HELP! Spider took a tumble, now I'm scared!

[Angel Dust]

Hi, I joined here a while ago, and well, life gets in the way~

Anyway I have a very important question, and as a first time spider owner, I'm very frightened. Recently my Rose Hair took a tumble at about 4-5 ft. I had her on my hand, then went to transfer her over to my other hand, and she just slid right off! It's as if she wasn't holding on or anything like she usually does! I have handled her for over two years, and never has she been so 'non-clingy' when I do so.

Either way, I picked her up and she seemed fine, then I saw a bubble of clear liquid at one of her leg bends. I cleaned it up, and got it to stop. She can still move the leg, but its sorta 'blah', and she still walks with it so I don't assume it's broken. But what *IS* bothering me is that her abdomen is suddenly really wiggly/loose and it's very squishy.
Now I've looked up to see if she's dehydrated but her abdomen is not shrinking or shriveled. It's just---squishy. I looked all over to see if she had busted her abdomen, but I can't find a scratch.

If anyone needs pictures or a video for a better look, please let me know. I'm absolutely gutted at the fact that I may have hurt my spider.

 

[HeartBum]

Lesson learned the hard way - stop handling. This is exactly why we are SO anti-handling.

Just keep an eye on her. There isn't anything you can do unless you spot an obvious hole where fluid is leaking from, in which case you can use cornstarch to "glue" it up. If her abdomen is indeed ruptured, she could very well bleed out and die.

@cold blood my thoughts exactly. Let it begin.

 

[cold blood]

Funny how this only happens to people that handle their ts....I wonder if there is a connection?

Moral of the story....tarantulas are not for handling.

 

[Angel Dust]

I was only handling her to move her from her tank so I could clean it. I feel bad enough already guys, geeze.
But I'll keep an eye on her.
I appreciate it.

 

[jc55]

I was only handling her to move her from her tank so I could clean it. I feel bad enough already guys, geeze.
But I'll keep an eye on her.
I appreciate it.

Please do not take any of the advice as negative intent towards you personally but handling never leads to good things and the tarantula does not enjoy it and a good number of tarantulas taking a fall are from handling and while no one intends for it to happen it does and it rarely turns out good.Take it as a learning experience and there are other ways of moving your tarantula if you have to that are much safer and there is a lot of information on AB to gain experience if need be and i hope your tarantula will be ok.

 

[cold blood]

I was only handling her to move her from her tank so I could clean it. I feel bad enough already guys, geeze.
But I'll keep an eye on her.
I appreciate it.

Soooo, you were handling, your reasoning isn't relevant as handling isnt how most would accomplish such a move.

Most of us use a catch cup for such things.

Work smarter, not harder.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Hi, I joined here a while ago, and well, life gets in the way~

Anyway I have a very important question, and as a first time spider owner, I'm very frightened. Recently my Rose Hair took a tumble at about 4-5 ft. I had her on my hand, then went to transfer her over to my other hand, and she just slid right off! It's as if she wasn't holding on or anything like she usually does! I have handled her for over two years, and never has she been so 'non-clingy' when I do so.

Either way, I picked her up and she seemed fine, then I saw a bubble of clear liquid at one of her leg bends. I cleaned it up, and got it to stop. She can still move the leg, but its sorta 'blah', and she still walks with it so I don't assume it's broken. But what *IS* bothering me is that her abdomen is suddenly really wiggly/loose and it's very squishy.
Now I've looked up to see if she's dehydrated but her abdomen is not shrinking or shriveled. It's just---squishy. I looked all over to see if she had busted her abdomen, but I can't find a scratch.

If anyone needs pictures or a video for a better look, please let me know. I'm absolutely gutted at the fact that I may have hurt my spider.

AB literally receives tons of the very same post per month on this topic.

I'm too old and tired so I'm not going to hound you on this.

Instead immediately inspect your tarantula's abdomen for any sign of rupture or other injuries. 4 to 5 foot drop for a sub-adult to adult usually is a death sentence from a ruptured abdomen.

If the abdomen is ruptured immediately apply cornstarch to the busted area to try and seal it. Also cornstarch will stop the loss of fluids.

Inspect the rest of your T's body for any injuries.

If the abdomen did burst and you applied cornstarch put your T back in it's enclosure and wait it out. Make sure substrate is moist and water dish is full of water.

Best of luck and I personally hope your tarantula comes out on top.

 

[The Snark]

By no means the first thread that has voiced an error and no doubt won't be the last.

AB literally receives tons of the very same post per month on this topic.

I'm too old and tired so I'm not going to hound you on this.

One end of the spectrum which AB has tacitly promoted, images or references to improper handling of the animals. At the other end of the spectrum is what is encountered in some bio labs:
I have read and agree to follow the procedures as defined in this handbook / manual. I understand that failure to adhere to the procedures will result in immediate employee termination and may result in criminal charges.

Now how do you get these two extreme opposites to meet?

 

[Arachnophobphile]

By no means the first thread that has voiced an error and no doubt won't be the last.



One end of the spectrum which AB has tacitly promoted, images or references to improper handling of the animals. At the other end of the spectrum is what is encountered in some bio labs:
I have read and agree to follow the procedures as defined in this handbook / manual. I understand that failure to adhere to the procedures will result in immediate employee termination and may result in criminal charges.

Now how do you get these two extreme opposites to meet?

Your sense of humor is....odd at best.

These two opposites you refer to will never meet.

People will continue to handle no matter even if they are informed against it to begin with.

With that in mind it's better to try and help them help their tarantula if it's injured.

