HELP with red liquid on B. smithi

[julesaussies]

Just to amuse us can you take a picture of the red stuff? I am miffed now.

You mean the Q-tip with the red stuff on it? Actually, i already tried this morning when i was trying to get dressed, dogs fed, etc while worried about my T. The flash made the whole Q-tip white in the pic but i will try tomorrow and take it outside so i don't need a flash. i can tell you that the color of the fluid on the Q-tip did darken up in the hours after i swabbed the T - just like normal blood...

to the original poster: you said that you recently acquired her. did you fully inspect her after the purchase/shipment was received to see if she had any injuries?

Yes, i just received him (i believe...) on Tuesday. He did not appear to have any injuries when i received him and i got a much better look at him than i was able to on a couple of others that came. There were 5 good size T's all shipped overnight and all are eating and seem to be well.

See the thing that doesn't work with injuries is that T's don't have red blood.

Ok I have a thought now, there was a thread here a couple days ago about feeding food colored fish flakes or whatever to your crickets and then enhancing the Ts colors. What if this T ate prey that was injected or fed some kind of red food coloring product, thus turning it blood red. I know it's way out there, but it's just a thought.

i doubt the person i purchased this T from used color enhancing food/crickets and i know i haven't.

Me personally I am miffed to, but if you remember the photos of my recent Smithi male that had a bad molt there was much more red the I ever would have thought possible.

Yeah, that is weird... What is that red stuff on your T if it isn't blood??? :? Does anyone know? The red fluid on my T looked kind of like serum, it was kind of transparent but definitely RED...

 

[P. Novak]

i doubt the person i purchased this T from used color enhancing food/crickets and i know i haven't.

Yeah I figured that, just tossing out ideas.

 

[widowkeeper]

ive seen liquid in the joint area on one of my Ts sometimes it was clear sometimes not either way i dont think you should worry if it was packed well for shipping the only dmg i could see happening is from a nice toss or a good shake/fall both would probly pop a nice sized t no matter how well packed i dont think it would be possible to handel it rough enough to hurt the Ts legs with out killing it first. i had a mm that was like that when i got him ,no change for a good 2 weeks befor he got munched. maybe the temp change and or moisture durring shipping has some kind of effect on some Ts. dunno just a thought but to be safe id let the person you got it from know it may be defective and see if they will replace it if it dies in the next week or two
good luck

 

[SavageDigital]

Hum...this tarantula is one that I've had for a long time...

I can tell you for certain that the crickets don't get color-enhanced food. As far as changing conditions, the substrate was kept "dry as a bone" with a water dish. Like everyone else, the red coloration to the fluid is an oddity. Since it's still eating well and moving well - if it were me I'd make certain the substrate was very dry and monitor.

Keep me up to date on any changes...

 

[julesaussies]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for trying to help me figure out what this is. i guess for now it shall remain a mystery...

if it was packed well for shipping the only dmg i could see happening is from a nice toss or a good shake/fall both would probly pop a nice sized t no matter how well packed - maybe the temp change and or moisture durring shipping has some kind of effect on some Ts. dunno just a thought but to be safe id let the person you got it from know it may be defective and see if they will replace it if it dies in the next week or two
good luck

Yeah, i don't think it happened during shipping either because i received 5 large T's all together in the same box, packed really well and they all looked great when i received them - including this one. They are all doing great and i think the N. chromatus is going to molt soon - i can't wait!!

This T is acting perfectly fine so i'm just going to ride it out. i don't feel this T was defective in any way when i received him. i did let his previous person - who raised him from a sling - know just because i would want to know if it were me. i'm still going to try and find out more about T's anatomy & physiology because now i'm really curious - because of Ryan's pic as well.

Hum...this tarantula is one that I've had for a long time...

I can tell you for certain that the crickets don't get color-enhanced food. As far as changing conditions, the substrate was kept "dry as a bone" with a water dish. Like everyone else, the red coloration to the fluid is an oddity. Since it's still eating well and moving well - if it were me I'd make certain the substrate was very dry and monitor.

Keep me up to date on any changes...

i did change the substrate in "Steve's" house and it is now dry as a bone. i'm nervous to admit it but i am pretty optimistic because he doesn't act like there is anything wrong with him. Thanks so much - he/she is one awesome T as were all the T's i received from you. Each one already has its own obvious "personality" per say. i'd have trouble picking a favorite out of the bunch! Thanks!