Harpactira pulchripes death after molt

[MSobczak]

Good day everyone, unfortunately my 6.5 cm juvenile Harpactira pulchripes died yesterday a few days after molting. Ive never had a tarantula die in such a manner, so I was wondering if anyone else had this happen, and if so what are potential causes? The molt appeared to be successful and complete. I also dont think dehydration caused the death either, since the tarantula went completely limp. It did not go into a death curl.

 

[Mike Withrow]

Even with the information about how you kept it,you are going to get various answers and possibilities.
I've had some that molted completely fine sucking stomach everything and still die a few days later. Kept right beside others in the same condition that never had any issues.
Sometimes it's just mother nature sorting the weak out.

 

[fcat]

Pictures? Might be a wet molt?

I had a sling that never hardened after a molt, never assumed a death curl either.

 

[Dorifto]

What about ventilation? Molting it's a quite exhausting process. I have seen plenty of dead Ts due to a lack of ventilation, specially after molting.

 

[MSobczak]

Pictures? Might be a wet molt?

I had a sling that never hardened after a molt, never assumed a death curl either.

Here are some picture I took of the body. I noticed the abdomen is extremely soft, and flacid.

 

[fcat]

Does she smell?

She looks very plump considering she just molted. Did you see her eat her molt or trek to the water dish?

 

[Mike Withrow]

Strange. It's really plump to have recently molted and it's fangs even seem to have started hardening.
And that's the way a fresh dead spider will feel. Especially one that's just molted.

 

[viper69]

No one will know - they don’t all make it

 

[MSobczak]

What about ventilation? Molting it's a quite exhausting process. I have seen plenty of dead Ts due to a lack of ventilation, specially after molting.

I had this specimen housed in a 6x6 acrylic enclosure with 2mm vent holes. The vent holes are located on the lid, and on the sides, in rows of three, with approximately 1cm between each hole.

 

[MSobczak]

Does she smell?

She looks very plump considering she just molted. Did you see her eat her molt or trek to the water dish?

There was no smell, present in the enclosure. I did not see her chew her molt, although she was found dead near the water dish.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Pics would help if possible.

 

[MSobczak]

Pics would help if possible.

I posted a ventral shot, and a dorsal shot in one of my replies above. Let me know if I can provide any more images that would help!

 

[Mike Withrow]

I posted a ventral shot, and a dorsal shot in one of my replies above. Let me know if I can provide any more images that would help!

They probably meant of the enclosure itself as well. That's usually the way to start in case something obvious jumps to someone's attention as a possibility.

 

[MSobczak]

They probably meant of the enclosure itself as well. That's usually the way to start in case something obvious jumps to someone's attention as a possibility.

Oh I see, unfortunately I cleaned out the enclosure already. It was originally filled about half way with dry coco coir, with some cork and a water dish. Attatched is picture of the empty enclosure.

 

[Mike Withrow]

Yeah I'm afraid it's a shot in the dark unfortunately. The only thing to my eyes is the size of it after molting. No death curl is I suppose strange,not ran across that before.

My advice is to not second guess your self keep researching information on here for species you keep. Sometimes we have a loss and there is no obvious reason.

 

[MSobczak]

Yeah I'm afraid it's a shot in the dark unfortunately. The only thing to my eyes is the size of it after molting. No death curl is I suppose strange,not ran across that before.

My advice is to not second guess your self keep researching information on here for species you keep. Sometimes we have a loss and there is no obvious reason.

Yeah, based on the replies here I think im just going to chalk it up to a freak occurence. Hopefully, I wont see this happen again in my collection.

 

[MSobczak]

I remember something else extremely strange. After the molt I seen her with her abdomen twisted and a book lung facing up toward the carapace. Ive never seen anything like it. She seemed okay though and did move after her abdomen turned up the right way again. Maybe she had a torsion during the molt?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I remember something else extremely strange. After the molt I seen her with her abdomen twisted and a book lung facing up toward the carapace. Ive never seen anything like it. She seemed okay though and did move after her abdomen turned up the right way again. Maybe she had a torsion during the molt?

I had a a genic that died of a wet molt kinda twisted strange it never even made it to the water dish . 🥲 rip

 

[Tbone192]

Yeah I'm afraid it's a shot in the dark unfortunately. The only thing to my eyes is the size of it after molting. No death curl is I suppose strange,not ran across that before.

My advice is to not second guess your self keep researching information on here for species you keep. Sometimes we have a loss and there is no obvious reason.

I had an H mac die after a molt and there was no curl then either. The curl happens due to loss of moisture in the spiders body. I suppose it makes sense that a freshly molted T might not die in a curl, it certainly is strange though.

Side note: my H pulchripes sling, ~0.5", is already throwing threat poses at me simply for passing by the enclosure...I got a feisty one!

 

[fcat]

There was no smell, present in the enclosure. I did not see her chew her molt, although she was found dead near the water dish.

I don't consider them dead until they start to smell, decomposition is irrefutable at that point. They can be very motionless after a molt, and it's easy to injure them if manipulated.

Also just thought of something. Too much moisture without air movement can displace oxygen. It can suffocate them slowly. It would look like paralysis until they died...