H. lividium crushed/broken leg? HELP!!!

[danielparra1911]

Hello all, I recently was the licky winner of an instagram competition and won 6 new Tarantula slings, 2x C. darlingi, 2x H. sanguiniceps, and 2x H. lividium. I received them today, all looked goo but I noticed one of the lividium had his back 4 legs crushed or broken. They look very frail and for lack of better words the look thin and "fried". He still moves fine but is a bit slower. When I first got him out of the package he looked like he had a piece of molt stuck on his abdomen, I got tweezers and removed it freeing one of his legs. Will his legs repair themselves in molt? Any thing I can do? There was no signs of leakage. Slings sure are stressful. Also they are 2i and about 1/2". Any advice would be appreciated thank you guys. He still is fiesty!

 

[cold blood]

broken or missing legs are virtually meaningless...like a hang nail for you. it may self amputate, either way, it will recover the legs next molt. Feed it, make sure it has access to water, keep it warm and wait for a molt....it will be fine.

 

[danielparra1911]

Awesome thank you, first time I've had this happen. What do you think for food? Pinheads? If so live or dead? Sorry for the newbie questions, I've kept plenty of T's just never this small...

 

[cold blood]

anything small...a cricket leg, a diced piece if mealworm...if you can get actual pinheads, great, but most cant get true pinheads. I feed mine small dubia roaches with the heads crushed...my little ones are eating now in fact.

 

[GreyPsyche]

I feed cricket legs or prekilled mealworms.

 

[Leila]

Yeah, I'm gonna throw in another vote for cricket legs as food for very small slings.

I have three slings right now, so I generally give two of the slings a cricket leg a piece; and then I toss the remainder of the live, mutilated cricket to one of my adult Ts. The third sling gets a leg from another cricket, and the rest of that living cricket is also fed to one of my adult Ts. No waste.

I was a bit worrisome upon initially obtaining slings- kinda like how you are. However, with a little help from @cold blood, as well as actually experiencing things for myself, I gained confidence in my overall sling husbandry. You will also gain confidence soon. Good luck. And well wishes to your H. lividum.

 

[danielparra1911]

anything small...a cricket leg, a diced piece if mealworm...if you can get actual pinheads, great, but most cant get true pinheads. I feed mine small dubia roaches with the heads crushed...my little ones are eating now in fact.

Hey thanks again, another newbie question...what makes it a "true pinhead"? Just curious.

 

[danielparra1911]

Yeah, I'm gonna throw in another vote for cricket legs as food for very small slings.

I have three slings right now, so I generally give two of the slings a cricket leg a piece; and then I toss the remainder of the live, mutilated cricket to one of my adult Ts. The third sling gets a leg from another cricket, and the rest of that living cricket is also fed to one of my adult Ts. No waste.

I was a bit worrisome upon initially obtaining slings- kinda like how you are. However, with a little help from @cold blood, as well as actually experiencing things for myself, I gained confidence in my overall sling husbandry. You will also gain confidence soon. Good luck. And well wishes to your H. lividum.

Did not mean to quote this post...oops...sorry

 

[danielparra1911]

Thanks @Leila and @GreyPsyche , the only issue is the pinhead crickets I have would be impossible to pull into pieces, they are tiny. Should keep using them or should I pull apart one of the crickets I would use for my herps?

 

[danielparra1911]

Sorry still get used to this forum lol, accidentally hit quote. @Leila

 

[MetalMan2004]

I hear every once in a while of people winning spiders in contests. Ut I've never come across such a contest. If I did I'd be all over it! Thats a heck of a haul! Congrats and looking forward to watching your slinng regenerate its legs.

 

[cold blood]

Hey thanks again, another newbie question...what makes it a "true pinhead"? Just curious.

size...pinheads are tiny...so tiny you couldnt or wouldnt need to kill or dice them even for the smallest sling.

 

[danielparra1911]

size...pinheads are tiny...so tiny wou couldnt or wouldnt need to kill or dice them even for the smallest sling.

Perfect that's what I've got!

 

[Ellenantula]

I've never fed anything but pinhead roaches and small juvie crickets to my slings. I have heard of slings afraid of live prey but I was lucky and my slings all took them fine.
Good luck -- and can't wait for OPs T to remoult and grow some legs!!!

 

[Ungoliant]

Slings sure are stressful. Also they are 2i and about 1/2". Any advice would be appreciated thank you guys.

My slings get baby mealworms. (I have a small colony, and I can usually find some tiny sling-sized mealworms if I dig.) If you only have larger mealworms, you can dice those for slings.

Be sure to crush the mealworm's head when feeding so that it can't bite your sling or burrow into the substrate.