), when they get dehydrated and/or start dying and their hemolymph pressure drops, their legs curl.

You're doing good, stick with her but try not to bother her. Don't poke/prod her too much, if at all. Definitely don't let the kids mess with her.

Here's a picture of a mature male T with tibial hooks and clubbed pedipalps:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/tibial hooks/TakiT_photos/Malehook_9589.jpg

 

[Ashes44]

Thank you, Redneck and NChromatus (and everyone else who has gotten me through this).
Athena is really trying to pull through with me, and I have left her completely alone now, in the dark, with the exception of adding water. She is drinking steadily.
I swear the questions will end, but I do have another: Will she ever get used to me/her new surrounding? Is it possible for her to always be too stressed if she is not outside?
At this point, I have gathered that I don't need to be moving her into a terrarium or any new habitat for the time being...until she pulls through...even though I wish I could because she doesn't even have dirt or that stuff I can get at the pet store. I have padding of paper towelness to catch whatever water she spills, but that's it.
I just hope she likes me when she comes out of this.
AND funny story, my best friend had another T adventure today (my best friend's house is where I met Athena)...a black one was crawling on her arm. She is petrified of anything that crawls so she ran and the T ran. I was worried and asked her not to kill it. A couple of hours later, she texted and said that the T was still alive and well and I could decide what to do with it tomorrow if it's still there.
I looked at the picture NChromatus shared of male indicators, and Athena does not possess those traits. Maybe the two Ts were soon to mate?? Athena was found on the ground near touching the porch. This other one came upon my best friend while she was sitting on the porch. Could there be a little colony? NOW I'M JUST RAMBLING. And I'll stop

 

[smallara98]

Thank you, Redneck and NChromatus (and everyone else who has gotten me through this).
Athena is really trying to pull through with me, and I have left her completely alone now, in the dark, with the exception of adding water. She is drinking steadily.
I swear the questions will end, but I do have another: Will she ever get used to me/her new surrounding? Is it possible for her to always be too stressed if she is not outside?
At this point, I have gathered that I don't need to be moving her into a terrarium or any new habitat for the time being...until she pulls through...even though I wish I could because she doesn't even have dirt or that stuff I can get at the pet store. I have padding of paper towelness to catch whatever water she spills, but that's it.
I just hope she likes me when she comes out of this.
AND funny story, my best friend had another T adventure today (my best friend's house is where I met Athena)...a black one was crawling on her arm. She is petrified of anything that crawls so she ran and the T ran. I was worried and asked her not to kill it. A couple of hours later, she texted and said that the T was still alive and well and I could decide what to do with it tomorrow if it's still there.
I looked at the picture NChromatus shared of male indicators, and Athena does not possess those traits. Maybe the two Ts were soon to mate?? Athena was found on the ground near touching the porch. This other one came upon my best friend while she was sitting on the porch. Could there be a little colony? NOW I'M JUST RAMBLING. And I'll stop

Most likely not. Where you guys live, there is lots of wondering ts. Mostly Aphonopelmas (90%). If you want, you could go get the other one...

 

[Redneck]

I swear the questions will end

LoL! The questions will never end... That is one of the reasons I enjoy my critters.. They always keep me wondering..

Will she ever get used to me/her new surrounding?

She will eventually get use to her enclosure.. IF you offer her a proper setup..

Is it possible for her to always be too stressed if she is not outside?

That depends on how she is cared for.. How her enclosure is setup.. How often she is bothered..

At this point, I have gathered that I don't need to be moving her into a terrarium or any new habitat for the time being...until she pulls through...even though I wish I could because she doesn't even have dirt or that stuff I can get at the pet store. I have padding of paper towelness to catch whatever water she spills, but that's it.

If you have her in a tub with a lid.. With MOIST paper towels.. Thats all she is going to need at the moment.. You are doing fine with that setup..

I just hope she likes me when she comes out of this.

Be careful what you wish for.. She might just jump out of that little enclosure and give you a big ol hug! Ok.. I am just kidding..

Maybe the two Ts were soon to mate??

I cant really answer this.. I dont know if the other critter was a MM.. (Mature Male) I would highly doubt they were about to breed.. Looking at the timeline..
You have had your new addition for how long now? The other one was spotted today? To much of a gap IMO..

Could there be a little colony?

The answer to this.. There is no chance of a colony.. The sp. we have here in Texas are not communal.. They would defend their turf if one came onto it..

Oh! Glad to hear she is still trying to pull through for ya..

 

[smallara98]

The answer to this.. There is no chance of a colony.. The sp. we have here in Texas are not communal.. They would defend their turf if one came onto it..

Oh! Glad to hear she is still trying to pull through for ya..

