Dying?!?! Dropping legs! Please help

[LdLrLyChLd]

i posted very recently worrying about my T and got a lot of replies to relax on the watering and make sure there’s proper ventilation, which I have seen to. Woke up to a leg attached to the tank!!! Not from injury or impact. When the sling arrived, it was already missing two appendages, which the seller said would grow back after molting. This is now 3 total, luckily not on the same side. Anyone have any insight or ideas on what will help my little buddy survive? Anyone else witness dropping legs like this?

 

[Serpyderpy]

I've read elsewhere that tarantulas drop their legs if they're imperfect. They have 'valves' that let them discard legs at will. I don't own tarantulas nor am I an expert on them but I think your little guy should be okay, I have seen tarantulas with as little as two legs survive on here.

 

[chanda]

"Attached to the tank"? Like to a screen top, perhaps? (Or to a screened ventilation opening on the side of the tank, if it's in one of those little sling enclosures?)

Sometimes when tarantulas climb, their tarsal claws get stuck in screen (which is why most of the experienced keepers prefer acrylic or plastic tops/enclosures that don't use metal screening.) If the tarantula gets its claws caught in the screen and can't get them free, it may end up dangling by one leg - and eventually dropping the leg to get free.

 

[RemyZee]

What is your set up like? Is the T eating? Pictures would be very helpful.

 

[LdLrLyChLd]

yes, it ate about 3 days ago and I believe it has pooped since it lost the leg so I feel like that’s a good sign. The leg was attached to the plastic by webbing where he was spending time previously, above the water dish. It wasn’t around anything able to pull it off, either it took it off itself or it fell off on its own? But 3 In not such a long life I feel like something is happening!
My partner joked that since it was missing 2 on one side maybe it felt like evening itself out?!?

 

[miss moxie]

No, a tarantula won't 'even itself out' but if it has an injury with a leg that you can't see, it'll definitely drop the leg easily. I've seen tarantulas lose all their legs and get them back with the next molt. Tarantulas are quite resilient.

 

[cold blood]

I have seen tarantulas with as little as two legs survive on here.

here is one...

Two-legged Avic

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 8
• avicularia avicularia avicularia missing legs pinktoe tarantula sling

A. avic 2 legs is better than none. Fully recovered now.

next molt

Formerly Johnny 2 legs

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 3
• avicularia avicularia avicularia pinktoe tarantula sling

Formerly Johnny 2 legs. This is the recovered avic avic.

But 3 In not such a long life I feel like something is happening!

There's no telling what the original damage was or how many appendages were injured....but the fact that they are being removed by the spider is a good thing, as a dead leg isn't going to help the molting process. They know what they are doing and don't amputate unless there's a good reason. Seems disconcerting, but in reality, it shouldn't be.

 

[MetalMan2004]

I had an adult male shipped to me and one of his legs gor hurt. He walked around with it curled for 3 weeks before finally deciding to drop it. He just molted and theres a half-sized leg to replace the lost one. It’ll get even bigger with the next molt.

 

[BobBarley]

I had an adult male shipped to me and one of his legs gor hurt. He walked around with it curled for 3 weeks before finally deciding to drop it. He just molted and theres a half-sized leg to replace the lost one. It’ll get even bigger with the next molt.

View attachment 256904

Wasn't an adult male then .

Dropping legs in itself is fine, just make sure there aren't any hazards within the cage.

 

[LdLrLyChLd]

This is the enclosure, you can see it above the water dish on substrate, later moving up onto the plastic, Leg was not lost near screen but now I’m a bit worried about that. Any ideas on if feeding is a bad idea right now because of vulnerability or does it need immediate substinence?

 

[MetalMan2004]

Wasn't an adult male then .

To my knowledge MM and AM are not synonymous. I’d say a 5.5-6” B auratum is an adult.

 

[MetalMan2004]

View attachment 256909
This is the enclosure, you can see it above the water dish on substrate, later moving up onto the plastic, Leg was not lost near screen but now I’m a bit worried about that. Any ideas on if feeding is a bad idea right now because of vulnerability or does it need immediate substinence?

The main issuewith screens is larger screens with adult Ts. Lots of people on this forum (myself included) use that same enclosure for slings.

If you are worried you can wound a cricket and then give it to the T.

 

[Swoop]

To my knowledge MM and AM are not synonymous. I’d say a 5.5-6” B auratum is an adult.

