First Injury... any advice?

LizardChris

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Jan 9, 2019
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Well, it finally happened. My 6-year-old G. pulchripes, Joltik, fell while climbing the top screen of her tank. I'd done much reading on fall damage and it's dangers and was confident that the substrate level was high enough to accommodate for her tendency to climb. It must have happened overnight because when I saw her in the morning, she was fine. There seems to be some dried hemolymph on her carapace, a bit of substrate on top of that, and some seems to have rubbed off on her right two forelegs from there. The dried stuff isn't white or even milky- mostly just clear and glossy where it isn't covered with dirt. So, I'm confident it isn't poop. She also doesn't look dehydrated or dented (still plump as ever) and definitely isn't acting funny or stressed.

I intend to replace the screen to keep her from her favorite noisy nighttime activity of climbing, in the future. But until then, I'm interested to hear what future wound care I should apply. I've combed the forums and her injury seems very minor, especially in that it stopped by itself, compared to something like a lost limb or ruptured abdomen... but like any worried parent, I want to make absolutely sure. I increased the humidity, raised the substrate level even higher, and offered food, which she greedily took.

Additionally, since she seems to quite enjoy climbing (she loves webbing the screen and anything high up) should I add a branch or something to her enclosure? I understand that terrestrials don't reaaaaally need to climb, but she's been a climby lass ever since she was a sling the size of a quarter. It feels a little rude to take away her second-favorite pasttime (next to eating).

Thank you in advance for the advice,
Chris
 

moricollins

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Hi Chris,

If there's no leaking hemolymph then there's not really any first aid that you can do, or need to do

I would suggest NOT providing additional space to climb. You've already seen the results of climbing once (this injury) why provide additional chances for injury/death?

Increasing the humidity isn't necessary or helpful for this species and injury.
 

LizardChris

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
14
Hi Chris,

If there's no leaking hemolymph then there's not really any first aid that you can do, or need to do

I would suggest NOT providing additional space to climb. You've already seen the results of climbing once (this injury) why provide additional chances for injury/death?

Increasing the humidity isn't necessary or helpful for this species and injury.
You have a good point, I'll refrain from any additional climbing opportunities. I'd read that more moisture helped them to replace what they'd lost, but I'll leave that to her water bowl instead of maintaining a higher humidity if it won't be of any extra help. She does seem to hate getting her toes wet, so I'm sure she will appreciate that.
 

MBArachnids

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
249
Well, it finally happened. My 6-year-old G. pulchripes, Joltik, fell while climbing the top screen of her tank. I'd done much reading on fall damage and it's dangers and was confident that the substrate level was high enough to accommodate for her tendency to climb. It must have happened overnight because when I saw her in the morning, she was fine. There seems to be some dried hemolymph on her carapace, a bit of substrate on top of that, and some seems to have rubbed off on her right two forelegs from there. The dried stuff isn't white or even milky- mostly just clear and glossy where it isn't covered with dirt. So, I'm confident it isn't poop. She also doesn't look dehydrated or dented (still plump as ever) and definitely isn't acting funny or stressed.

I intend to replace the screen to keep her from her favorite noisy nighttime activity of climbing, in the future. But until then, I'm interested to hear what future wound care I should apply. I've combed the forums and her injury seems very minor, especially in that it stopped by itself, compared to something like a lost limb or ruptured abdomen... but like any worried parent, I want to make absolutely sure. I increased the humidity, raised the substrate level even higher, and offered food, which she greedily took.

Additionally, since she seems to quite enjoy climbing (she loves webbing the screen and anything high up) should I add a branch or something to her enclosure? I understand that terrestrials don't reaaaaally need to climb, but she's been a climby lass ever since she was a sling the size of a quarter. It feels a little rude to take away her second-favorite pasttime (next to eating).

Thank you in advance for the advice,
Chris
My G. pulchripes used to climb, I increased ventilation since most ventilation was at the top. Haven't seen my T climb again :) not saying you have the same issue, just pointing out lower cross ventilation holes solved my problem.

Good luck
 

LizardChris

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
14
Can you get a picture of the enclosure?
My apologies for the bad lighting, there's a lot of glare from the window it's near to (but not in front of, I know better). The water bowl is a monkey pod and the burrow is pretty deep beneath the log. There were also more plants, but she destroyed them, and there's only that one left hanging by a thread. The substrate is bioactive, and I haven't caught her eating any isopods yet, thankfully.

