Help, sling is stuck

InternetSwag

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
22
Hi guys,


I woke up to check on my slings this morning my found my Smithi like this.
He is stuck. His legs are through the hole, but his abdomen won't fit.
If I poke him he doesn't go back or forward, he just flails his legs a bit.

Do I try to get him through the hole? Do I try to poke him back in? Do I just leave him? I need to go to work in 30 mins and Im not sure what to do

 
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EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
1,038
You need to put it in a 2oz soufflé/condiment container with smaller holes otherwise it will seriously injure itself or escape. You can’t use tape because that will also cause problems for the tarantula.
 

InternetSwag

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
22
6 of his legs are through, and he is in mid air so he doesn't have the leverage with his back legs to try and pull him through not that he would fit his abdomen is too big.
the 6 legs bunch up and he can't pull himself out either backwards

I tried poking him whilst my finger is on his abdomen so he can use it as leverage to pull out but he just wriggles

Well i'm off to work for 12 hours, i can't do anything else right now. I just have to hope he's ok when I get home
 
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Thekla

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 13, 2017
Messages
1,878
It's probably too late now that you're off to work, but I would bury that enclosure in a secure bigger one until the hole on the side and put a piece of cork bark right in front of your sling. Maybe then it has something to grab and pull itself through or to push itself back in. I don't see another way to help it as it's far too small to do anything else.
I just hope that hole has no sharp edges. :confused:

Sorry, but this is a really good (albeit unfortunate) example why it is so important that the holes we make in the enclosures shouldn't be too big.

I wish your little one all the luck in the world to free itself. :)
 
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InternetSwag

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
22
You need to put it in a 2oz soufflé/condiment container with smaller holes otherwise it will seriously injure itself or escape. You can’t use tape because that will also cause problems for the tarantula.
Yeah, I know. I rehoused my L.K sling into a deli cup after I was told here that the container was too big.
But this Smithi is way bigger. Never thought he'd try something like this and I had him more than 30 days now.

The weird part is, two of my friends bought smithi's as well from the same eggsac, and they both escaped their enclosures. Different houses.

It's probably too late now that you're off to work, but I would bury that enclosure in a secure bigger one until the hole on the side and put a piece of cork bark right in front of your sling. Maybe then it has something to grab and pull itself through or to push itself back in. I don't see another way to help it as it's far too small to do anything else.
I just hope that hole has no sharp edges. :confused:

Sorry, but this is a really good (albeit unfortunate) example why it is so important that the holes we made in the enclosures shouldn't be too big.

I wish your little one all the luck in the world to free itself. :)
Thanks, yeah I learned a big lesson here now.
I just frickin hope he survives till I get home.
 
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Andrew Clayton

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 19, 2018
Messages
579
If you don’t mind loosing the container you could heat a sewing needle and while holding with a pair of plyers very carefully melt the plastic away from around the spider
 

ShyDragoness

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Messages
369
If you don’t mind loosing the container you could heat a sewing needle and while holding with a pair of plyers very carefully melt the plastic away from around the spider
I wouldnt risk that kind of thing, the sling could so easy be burned
 

Kitara

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jun 21, 2019
Messages
761
What if you just tip the container on the side and roll it until the substrate is under the spider. Maybe that would give him the leverage to pull out. Good luck. I know the waiting is awful.
 

mack1855

Arachnoangel
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
820
Im wondering if a little vegetable oil would work?.If you have a q-tip or eyedropper
put a little oil around the hole,and maybe the sling can slip out.
 

Mr Tea

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 15, 2019
Messages
2
Hopefully it is not too late, but I'd suggest cutting the rim of the cup above the hole that your T is stuck in and then very gently tearing the cup towards the hole.

You may need to do this twice so that you'll be able to remove a "pie slice" section of the cup. Good luck.
 
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Predacons5

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 17, 2019
Messages
56
Yeah, I know. I rehoused my L.K sling into a deli cup after I was told here that the container was too big.
It doesn't matter if the sling is housed in something that is 20x the size of the animal. I do it all the time to no detriment. All it will do is pick a portion of the enclosure that it would like to settle in and settle until it decides to move, particularly when it grows larger.

But this Smithi is way bigger. Never thought he'd try something like this and I had him more than 30 days now.
It does not matter how long you've had it for. It could choose to do this one day. I had this happen to me with a much smaller sling that got stuck in a hole that was much smaller than yours. I couldn't get it out and ended up accidentally decapitating it and watching it slowly twitch to death. It was quite a painful and very expensive lesson.

I've mentioned it before, but I think I'll mention it again for safe measure...

Your current experience with your Brachypelma smithi sling getting stuck in a hole is the reason why I don't advise using a soldering iron to burn holes into an enclosure when dealing with slings. A soldering iron is not all that small. You have very little control over the size of the hole that you make with a soldering iron. Please do not use a soldering iron to burn holes into an enclosure unless the tarantula is large enough to not get through the holes you made.

Q: How small of a hole should the vents be?

A: They should be smaller than the carapace. Not the same size. Not slightly larger.

The other downside to burning holes into the enclosure with a soldering iron is that the fumes are toxic.

I highly recommend using a drill (depending on how soft the material is, use either a power drill or a hand drill). Get several smaller sized drill bits.

The weird part is, two of my friends bought smithi's as well from the same eggsac, and they both escaped their enclosures. Different houses.
The above information you provided is not terribly relevant. If the animal is curious enough and the holes are large enough, it may one day decide to go through one of the holes. No one can predict with accuracy when a sling will do what it will decide to do in the future.

I recommend carefully breaking the enclosure and hope that you don't accidentally decapitate the sling.
 
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Ellenantula

Arachnoking
Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
Sorry, editing, missed Mr Tea's post.
All I can think of, depending on thickness of container (is it plastic or acrylic) is using scissors or wire snips to cut down from top towards hole, then when you're ALMOST there (1/4 inch or 2mm -- not good with metrics) from hole, use both hands gripped tightly on rim of container and rip it apart down to hole -- I should think the remaining tiny unsnipped area would rip (or acrylic to crack apart) to the hole. It would be urgent to NOT let go of holding contained slice open until sling is free or you'd risk catching sling in the edges of sliced cut. I try it over a larger bowl or something with him pointed downward and close toward new bowl/container. If freed, if he might climb up container sides but I'd use something to catch him in just in case he didn't.
Sorry, no other ideas, and probably too late. :(

You've gotten excellent advice re: container hole sizing for slings
 

InternetSwag

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 20, 2019
Messages
22
So I got home and he was still stuck in the exact same position he was left in.
Took him to my friends house and he cut that portion out with a hot box cutter.
This allowed him to move the sling in such a way that he got another leg through and straighten out and he was able to push the abdomen through the hole. If there's any damage we'll know ill monitor him. There's no leakage and after he was walking around fine no wetness or bleeding.
 

Ellenantula

Arachnoking
Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
2,009
So glad he's free! Thought of your little guy a couple times today, just stuck like Winnie the Pooh (is that his new name?) :)
 
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