 

[RezonantVoid]

I had her on my hand, then went to transfer her over to my other hand, and she just slid right off! It's as if she wasn't holding on or anything like she usually does! I have handled her for over two years, and never has she been so 'non-clingy' when I do so.

Just thought I'd quickly shed some light on this part. I'm far less surprised that she slid off than I am about the fact she has been grippy for 2 years prior.

Tarantulas are one of the few mygalomorph families capable of climbing smooth surfaces, thanks to dense patches of adhesive hairs on their feet called "claw tufts". Their setae play a crucial role in helping them sense the environment around them, including predators and prey. You may notice when feeding some tarantulas that before striking prey, they will often slowly touch it with several of their feet before deciding whether to attack or retreat. They can tell if something is alive when they touch it. They also lack the ability to form emotional bonds with their owners, meaning that as much as we might love them, all we are to them and their senses is a predator that is much larger than themselves.

That is why in 90% of handling videos I've seen, the tarantulas visibly show a dislike for touching human skin, often seen by moving really awkwardly, lifting as many legs as they can off the keepers skin, and constantly tapping with their feet. Before knowing all of this, I tried handling one of my chillest T's once. It did everything it physically could to not touch my hand, to the point of literally curling into a ball and rolling upside down.

All in all, I don't think I've ever seen a tarantula happy about being handled, only keepers pretending they are. This particular account is noteworthy as well, because I've seen alot of handlers use the amount of time they've handled tarantulas previously without incident as justification. I'm incredibly glad this forum taught me why the practice is frowned upon, and i hope this experience may help you realise why as well.

All of that said, best wishes for your spider's recovery, I hope you'll get to continue keeping her for many more years

 

[Poonjab]

Probably going to die. They rarely survive falls like that.

 

[Smotzer]

The odds for your tarantula are poor at best, it’s likely it will die.

just to help you out, there is usually no need for you to remove a tarantula from a tank to do general maintenance to spot clean. You could have used tongs, I have never ever even remotely felt like I needed to remove a tarantula to spot clean, and if utterly necessary to remove doing so using a catch cup. If you’re cleaning any more than spot cleaning, unless your tank is filthy, there’s just no need to do so.

 

[DaveM]

Lucky if only a leg was injured, which isn't usually serious. There might be other injuries less apparent, but more of a mortal threat. Wishing you the best.

 

[The Snark]

Your sense of humor is....odd at best.

Nature, life, is an endless infinite series of paradoxes through which we attempt to find the middle way. -Zen, summarized.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Nature, life, is an endless infinite series of paradoxes through which we attempt to find the middle way. -Zen, summarized.

Noted......but let's help keepers help their tarantulas first.

 

[The Snark]

Noted......but let's help keepers help their tarantulas first.

Beautiful paradoxical example. Let the tarantulas help the keepers. Study them, if possible in situ, learn their habits, likes, dislikes, needs, and hazards. Without that knowledge the animals are regarded as little better than display pieces, domestic pets, or even toys.

Let me explain... no there is too much. Let me sum up.
Every year millions of animals die by mistreatment, abuse, neglect, carelessness or ignorance of the animals owner. One major gripe here on AB from numerous members is animal injuries or deaths that simply should not have happened due to the owner doing one or more of those. In this instance, the ultra common handling of a T. Tarantulas can't fly. A 5 foot drop to the floor is often a death sentence. The health and safety of the animal is of paramount importance.

 

[darkness975]

Hi, I joined here a while ago, and well, life gets in the way~

Anyway I have a very important question, and as a first time spider owner, I'm very frightened. Recently my Rose Hair took a tumble at about 4-5 ft. I had her on my hand, then went to transfer her over to my other hand, and she just slid right off! It's as if she wasn't holding on or anything like she usually does! I have handled her for over two years, and never has she been so 'non-clingy' when I do so.

Either way, I picked her up and she seemed fine, then I saw a bubble of clear liquid at one of her leg bends. I cleaned it up, and got it to stop. She can still move the leg, but its sorta 'blah', and she still walks with it so I don't assume it's broken. But what *IS* bothering me is that her abdomen is suddenly really wiggly/loose and it's very squishy.
Now I've looked up to see if she's dehydrated but her abdomen is not shrinking or shriveled. It's just---squishy. I looked all over to see if she had busted her abdomen, but I can't find a scratch.

If anyone needs pictures or a video for a better look, please let me know. I'm absolutely gutted at the fact that I may have hurt my spider.

The best method to transfer them is a catch cup. That way they're secured in that. Also, doing it in the tub or large bin prevents immediate escape if it bolts.

Hope your spider makes it.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I was only handling her to move her from her tank so I could clean it.

There's no need to handle your tarantula ever, I'd suggest watching some of Tom Moran's rehousing videos for examples of how to rehouse safely.

 

[PidderPeets]

One of the unfortunate things about injuries (on literally anything, not just spiders), is that they aren't always visible from an external examination. The sudden "squishiness" of the abdomen could very well be the result of an internal injury which you can't see and can't do anything about.

As the others have said, all you can do is leave it alone, provide it with water (which helps rehydrate after the hemolymph loss), and hope for the best.

I'm not going to give you grief for it since you do seem to feel bad about it, but hopefully this just serves as a lesson and you learn from it. You found out the hard way that just because something doesn't go wrong the first 999 times, doesn't mean it won't happen the 1000th time.

I do genuinely hope your tarantula makes it, but unfortunately I would advise you not to get your hopes up

 

[starlight_kitsune]

Squishy abdomen makes me wonder if they had more blood loss than you initially thought, or internal injuries. I'm not going to add my 2 cents on the handling and rehousing method at the moment, I think others have that covered. Fingers crossed she makes it, keep us updated.