Is my spider dying?

[Jayson Hatt]

You know, I thought it was strange that he wasn't curling in the death curl people described... he was curling upwards, completely covering his body with his joints, as though he were scared.

When I left for work this morning he was still sitting in the water, but my boyfriend called me halfway through my shift to tell me he had gotten out, and was under his log. Then when I came home, I found him upside-down in the water.

I quickly fished him out, but he was so lethargic... and when I drew him out, I noticed a gooey white substance flowing in the water from his backside. I couldn't tell if it was 'chalky' or not, and there was no goo coming from his mouth, but I'm guessing it was some kind of backup-I've read about that on this site before.

Anyway, I would have had some home for him... but when I picked him up, he started spasming terribly. He was flailing all legs, and then freezing, and bucking his entire body frontwards and back slowly. I couldn't stand it, he was laying web all over my palm, and continuing to leak goo from his abdomen. And then, he curled.

My little Phobia's gone, and I thank you all so much for your responses. I feel awful, because I had noticed his strange spasms a good month or so ago, but there was no discharge from his abdomen whatsoever. I wonder if he had been sitting in the water in an attempt to flush himself out... and then simply flipped when he tried to crawl out because he was so weak. I feel sick thinking about that... but at least the pain's gone, and he finally passed.

I wish so badly it could have been more peaceful, but at least I could be there when it happened. He left behind a web on my palm, and a hole in my heart.

Thank you all again so, so much for your concern and questions. As for the light issue, I tried using it and not using it off and on for a while to see if he acted differently one way or the other, and one thing I used to LOVE about him was that when the light was on the side of his tank, he would press up against it in the funniest way. First he would press all his front legs up against the glass, warm up, and then turn around and stick his butt against the glass and just sit there for hours. He loved his light, and sunning and being warm. Maybe that makes him a freak of nature, I dunno, he loved it and usually sulked around inside his hide until it came out.

Sorry for the rambling, just a last passing meory of my first ever tarantula. I have another, but I have never experienced a death of one before... thank you all for your support and thoughts.

He probably drowned when he fell in the water. Most spiders have their lungs in bwetween their abdoman. You probuly should of dried him. But he had a happy life, thankyou for taking care of thats spiders life. Your a great person.

 

[Venom1080]

He probably drowned when he fell in the water. Most spiders have their lungs in bwetween their abdoman. You probuly should of dried him. But he had a happy life, thankyou for taking care of thats spiders life. Your a great person.

no, tarantulas cant drown. he may have fell, or died from natural causes as he was a MM.

 

[Jayson Hatt]

no, tarantulas cant drown. he may have fell, or died from natural causes as he was a MM.

oh okay

 

[Chris LXXIX]

no, tarantulas cant drown. he may have fell, or died from natural causes as he was a MM.

Didn't expected to find you here, my man, replying to another user that replied to a "ghost" one. Uh, nothing wrong, eh. Not at all.
Just that I was expecting Toxoderidae