If it's not mature enough to breed why would it be called an adult?

Sling, juvenile, sub-adult, (for males) pen-ultimate, mature male, (for females) adult/mature male. You don't really hear "adult male" too often but for females it implies sexual maturity.

 

[MetalMan2004]

If it's not mature enough to breed why would it be called an adult?

Sling, juvenile, sub-adult, (for males) pen-ultimate, mature male, (for females) adult/mature male. You don't really hear "adult male" too often but for females it implies sexual maturity.

I’m not an expert but I’ve seen the term AM used in the classifieds to describe several male Ts that were not MM. Perhaps they were wrong, I don’t know but I’ve seen it plenty of times.

 

[cold blood]

View attachment 256909
This is the enclosure, you can see it above the water dish on substrate, later moving up onto the plastic, Leg was not lost near screen but now I’m a bit worried about that. Any ideas on if feeding is a bad idea right now because of vulnerability or does it need immediate substinence?

whats the species?

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I’m not an expert but I’ve seen the term AM used in the classifieds to describe several male Ts that were not MM. Perhaps they were wrong, I don’t know but I’ve seen it plenty of times.

Probably used to describe a penultimate male (one that will mature with its next moult)

 

[LdLrLyChLd]

Y.diversipes. I was keeping it pretty moist in there (you can see the line of wet/dry substrate) because my house and heating system dry the heck out of the air, I have to use a humidifier next to my bed and I lose several houseplants every winter due to the huge sudden change in humidity so I figure I had to be a little more liberal with the water than most, also there’s a live plant in the substrate. My T was acting so sluggish I thought maybe it was unhealthy due to high humidity and then it lost the leg so now I’m paranoid!

 

[miss moxie]

Wasn't an adult male then .

Dropping legs in itself is fine, just make sure there aren't any hazards within the cage.

If it's not mature enough to breed why would it be called an adult?

Sling, juvenile, sub-adult, (for males) pen-ultimate, mature male, (for females) adult/mature male. You don't really hear "adult male" too often but for females it implies sexual maturity.

I’m not an expert but I’ve seen the term AM used in the classifieds to describe several male Ts that were not MM. Perhaps they were wrong, I don’t know but I’ve seen it plenty of times.

If it can go out and buy a pack of smokes and some scratch offs, it's an adult.


So I guess no tarantulas are ever adults.

I suppose by definition, no a male tarantula wouldn't be an adult until it matures. Adult : (of a person or animal) fully grown or developed. Obviously a male isn't fully grown until his maturing molt.

 

[cold blood]

Y.diversipes. I was keeping it pretty moist in there (you can see the line of wet/dry substrate) because my house and heating system dry the heck out of the air, I have to use a humidifier next to my bed and I lose several houseplants every winter due to the huge sudden change in humidity so I figure I had to be a little more liberal with the water than most, also there’s a live plant in the substrate. My T was acting so sluggish I thought maybe it was unhealthy due to high humidity and then it lost the leg so now I’m paranoid!

Ok, diversipes, that helps.

I wouldn't use that enclosure personally...that venting screen is not restrictive enough, and when things are dry (my climate and winter situation is the same), too much ventilation will dry things crazy fast, making any micro climate virtually impossible. Yeah, they need good ventilation, but you can over do it, especially in a dry climate.

While I don't keep things nearly as damp as you have (this can be a big problem), when things have been dry for a while, I will dampen the sub, or part of it...not something I do any other time of the year though and i don't keep it that way all the time, it dries out good between waterings.

As for the enclosure its self, it needs lots more plants surrounding that piece of wood....and keep them high, its the middle to top of the wood that need to be surrounded as that's where the t will want to live...the more you give it, the faster it will web and the better it will acclimate. I also suggest keeping the ground free of clutter, as this will only give feeders hiding places...a barren bottom makes hunting much easier, a cluttered top keeps them feeling safe.

Once it webs, a light spritz on the webbing weekly will be adequate for convenient drinking (along with the water dish).

 

[draconisj4]

View attachment 256909
This is the enclosure, you can see it above the water dish on substrate, later moving up onto the plastic, Leg was not lost near screen but now I’m a bit worried about that. Any ideas on if feeding is a bad idea right now because of vulnerability or does it need immediate substinence?

I have enclosures like that, the tabs on those vents are razor sharp and could pose a hazard. I cover the tabs on the inside with dabs of hot glue.