Is my tarantula dead?

EmJayy

Arachnopeon
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Aug 18, 2016
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Hey guys.. So I've had this little guys since January.. He was also born in January. He is a curly hair tarantula. This afternoon I went to check up on him as he is due for a molt soon and he literally looks frozen.. I tried moving him and I get no reactions.. He's not lying on his back.. He's upright and his legs are also slightly up. He was spinning his web to molt and there was still a bit of web coming out his bum.. He also isn't in a death curl.. I took him out his cage and put him in a container that's very humid and warm.. So i dont know if he is dead? Or what is wrong with him? He hasn't moved at all
 

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Flexzone

Arachnodemon
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Mar 1, 2015
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Your Brachypelma albopilosum isn't dead, T's in premolt become lethargic storing energy for the strenuous molt. Leave your T be back in its orginal enclosure, it should be alright without intervention, just make sure it has a water dish with fresh water to drink from should it needs to rehydrate.
 
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EmJayy

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Your Brachypelma albopilosum isn't dead, T's in premolt are lethargic storing energy for the strenuous molt. Leave your T be and refrain from poking it. It should be alright without intervention, just make sure it was a waterdish with fresh water to drink from should it needs to rehydrate.
Is it okay to leave it in its container? It's humid and warm and he's ontop on paper towels
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Contrary to popular believe, a tarantula on its back is not dead. Far from it. Please watch this video on molting, this will go over everything you need to know:

 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Is it okay to leave it in its container? It's humid and warm and he's ontop on paper towels
Wait, why is it on paper towels? No, put it back into the enclosure. And how are you keeping it warm? Do no use heat lamps, heat mats, or anything else for that matter. Just leave it completely alone, that's what it needs right now.
 

TownesVanZandt

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Is it okay to leave it in its container? It's humid and warm and he's ontop on paper towels
You put it in an ICU? No, there´s absolutely no need for that! Your T is by no means dehydrated. Just get it back to its enclosure and leave it be until it moults!!! Keep the water dish filled.
 

JumpingSpiderLady

Arachnobaron
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Jul 29, 2016
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Is it okay to leave it in its container? It's humid and warm and he's ontop on paper towels
Remove any heat source unless the room is below 70f. It's my understanding that Brachypelma albopilosum prefer a dryer habitat, with an always full water dish.
As far as leaving it in the container, I'm not sure. Please don't do anything until someone with more experience than me chimes in on that.
Edit: Vanessa and Townes are a couple of the more experienced ones I meant. Listen to them.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Remove any heat source unless the room is below 70f. It's my understanding that Brachypelma albopilosum prefer a dryer habitat, with an always full water dish.
Like all Brachypelma, this is a very hardy species. I wouldn't even worry about them if the temperature dipped to 60F.
 

G. pulchra

ArachnoGod
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It amazes me that the common reaction from a newcomer to a tarantula not moving or in it's back is to poke or prod it. These are not dogs or cats!
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
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@EmJayy I hope you will consider sticking around and using this forum to do more research on your tarantula. You need to do more research, please. You have picked one of the best tarantulas available to start out with, because they are extremely hardy and forgiving of new comers mistakes, but you will still need to bone up on the basics of care and what you can expect as time goes on.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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He was spinning his web to molt and there was still a bit of web coming out his bum
If this was happening, why did you remove the T?

Your T is not dead. I STRONGLY suggest you read a lot more about Ts and their behavior. You clearly don't know enough yet to provide the best husbandry you can. Your T looks perfectly fine.
 

EmJayy

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Ive experienced him molting before.. He's not on his back though, he's upright and dead still.. Doesn't move at all even when I touch him
 

EmJayy

Arachnopeon
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It amazes me that the common reaction from a newcomer to a tarantula not moving or in it's back is to poke or prod it. These are not dogs or cats!
It wasn't my first reaction to poke him.. My first reaction was to move his hide to see if he'd move because he usually does.. When I saw he wasn't moving I got scared and poked him.. I'm also not a newcomer I have 2 tarantulas and I've experienced both of them molting
 

EmJayy

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If this was happening, why did you remove the T?

Your T is not dead. I STRONGLY suggest you read a lot more about Ts and their behavior. You clearly don't know enough yet to provide the best husbandry you can. Your T looks perfectly fine.
I moved him because he is not moving at all.. I left him for a couple hours before I moved him
 

Crone Returns

Arachnoangel
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Mar 22, 2016
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990
It wasn't my first reaction to poke him.. My first reaction was to move his hide to see if he'd move because he usually does.. When I saw he wasn't moving I got scared and poked him.. I'm also not a newcomer I have 2 tarantulas and I've experienced both of them molting
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
Please. Just put him back in his cage. Put the hide back over him. Fresh water. Ignore him. He's doing what B. albopilosums do -- driving their handlers crazy. They are sneaky little devils. Ignore him.
Don't do anything to him unless he starts smelling, then yes -- the experts were wrong. Which is unlikely.
Having 2 Ts doesn't make you an authority.
If you're just trolling then you've had your laugh.
If not READ and LISTEN to the old timers!
 

EmJayy

Arachnopeon
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Aug 18, 2016
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:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
Please. Just put him back in his cage. Put the hide back over him. Fresh water. Ignore him. He's doing what B. albopilosums do -- driving their handlers crazy. They are sneaky little devils. Ignore him.
Don't do anything to him unless he starts smelling, then yes -- the experts were wrong. Which is unlikely.
Having 2 Ts doesn't make you an authority.
If you're just trolling then you've had your laugh.
If not READ and LISTEN to the old timers!
I just put him back in his cage .. But you you understand what I mean when I say he literally is not moving at all.. I had him on my hand now to get him back and his body hasn't even changed position..
 

EmJayy

Arachnopeon
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Aug 18, 2016
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:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
Please. Just put him back in his cage. Put the hide back over him. Fresh water. Ignore him. He's doing what B. albopilosums do -- driving their handlers crazy. They are sneaky little devils. Ignore him.
Don't do anything to him unless he starts smelling, then yes -- the experts were wrong. Which is unlikely.
Having 2 Ts doesn't make you an authority.
If you're just trolling then you've had your laugh.
If not READ and LISTEN to the old timers!
I'm not trolling either. I actually care about him a lot he was my first tarantula and I haven't stopped crying. And yes I know spiders don't get attached to us but I'm doing everything you guys are telling me to do. I'm not trolling at all
 
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