I May Have Killed Her....Flipped Her Over...

[liquidfluidity]

T. stirmi went into molt before 9pm last night. All was textbook other than no web mat. 7am this morning, she was still on her back. Like a dumbass, I flipped her over, carefully. It's definitely alive yet and I saw some splitting towards the rear of the carapace. No fluid that I saw. The abdomen is looking like a grape starting to shrivel - kind of dimply.

I was under the impression that molting would go a bit quicker and freaked. This is her first molt for me. She's a juvenile yet at around 3.5-4". Temp around 75F and I try to keep a damp substrate with humidity somewhere around 70% and a large water dish.

Is there anything I can do all? Or am I idiot and probably just killed her....ugh

I have read a few posts here about flipping during a molt. I didn't want to try flipping her back over for fear of more stress.....I'm thinking I should just leave her alone at this point.

 

[Danzog]

Don't touch it, only time will tell, best wishes.

 

[liquidfluidity]

Thanks, the carapace has just opened.

I wonder if pushing a molt off is easier than standing and stepping out.... time will tell....

 

[viper69]

This is the worst thing one can do with a T aside from not feeding it.

It may be fine, it may not, only time will tell.

Curious, what was your next step going to be after flipping it over?

I’ll add one more thing- even if T molts out fine visually, you’ll have no idea if internal injuries have taken place- which may not reveal themselves until later on, potentially not until the next molt.

They really are black boxes, very little way of knowing something is wrong. A guy’s GBB just died for no obvious reason as an example.

 

[liquidfluidity]

Yeah, no excuses at this point as I'd like to think I'm well educated in general husbandry. Just never took this long with others I have kept......should have went with gut instinct here....and should have joined here long ago....

 

[Smotzer]

All you can do is wait now.....Hope it goes well, but it may not as viper just said

 

[Matt Man]

just wait it out. no sense adding for stress. if you encounter an issue and are unsure, do nothing. There is rarely an issue where a rush is required. Come on the board and ask questions, and what you will typically here is 'wait;'

 

[liquidfluidity]

Not looking good...

At what point should I attempt assistance? I don't like the leg position and may move the water dish....

 

[justanotherTkeeper]

I am not experienced enough to offer advice, but I'm definitely following this. Please keep us updated and share the outcome. I hope she pulls through!!

 

[jaw6053]

Not looking good...

What does this picture show ?

 

[Liquifin]

Not looking good...

Never flip over a molting tarantula. Why flip her upright??? Tarantulas usually molt the other side around laying on the ground.

How long has she been in that position and is their progress? If there's no progress, then I would've jumped in to help. But if you're assisting a molting tarantula, you'd better know what you need to do and know what you're doing otherwise it's going to get worse if you trying to help and don't know what you're doing.

I'd start by checking if it's abdomen and upper area (Carapace, fangs, sucking stomach, etc.) have molted out. I would've then assist with a water filled syringe and apply it to the molt, which I would've slowly get it out little by little.

 

[liquidfluidity]

She was upside down for more than 10 hours. That's when I did the unthinkable.... I waited for a while once I saw that the carapace had flipped and her fangs were out. The I started dripping water on her joints and around the area where the abdomen attaches.....zero change.
I have never had a tarantula take that long to molt which is what caused my alarm and subsequent actions. But, then again, never had a Theraphosa..... hind sight says I should have been on here questioning it before I even touched her.

I'd like to say live and learn, but even that sounds harsh.....

 

[kingshockey]

poor t

 

[Jess S]

I'll probably be villified for saying this, but if I was in your shoes, I'd flip her over the right way now, making sure she's not scrunched up to the wall. I think her legs are in the wrong position to successfully moult upright, the way she is now. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

In the meantime, read the sticky thread about how to help a t in a stuck moult, in the beginners thread. As you may have to intervene if she gets completely stuck.