+1 they would defend homes and not let anybody in. Unless they are ready for some lovin ;P

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I'm sorry, but I gotta say what no one else is. The tarantulas you find in your yard don't know you, will not ever like you, and will not appreciate anyone picking it up and putting it in a container. It's a spider, not a dog or cat. I've spent years locating, observing, and talking to people in Texas about the tarantulas in their yard and I say the same thing- "just leave it alone and enjoy it as is." It's a noble gesture to rescue a wandering suburban tarantula from people, but the absolute best thing for it is to be relocated in the same vicinity as far away from people as possible in an area with a lot of vegetative overgrowth. Tarantulas in Texas, no matter the age or gender, have a wandering behavior and relocate themselves into other areas (pers. observation).

Now for your tarantula in particular. Again, I hate to say it, but that spider is about to die. In my personal observations with keeping wild caught tarantulas, there is a point of no return where the legs are so far withdrawn that it can't move. That appears to be the case with this one based on the photos. A dehydrated tarantula with still be able to move freely but with a wobbly disoriented appearance and will place itself into a water dish to drink. Just because it was manually placed into a water dish doesn't mean it is drinking or recovering. The only way to truly tell if a tarantula is drinking is if you witness it moving to water on its own- face down fangs spread.

When this particular tarantula either recovers (doubtful) or dies, do not collect another tarantula until you read a good book like The Tarantula Keeper's Guide and learn to properly care for it. In the mean time, relocate any tarantulas you find in your area to a more remote place in the vicinity to protect them. The best thing you can do, as others here have stated, leave it alone with the dish of water and hope for the best. Your intervention is only hurting it more. Spiders are not pets, they're like fish... leave them alone and watch them!

 

[NChromatus]

of paper towelness to catch whatever water she spills, but that's it.
I just hope she likes me when she comes out of this.
AND funny story, my best friend had another T adventure today (my best friend's house is where I met Athena)...a black one was crawling on her arm. She is petrified of anything that crawls so she ran and the T ran. I was worried and asked her not to kill it. A couple of hours later, she texted and said that the T was still alive and well and I could decide what to do with it tomorrow if it's still there.
I looked at the picture NChromatus shared of male indicators, and Athena does not possess those traits. Maybe the two Ts were soon to mate?? Athena was found on the ground near touching the porch. This other one came upon my best friend while she was sitting on the porch. Could there be a little colony? NOW I'M JUST RAMBLING. And I'll stop

If you're not seeing the hooks or clubbed pedipalps, there is at least a 50% chance you're looking at a female, since the mature male indicators are not there.

And, as others have said, the pictures you've shared look very much female. There is an excellent chance you have a female on your hands.

If that's the case, and this tarantula has, seemingly our of nowhere, gone into a death curl on you like this, there is a strong probability that the tarantula was actually out looking for water when the kids found it. Is it seasonally dry, or just unusually dry as far as the entire year is concerned, in your area right now? That could explain it being out of its burrow. Most females and immature males would be in their burrows, if one was hunting for them. There is usually a reason if a person finds a tarantula outside of its burrow, which is why some posters reasonably thought this could be a mature male, the tarantulas most often found out and about, looking for female mates.

As far as your relationship with the tarantula, you're going to have to understand right off the bat that, whether the spider "likes" you or not, it is going to be NOTHING like the typical relationship you might have with other pets, such as dogs or cats. The tarantula's dependence on you will not change its opinion of you in the least- if it even has an opinion.

In fact, it's not going to understand the concept of "you" much at all. This is an extremely alien species to humans- not necessarily lower, but incredibly different from us in terms of evolution. They have very few social needs, if any at all. They are solitary animals. They don't need to feel accepted or loved or valued. Amazingly, they are at their "happiest" when they are least active- when they haven't moved for days because they haven't been bothered by anything. For most species of tarantula, a good rule of thumb is, the less it moves, the happier it is. Of course, that doesn't necessarily apply when there is good reason to believe it is unhealthy. But, generally, that's the case.

A happy tarantula is a tarantula that isn't being bothered by other beings, including us. They just don't get anything out of interacting with us.

If this tarantula recovers from the grave status she is in right now, there will be much more to tell you, and people will likely be recommending reading materials to you, such as the Tarantula Keeper's Guide.

But, for now, as long as she's in death curl and not able to move much, just keep her mouth in the full waterdish, in a dark place with low or no vibrations, and make sure she isn't being bothered by anyone. Patience is a very important virtue.

For yourself, the only thing you need to understand is that you truly have almost no control over the outcome of this situation, once you've given her what she needs. The paragraph above is the best you can do. Everything else is a result of the tarantula's and God's will.