GBB making me nervous

[Paiige]

This thing does not eat. Or I'm now just being a paranoid mother.

Of course I'm telling myself it's in pre-molt. It probably is. But I just wanted to put this out there just in case. I brought it home in August, about 1.75" or so with mostly adult coloration, had the sling stripes on its bum but that's about it. It molted within 3 days of bringing it home (8/9/16 is the molt date) and has had a healthy appetite up until two months ago. So I figured pre-molt and have not really been giving it much thought - I try feeding it, it kills the crickets and leaves them right next to the water dish for me to clean out.

My only concern now is that its bum is starting to look small and a little shriveled. It has no reason to be dehydrated - I catch it wandering around the water dish from time to time and it clearly knows it's there. Aside from that, the substrate is dry and there's plenty of it, I keep the enclosure clean and dead-cricket free and it seems to be behaving normally. I've also done some reading that says at its size (2.25-2.5") it probably shouldn't have full adult coloring.

Is it possible that I just have a very tiny male? It destroyed the last molt and I had figured that it would have been too small to tell the sex anyway so I didn't try to salvage it.

I'm used to exasperatingly long pre-molt cycles thanks to my porteri (it's been 3 years since her last molt and she's been in pre-molt for more than 6 months now) but this seems like a long time for a juvenile of a "fast" growing species. Anyone have any words of wisdom or experience with their cyaneopubescens? I want another one for sure because they're beautiful but this little one is certainly stressing me out.

 

[Andrea82]

Have you looked at pedipalps and tibial hooks?
I'm not sure about the size and it being a MM already, but pictures would help if you can get them.

 

[Paiige]

Have you looked at pedipalps and tibial hooks?
I'm not sure about the size and it being a MM already, but pictures would help if you can get them.

I honestly have not, I will do my best to get a good shot tonight. I haven't noticed them but since it is on the smaller side I guess it's possible.

 

[Paiige]

Ziggy

• Paiige
• Nov 25, 2016
• 12

This is all I've got for a photo now, which I realize isn't very helpful- I'm at work for a few more hours

 

[viper69]

Put up some pics back in this thread. Abdomen size I'd need to see, words are subjective.

GBBs eat like machines, and when small are on a fast molting schedule if fed well. There's constantly something going on w/this species until they are an adult. My AF slowed down considerably once she reached about 5".

 

[Paiige]

C cyaneopubescens

• Paiige
• Nov 5, 2016
• 2

"Ziggy" juvenile (suspected male) sunbathing

This photo is on the older side and the abdomen size has improved since then but it's still pretty small. I know they're not built the same as a lot of stockier ts but it still concerns me.

 

[Paiige]

GBB

• Paiige
• Dec 12, 2016

Ignore the garbage low-light cell phone quality shot. Now that I'm looking, its pedipalps do look a little on the round side...

 

[Venom1080]

have you noticed it wandering around and climbing alot?

 

[Paiige]

have you noticed it wandering around and climbing alot?

Not in particular, no. It's not the most active GBB I've ever met, by any means, which is also concerning.

 

[viper69]

C cyaneopubescens

• Paiige
• Nov 5, 2016
• 2

"Ziggy" juvenile (suspected male) sunbathing

This photo is on the older side and the abdomen size has improved since then but it's still pretty small. I know they're not built the same as a lot of stockier ts but it still concerns me.

Hard to tell, can't see the rest of it, just the dorso-anterior portion. It's a BEAUTIFUL GBB though.

I'd be concerned, but based on what you said, not worried that it was approaching death's door. Then again, I've seen "perfectly" healthy looking Ts die in a few days for no reason, even when 4", ie not a sling/juvi size for a given species.

Another thing, my GBBs have generally found their water dish. However, I have other species, eg Avics, that drank out of their dish, but later one seem to "forget" it's there and was required to add water droplets to their canopy. I've only noticed this with Avics personally. But when it comes to these quasi-black boxes w/8 legs I never rule anything out. I'd some droplets of water near it at times and see if it drinks.

This may be one you will have to wait out.

If you can get a nice full top view that would be helpful.

Also, I have owned terrestrial NWs, such as N. incei that have molted with smaller than typical abdomens at times (typical for that animal under my care). Ts don't always molt just when fat

 

[Trenor]

C cyaneopubescens

• Paiige
• Nov 5, 2016
• 2

"Ziggy" juvenile (suspected male) sunbathing

This photo is on the older side and the abdomen size has improved since then but it's still pretty small. I know they're not built the same as a lot of stockier ts but it still concerns me.

From this photo the abdomen is a bit small for my liking. Most people here will tell you my Ts have pretty plump abdomens though. All three of my GBBs are very good eaters. See if you can get a better shot of it's pedipalps so we can tell if it is a MM.

I've never seen my any of my GBBs drink from their water dish even though I provide one for them.

Which prey items are you trying with it?

 

[Paiige]

I'd add some droplets of water near it at times and see if it drinks.
This may be one you will have to wait out.
If you can get a nice full top view that would be helpful.

I will do my best to get a photo when I get home from work - he's rather skittish so no guarantee though
And I will definitely see how it feels about water droplets - I would 100% believe he's capable of 'forgetting' where the dish is. This little thing will be the death of me.

