HELP! Where are my spiders legs going?

[hannah9000]

Please help!

I have a dancing white lady spider, and she is feeding fine and seems to be fairly active BUT in a week she has dropped 3 legs. Yes 3! I don't why she is dropping them, she is in the same environment as she was in the shop and she's munching on anything we put in her tank!

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Windchaser]

We really need much more information to even start venturing a guess as to what is happening. We need to know the specifics of how the enclosure is setup. We need to know what species you are talking about. I have no clue what a "dancing white lady spider" is and I doubt many others here do either. One thing that would be helpful to know is how much distance is there from the top of the substrate to the lid of the enclosure and what type of lid is it.

 

[hannah9000]

Details

Ok she is a Leucorchestris arenicola, the enclosure is a plastic tank, 3 inches of sand at the bottom, she has a log hideaway, and rocks and a drinking lid in the corner...i guess the substrate to top of tank is about 12 inches. And the lid is plastic, with air slits. Like I said its the same setup she was in in the shop so i don't know whats wrong.

 

[dehaani]

Can she jump? I'm not familiar with the species but they look capable. If so, she could be getting legs caught in the lid?

 

[Windchaser]

Are you sure of the sex. From what I have found on this spider the males will wander great distances in search of a mate. Could this be a male that is extremely active in its enclosure? Also, if you are saying that it is twelve inches from the substrate to the lid it is quite possible that it is getting its legs stuck in the slats of the lid and then losing the leg in its effort to free itself. With tarantulas, it is is generally recommended that the distance from the substrate to the lid be no greater than the tarantula's leg span. This allows them to still reach the substrate should they get stuck and have a better shot at freeing themselves without injury. The same may hold true for this true spider.

Also, I most shops that sell spiders and tarantulas know very little if anything about their proper care. I would not necessarily put too much stock into the way they had the enclosure setup. I have not kept this spider but you may want to search for the proper enclosure requirements to ensure that it has a proper home.

 

[Stylopidae]

It probably needs a slightly more humid enclosure

 

[buthus]

That spider is from namibia where it wanders long distances through sand dunes. (google is my friend)
Shouldnt need much humidity ...yet, there is a mist/droplet moment on the sand most early morns/nights there that most of the inhabitants rely on for h2O.
Depending on where you live, it could be getting too much humidity. Somehow you would wnat best to keep it in a VERY arid enviroment and mist it once a night ...lightly.
These need long walking space ...maybe yours needs to wander.