Additionally, I added a layer of clingwrap with a metric ton of holes under the screen after her fall. My hope is to keep her from being able to get up there until I can replace the lid. Or the enclosure, depending.

IMG_7622.jpg IMG_7623.jpg
 

LizardChris

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Jan 9, 2019
Messages
14
My G. pulchripes used to climb, I increased ventilation since most ventilation was at the top. Haven't seen my T climb again :) not saying you have the same issue, just pointing out lower cross ventilation holes solved my problem.

Good luck
Is there a particular type of enclosure you switched to, or did you add cross-ventilation to an existing tank? I'm not opposed to trying out different ventilation if it's got a chance to work!
 

LizardChris

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That enclosures look good, but what kind of isopods do you have in there?
Thanks! In addition to springtails of course, Dwarf white and purple, Trichorhina tomentosa and Trichoniscus Sp. plus Porcellio scaber 'calico', though there's a lot of wild coloration ones as well. I threw in some excess Giant Canyon isopods from the group I have as pets, I believe they're called Porcellio dilatatus. I have seen some below the surface against the glass, same with the dwarf species, but only the calicos seem to wander above the substrate where they might get eaten.
 

LizardChris

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Toss a dead cricket into your Isopods colony, check back in a couple of hours... Cricket will be gone
Well, yes, but it's dead, not molting. I suppose I could try an experiment with a molting superworm, if I can catch one in the middle of a molt.
 

moricollins

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Well, yes, but it's dead, not molting. I suppose I could try an experiment with a molting superworm, if I can catch one in the middle of a molt.
For all intents and purposes a molting Tarantula is essentially dead, it's not able to move itself to get away from hungry scavengers.
 

LizardChris

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For all intents and purposes a molting Tarantula is essentially dead, it's not able to move itself to get away from hungry scavengers.
How do tarantulas survive in the wild at all, at that rate? I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be argumentative, just really want to digest this from every angle.
 

moricollins

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How do tarantulas survive in the wild at all, at that rate? I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be argumentative, just really want to digest this from every angle.
There have been dozens of threads on here from people whose tarantulas were killed by mealworms and crickets, not as many by Isopods since people don't tend to keep them together.

Tarantulas are extremely vulnerable in the wild (and not in the wild) while they are molting.
 

LizardChris

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There have been dozens of threads on here from people whose tarantulas were killed by mealworms and crickets, not as many by Isopods since people don't tend to keep them together.

Tarantulas are extremely vulnerable in the wild (and not in the wild) while they are molting.
I understand the risk of superworms and crickets, just not isopods as much. I never leave feeders in the tank with her unsupervised for that reason. But, if the bigger isos could pose a risk, I'll remove them. I don't get it, but this seems like one of those times to listen to experience over my own rationale. I'm just not sure how without sifting literally all of the substrate, and that would cause a big disturbance to her right now after bonking her head. And is it only the Giant canyons you would consider large, or are the calicos too large as well?
 

moricollins

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I understand the risk of superworms and crickets, just not isopods as much. I never leave feeders in the tank with her unsupervised for that reason. But, if the bigger isos could pose a risk, I'll remove them. I don't get it, but this seems like one of those times to listen to experience over my own rationale. I'm just not sure how without sifting literally all of the substrate, and that would cause a big disturbance to her right now after bonking her head. And is it only the Giant canyons you would consider large, or are the calicos too large as well?
Both the Porcelliio I would remove.

Personally: Better to rehouse her now than to leave her in a risky situation.
 

LizardChris

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Both the Porcelliio I would remove.

Personally: Better to rehouse her now than to leave her in a risky situation.
She's not in premolt, so I suppose I should use this window of time to acquire an enclosure with cross-ventilation and acrylic top, and then rehouse her into that. I feel a bit guilty because she's already started re-webbing the new, higher layer of substrate, and then she's going to have to all over again when I destroy her hard work a third time. But, it's for her own good! So she will just have to deal.

I'll try to remember to update on her new digs later. Thank you for your patience, and your advice.
 

Dorifto

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I can confirm that porcelios can be agressive eaters. I saw one dragging a dying B lateralis roach in my vivarium.

In my case they stay away from my Ts, maybe due to their big size, but I wouldn't risk with small Ts.
 
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