From this photo the abdomen is a bit small for my liking. Most people here will tell you my Ts have pretty plump abdomens though. All three of my GBBs are very good eaters. See if you can get a better shot of it's pedipalps so we can tell if it is a MM.
I've never seen my any of my GBBs drink from their water dish even though I provide one for them.
Which prey items are you trying with it?

Yeah it's a little more plump right now than in this photo but still not as plump as I'd like it to be. I'm also a fan of plump tarantula bums
I've tried crickets and mealworms/super worms, all live and then pre-killed. It just does not care. It'll hunt and kill everything I drop in but just isn't interested in eating.

 

[viper69]

My GGB does drink from water bowl.

 

[Trenor]

Yeah it's a little more plump right now than in this photo but still not as plump as I'd like it to be. I'm also a fan of plump tarantula bums
I've tried crickets and mealworms/super worms, all live and then pre-killed. It just does not care. It'll hunt and kill everything I drop in but just isn't interested in eating.

Then you should check out my T photo thread. All my Ts have stacked booties.

If it's hunting and killing but not eating then it's not hungry IMO. Get that pedipalp shot cause it's sounding a lot like a MM to me.

 

[Trenor]

My GGB does drink from water bowl.

That's cool. I've not had any of mine do so that I've seen. The do like to throw boluses in there to scuzz up the water though.

 

[JoeRossi]

Hey Paiige,

Photos are always great and it looks like you provided quite a few. However, if you want to work on a better shot of the palps certainly could be beneficial, but it looks like possibly a juvenile male. I love Gbbs and have several immature males that just don't eat as aggressively as others nor as agressively as females and have a smaller abdominal. You could always try feeding it alternative prey, but it appears he is moving around, drinking fine, and eating only what he wants to eat and leaving the rest. I would keep an eye on him if the abdominal shrinks down dramatically, but as of now I don't see any major concern.

 

[Paiige]

Then you should check out my T photo thread. All my Ts have stacked booties.

If it's hunting and killing but not eating then it's not hungry IMO. Get that pedipalp shot cause it's sounding a lot like a MM to me.

Will do!

I will be so sad if he's mature but I doubt it. He's just too little unless I got the 'runt' of the egg sac

Hey Paiige,

Photos are always great and it looks like you provided quite a few. However, if you want to work on a better shot of the palps certainly could be beneficial, but it looks like possibly a juvenile male. I love Gbbs and have several immature males that just don't eat as aggressively as others nor as agressively as females and have a smaller abdominal. You could always try feeding it alternative prey, but it appears he is moving around, drinking fine, and eating only what he want to eat and leaving the rest. I would keep an eye on him if the abdominal shrinks down dramatically, but as of now I don't see any major concern.

Thanks for the input. I've suspected it's a male for a while, just due to how he's built (which I know is not a reliable means of sexing) - and they're certainly not as stocky as other Ts. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on him, but he's my first GBB so I wasn't aware the immature males don't eat as much. I just read about all the excitement of this species 'snatching food out of the air before it even hits the ground' and that certainly does not apply to this little goon.

Have you noticed any difference between males and females in terms of the amount of webbing they like to do? He's webbed up his hide pretty well and has spread out a little bit to his 'front yard' but the rest of his enclosure is completely bare of webbing, and it's not for lack of anchor points.

 

[Trenor]

Have you noticed any difference between males and females in terms of the amount of webbing they like to do? He's webbed up his hide pretty well and has spread out a little bit to his 'front yard' but the rest of his enclosure is completely bare of webbing, and it's not for lack of anchor points.

Two of mine are males and they both do pretty heavy webbing. It took mine a while start webbing heavily when I rehoused them.

Here is some photos of my bigger GBB male with some of his webbing.

Thanks Toff, sometimes I think this should be called the Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens photo thread. I'll of my sling are hiding so I don't get to photograph them as much. Today he was hanging out on his newly made hammock.

 

[Paiige]

Two of mine are males and they both do pretty heavy webbing. It took mine a while start webbing heavily when I rehoused them.
Here is some photos of my bigger GBB male with some of his webbing.

And he's got that big booty Mine has been in his current enclosure since a few weeks after his most recent molt so I think he's just lazy. Now what size DLS is your boy in the photos roughly? I'm concerned about mine being full adult coloration at his size. I'm sure they're all different but the more informed I can be, the better

 

[JoeRossi]

Will do!

I will be so sad if he's mature but I doubt it. He's just too little unless I got the 'runt' of the egg sac



Thanks for the input. I've suspected it's a male for a while, just due to how he's built (which I know is not a reliable means of sexing) - and they're certainly not as stocky as other Ts. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on him, but he's my first GBB so I wasn't aware the immature males don't eat as much. I just read about all the excitement of this species 'snatching food out of the air before it even hits the ground' and that certainly does not apply to this little goon.

Have you noticed any difference between males and females in terms of the amount of webbing they like to do? He's webbed up his hide pretty well and has spread out a little bit to his 'front yard' but the rest of his enclosure is completely bare of webbing, and it's not for lack of anchor points.

If it is mature i would not be surprised....I have had many mature out at 3-4 inches and look like lunch for my girls and many large 5"+ that still end up lunch for my girls. If you have multiple females and only 1 or 2 males then your male is usually going to end up toast no matter how hard you try to save the stud. Funny as size definitely does not matter for fertility as I have seen some small boys have many a baby with there Lady killers (same as humans LOL ) I will shoot some shots of a few pen males and 4 or so females when I get home.