Is my A.avic Dying?

[LadyVonChimp]

Hi all, last weekend I purchased a SA A.avic from a local reptile shop. They were keeping it in a tiny terrestrial tub with no water dish and poor ventilation, with an alive locust still inside and a couple of uneaten dead ones. As soon as I got home I added a dish, removed the dead and alive prey items and added more ventilation whilst ordering an arboreal enclosure from Tarantula Rooms.

The enclosure arrived yesterday and I got it all set up and rehoused. The poor thing has been sluggish and a bit uncoordinated the whole time it’s been in my care, but i put it down to being cramped and possibly dehydration. The spider seemed to rest at odd angles a lot and kept looking like it was getting it’s feet stuck on the cork bark while walking.

Today I noticed that one of the spinerettes doesn’t fold back as the other one does, so I worried about impaction, but then noticed a poop on the wall of the enclosure and figured that couldn’t be it. I observed the spider drinking and was pleased that it had.

a couple of hours later and saw the spider belly up on the substrate writhing around. I didn’t think she was in premoult but i guessed it could have been, so I left her alone and came back in an hour, and now she’s on the cork bark again. I’m so confused! Is the spider about to pass? What can I do to help? (If there even is anything that can be done in these situations).

I will attach photos of the set up and spider here.

thanks.

 

[Tarantuland]

That is weird. Usually avics web up before molting. I'm thinking it could be stressed from being moved into a new enclosure. Your set up doesn't look too bad. Looking at the abdomen tells me it could be getting ready to molt. I'm sure someone here with more experience with avics will arrive soon. Best of luck

 

[LadyVonChimp]

That is weird. Usually avics web up before molting. I'm thinking it could be stressed from being moved into a new enclosure. Your set up doesn't look too bad. Looking at the abdomen tells me it could be getting ready to molt. I'm sure someone here with more experience with avics will arrive soon. Best of luck

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I thought the same, no mat was put down or webbing, but then having just been rehoused I figured maybe it was too soon. I’m at a loss, I thought I’d done right by this poor thing by getting it out of that shop and into an arboreal set up but maybe I was too late or I messed up somehow? I hope not. I’m fairly new to the hobby, this is my 8th T but 1st arboreal, but I’ve been doing as much reading up on the species as possible.

 

[Tarantuland]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I thought the same, no mat was put down or webbing, but then having just been rehoused I figured maybe it was too soon. I’m at a loss, I thought I’d done right by this poor thing by getting it out of that shop and into an arboreal set up but maybe I was too late or I messed up somehow? I hope not. I’m fairly new to the hobby, this is my 8th T but 1st arboreal, but I’ve been doing as much reading up on the species as possible.

Honestly, chances are it's a wild caught specimen since it's a juvenile from a pet store. The main things I'd guess people will say is to add clutter up top and to leave it alone. I can't tell what you're using as substrate, but you want it pretty dry for an avic with a water dish. And do you have top ventilation? I see the cross ventilation which is good

 

[LadyVonChimp]

Honestly, chances are it's a wild caught specimen since it's a juvenile from a pet store. The main things I'd guess people will say is to add clutter up top and to leave it alone. I can't tell what you're using as substrate, but you want it pretty dry for an avic with a water dish. And do you have top ventilation? I see the cross ventilation which is good

Yeah, could be.
I’m using ProRep Spider Life for substrate, and there is also some ventilation at the top as well. I added the cross ventilation in myself as I was concerned that the top wouldn’t provide enough.

 

[EnigmaNyx]

Unlikely, but could have been possible. A slight slip/fall onto its back. Very unlikely since it's arboreal, but not impossible. I have a T Vagans, with very little space between the lid of its enclosure and the substrate. The other day I saw it climbing up onto the lid, then it plopped onto its back and just sat there for a good 20 minutes occasionally wiggling its legs and finally flipping back over. Very funny to watch.

 

[Almadabes]

There are probably a couple of factors at play.

One is the rehouse - they're going to act weird when you rehouse them. That's just them settling down and getting used to the surroundings.
They may be restless or scrunch up in a corner for a few days. heavy burrowing or webbing species may not start landscaping for days or even weeks - completely normal.

Two is maybe premolt - Avics molt kinda "thin" compared to terrestrials, overall they're not as chunky. It can sometimes be hard to tell when they're in premolt.

I couldn't tell you why it flipped over and back - Maybe it was preparing for molt, maybe it just slipped and flipped itself back over?

I would give it some space for now and keep the dish full. Maybe try to feed it in a week or two if nothing happens - just be prepared to remove the prey if they don't want it.
If it constructs a web sock and hides inside - probably going to molt. My avic only webs up when it's preparing to molt.

There isn't a whole lot of concerning things for now. If you see something else you think may be weird - it's probably normal too.
But don't be afraid to ask.

 

[viper69]

Hi all, last weekend I purchased a SA A.avic from a local reptile shop. They were keeping it in a tiny terrestrial tub with no water dish and poor ventilation, with an alive locust still inside and a couple of uneaten dead ones. As soon as I got home I added a dish, removed the dead and alive prey items and added more ventilation whilst ordering an arboreal enclosure from Tarantula Rooms.

The enclosure arrived yesterday and I got it all set up and rehoused. The poor thing has been sluggish and a bit uncoordinated the whole time it’s been in my care, but i put it down to being cramped and possibly dehydration. The spider seemed to rest at odd angles a lot and kept looking like it was getting it’s feet stuck on the cork bark while walking.

Today I noticed that one of the spinerettes doesn’t fold back as the other one does, so I worried about impaction, but then noticed a poop on the wall of the enclosure and figured that couldn’t be it. I observed the spider drinking and was pleased that it had.

a couple of hours later and saw the spider belly up on the substrate writhing around. I didn’t think she was in premoult but i guessed it could have been, so I left her alone and came back in an hour, and now she’s on the cork bark again. I’m so confused! Is the spider about to pass? What can I do to help? (If there even is anything that can be done in these situations).

I will attach photos of the set up and spider here.

thanks.

Monitor that’s all

 

[LadyVonChimp]

Thank you all for your advice. She unfortunately passed I have ordered a slightly older one and am hoping this time I'll have better luck with these little beauties

 

[CheshireGleam]

Sorry for your loss. One of mine I purchased from a similar situation as you did molted then ended up passing away four days later. She was walking oddly and flipped over like yours did. Another contributing factor is that it was likely wild caught and who knows what it went through before coming to you. Sweet of you to still take that chance for it and care while it was with you. Good luck with the one you're expecting.

 

[ArtroomTs]

I unfortunately had the same kind of thing happen to my A. Avic. I knew she was older, I got her from a weird dealer at a reptile show and her premolt took a very long time but one day it was almost like she lost power. She had water and her web sock but she started crawling on her cork bark and falling off and not being able to get back up, (like her legs weren't getting pumped). I tried rehydration and even feeding but she just kinda stopped one day and passed.