I'm afraid I didnt notice the timestamps on the above. If she's made no further progress, you're probably looking at the active intervention stage by now anyway. If she's placed on her back you can work out what's actually stuck and then set about freeing her, as per the advice in the thread I mentioned.

However, if she's made good progress since you posted that picture, then leave be, until you know she's stuck. You should see signs of progression in the moult at each stage, if it's happening well. They may stop to rest here and there but not for a long time.

Edit: Just thought I'd mention I've had to help a couple of t's that have got stuck in the moulting process and it's incredibly nerve wracking, and not something any of us want to find ourselves having to do. I am not super experienced though, so those were just my own opinions. The thread I mentions explains what to do, far better than I could. Also the users above who have posted have decades of combined experience, and am sure will help further.

Good luck, I hope it all works out.

 

[Ic4ru577]

Best of wishes for ur T

 

[MBArachnids]

I am just curious, even if the T took 20 hours to molt what was your next step going to be after flipping the T over? I understand that it was a mistake etc. I am not trying to hammer on you I am just genuinely curious what your action would have been after flipping it over... Were you scared it was dead and decided to flip it over?

Just my 2 cents, I would not think the T can successfully molt in that position, I really hope I am wrong.

I'll probably be villified for saying this, but if I was in your shoes, I'd flip her over the right way now, making sure she's not scrunched up to the wall. I think her legs are in the wrong position to successfully moult upright, the way she is now. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

In the meantime, read the sticky thread about how to help a t in a stuck moult, in the beginners thread. As you may have to intervene if she gets completely stuck.

I agree with you on this. It does however seem like a lose lose situation and intervention will probably be needed.

 

[Jesse607]

Despite the incredible urge to do so, I never intervene when a tarantula is molting in what seems like a bad position. I just recently had an old female G. rosea molt right side up without a molting mat. I thought for sure her time had come. It took a long time from when her carapace popped until she began "emerging". I went to bed instead of agonizing over the situation. I checked on her first thing when I got up in the morning to find that she had successfully finished the process. I wonder what intervening would have resulted in?

 

[Matt Man]

I lost an OBT juvie which appeared to have molted successfully and then kind of rammed itself into the side of the habitat. I just waited and made sure it had water. It's rear legs were extended but the front went into curl. It was weird because half an hour earlier it had been already roaming around. Heart breaking but disturbing them during a molt simply ups the mortality

 

[RezonantVoid]

My rule of thumb is

If it doesn't look like this,



Then i leave it alone. This was a Stanwellia Hoggi that messed itself up real bad in transit. It separated most of the outer exoskeleton on the legs from the body and therefore couldn't squeeze out of the molt. Using tiny sewing scissors and tweezers, i managed to carefully separate each leg from each other, remove the top and bottom carapace molts, and gently pull off a few loose molts from her feet. So far only 3 legs are shaped normally but she can still eat fine and somehow manage to get around fine.

If you're T hasn't visibly screwed up its molt with bent legs by rolling over mid molt or similar, the best you can do is watch and wait

 

[justanotherTkeeper]

She was upside down for more than 10 hours. That's when I did the unthinkable.... I waited for a while once I saw that the carapace had flipped and her fangs were out. The I started dripping water on her joints and around the area where the abdomen attaches.....zero change.
I have never had a tarantula take that long to molt which is what caused my alarm and subsequent actions. But, then again, never had a Theraphosa..... hind sight says I should have been on here questioning it before I even touched her.

I'd like to say live and learn, but even that sounds harsh.....

Seems like this is the last we heard from you... I'm really hoping she's ok....

I think an update (no matter how grim) would be appreciated.

There are experienced and novice keepers alike on here that may happen across one of their beloved arachnids behaving similarly some day, and your situation could prove informative if ever they thought to "intervene" with their molting tarantula.

You seem sincere about your mistake, and I feel for you. Theraphosa is not a species for beginners since they usually require expert level care. We all learn from keepers who have the best intentions in mind, yet make fatal mistakes. I'm still hoping your T survives this event. Best wishes for you both