H. maculata death

[EulersK]

Well this was quite the blow. I got myself a juvenile H. maculata awhile back, and it has molted twice under my care. With this last molt, I confirmed it to be a female. She was a hair over 4" dls, and I had full intentions of breeding her with my (much smaller) juvenile male.

She molted about a month ago, and to my surprise, I saw her upside down early yesterday evening. I knew that this wasn't the best of signs, but there wasn't much I was able to do obviously. I let her be, put her in a dark room, and let her do her thing. As of this afternoon, she is still upside down. Her carapace has popped off, and enough hemolymph has bled out to soak her web mat through to the substrate. I'm certain that she has passed at this point.

I usually don't get too upset about deaths, but this one got to me. She was my first extremely potent arboreal, my first real advanced species. It really is too bad, I would have loved to see her through breeding.

Has anyone experienced this before, and may know what caused it? I've read about this happening before, but I've never seen a real consensus on a cause.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Man I'm sorry :-/
and I can't help because, while I've never owned one, nothing similar happened to the H.maculata folks owners I know here.

But you know, it's a matter of bad luck... and nothing F-WORD else, I tell you :-s

 

[Venom1080]

a case of miserable luck.

 

[antinous]

I'm sorry for your loss!

Oddly enough, one of my juvie female Aphonopelma seemani upped and passed away in a similar fashion. I was really stumped, still am, as I've never had a death (other than DOA in the beginning part of me entering the hobby).

 

[EulersK]

Yeah, I figured it would be a case of bad luck. I'm just so surprised - she was perfectly healthy after this last molt, and even happily took down a large roach in that time. Absolutely no signs pointed to something being wrong, let alone premolt.

 

[sdsnybny]

@EulersK
It always sucks to loose and adult/juvenile T that you had high hopes for. I recently lost an expensive ($165) female T. cyaneolum. She was a (outwardly) healthy beautiful spider that died in a hunting stance, upright with a couple legs leaned on the cork bark hide. She had just eaten about 10 days before, ans I pulled her cage to check water and look for bolus during rounds.
Normally she was front and center when ever the enclosure was moved or opened. I was shocked to say the least when there was zero response to any stimuli.

 

[EulersK]

@EulersK
It always sucks to loose and adult/juvenile T that you had high hopes for. I recently lost an expensive ($165) female T. cyaneolum. She was a (outwardly) healthy beautiful spider that died in a hunting stance, upright with a couple legs leaned on the cork bark hide. She had just eaten about 10 days before, ans I pulled her cage to check water and look for bolus during rounds.
Normally she was front and center when ever the enclosure was moved or opened. I was shocked to say the least when there was zero response to any stimuli.

Now that's a new one. Almost like dying in your sleep. At least I can point to the molt that caused mine to die, even if I can't explain the molt itself.

 

[sdsnybny]

Now that's a new one. Almost like dying in your sleep. At least I can point to the molt that caused mine to die, even if I can't explain the molt itself.

Yeah no sign of anything wrong no scars, lumps, cysts, nothing out of the ordinary, looked perfect outside.

 

[KezyGLA]

Damn, thats a real shame you lost an absolute gem of the hobby

I think they are so beautiful man

I hope you land another one soon and can continue with your wishes to pair it.

 

[louise f]

Sorry for your loss friend.

 

[Octagon]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[JumpingSpiderLady]

That sucks. I'm sorry to hear it.

 

[EulersK]

Thanks all, I appreciate it. This is the second mac that I've had die on me for apparently no reason - the other was a sibling to that younger male I still have. Coincidence, I'm sure, but still.

 

[WhitenerJ]

Wow what a shocker. That's the exact T I'm looking at getting next. Hope you can replace her with a new little one soon.

 

[EulersK]

This forum really needs a sympathy rating I've got a bunch of people loving that my spider died.

Better than a lollipop, I suppose.

 

[KezyGLA]

This forum really needs a sympathy rating I've got a bunch of people loving that my spider died.

Better than a lollipop, I suppose.

I concur. It does seems rather rude.

 

[magicmed]

Aww man I'm sorry buddy,we were just talking about that species too very sorry for your loss

 

[EulersK]

I concur. It does seems rather rude.

I don't think it's rude at all, because what else could you rate? Creative?

 

[sdsnybny]

I think it was meant as "sending much love" and not as being rude

 

[KezyGLA]

I think it was meant as "sending much love" and not as being rude

Yeah that's what I meant when I gave the rating too.

I was joking sorry