Is she about to die?? Help needed!

Spidi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
39
Hey guys

I have had my big girl for around 9 months now, give or take, and today I have found her in what appears to be a death curl. Although I am not sure. She has been a good eater and her abdomen has always stayed the same size regardless of how many times I fed her, which was not too much. I keep her in a dry enclosure on peat that I ordered from a local T breeder.

She seemed to be walking around ok yesterday, she would always be in another spot every time I came to check on her but today she has not moved so far and she did not seem to respond when I changed out her water dish. However, her one leg or a portion of it did slowly move, and I mean very slowly, almost like in a slow motion. In the last month or so she has stopped eating and I am not too sure if I should suspect a molt or not at this point. I also did rehouse her about a month or two ago and she has not webbed as much as she used to when I got her (I could barely see her through all the web haha). I also used to stumble on her with her legs curled over her head a lot (like she was attempting to hide) but there were periods of time where she would be found in what I guess could be considered a normal position. She was ok yesterday and every time I came to look she would be in another spot, but this morning I have found her like her and I am not sure what to do at this point :(

Thanks in advance.

Picture to follow, just have to upload it through my phone real quick.
 
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Toxoderidae

Arachnoprince
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Nov 16, 2015
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1,008
Can you post a picture of the enclosure? I think you may have bean cheated, since it's pretty hard to kill a GBB, and they gave you a MM, which has like, no lifespan at all.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
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No hooks are present, nor are their any signs of the so called "boxing gloves" so I am quite sure it is not a mature male.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
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Can you post a picture of the enclosure? I think you may have bean cheated, since it's pretty hard to kill a GBB, and they gave you a MM, which has like, no lifespan at all.
No hooks are present, nor are their any signs of the so called "boxing gloves" so I am quite sure it is not a mature male.
 

Toxoderidae

Arachnoprince
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No hooks are present, nor are their any signs of the so called "boxing gloves" so I am quite sure it is not a mature male.
Can you still post a picture of the spider ventrally, and the enclosure? And don't look for hooks, that's useless and should be forgotten almost as a whole.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
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Can you still post a picture of the spider ventrally, and the enclosure? And don't look for hooks, that's useless and should be forgotten almost as a whole.
This was just a temporary enclosure that I rehoused her in while I prepared a larger one more suitable for her size. I do not think I will be able to get a ventral shot at this moment in time but I do remember there being an opening that was present in females. She has still not moved.
 

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Toxoderidae

Arachnoprince
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the spider may have fallen. Gently take it out and flip it over, that'll allow ventral images. I do think this spider may be dead due to the full abdomen and death curl.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
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the spider may have fallen. Gently take it out and flip it over, that'll allow ventral images. I do think this spider may be dead due to the full abdomen and death curl.
I highly doubt she has fallen. She has barely been climbing at all and there are no signs that say she has. I know she is not dead because when I moved the cage around, her leg slowly moved but it was very slowly and almost lifeless. But she moved.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
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Okay, there is still a chance it fell when you were not looking, unless you have a camera setup watching it 24/7. Please still remove the spider and flip it over gently for ventral images.

@cold blood
@EulersK
@Blue Jaye
Will try do so now, although should I not be getting her into an ICU? Like I said, there is very minor movement, almost lifeless but there is.
 

Toxoderidae

Arachnoprince
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Will try do so now, although should I not be getting her into an ICU? Like I said, there is very minor movement, almost lifeless but there is.
Don't do an ICU. If there is any life at all with the spider, an ICU would quickly stop that.
 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
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759
Can you still post a picture of the spider ventrally, and the enclosure? And don't look for hooks, that's useless and should be forgotten almost as a whole.

for this species, looking for hooks is not useless if you are trying to determine if it might be mature?? True if you are trying to sex it prior to maturity, looking for the hooks would be useless... but that's not what they were asking. I have a Mature Male.... and he has obvious hooks on his front legs. Why would looking for hooks be useless for a species that has them when mature since the question was to determine if this spider might be mature?

Will try do so now, although should I not be getting her into an ICU? Like I said, there is very minor movement, almost lifeless but there is.
please don't move your spider to an ICU. GBB's are from dry environments in the wild. An ICU could very possibly compound whatever problems it has and actually wind up killing it. I have a few questions. Does your spider have access to water? If not, put a bowl of water in the enclosure. Try to get the spider to move to the water, you may have to actually put it's mouth parts in the water. If it's in a death curl due to dehydration it may not be able to move enough to get itself to the water. Think of a hydraulic system where the pressure of the fluid in the system is the means of movement. That's how spider walk. Hydraulic pressure moves their legs outward. If there's not enough fluid due to hydration, they are not able to extend their legs and thus are essentially crippled if they get dehydrated. Wet a small portion of the substrate to raise the humidity in the enclosure. Then put the whole enclosure in a warm, dark, quiet area of your home and leave it alone. Check on it every 5 to 6 hours or so but try not to disturb it too much. Ultimately, this is about the best you can do.

good luck. :)
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
39
for this species, looking for hooks is not useless if you are trying to determine if it might be mature?? True if you are trying to sex it prior to maturity, looking for the hooks would be useless... but that's not what they were asking. I have a Mature Male.... and he has obvious hooks on his front legs. Why would looking for hooks be useless for a species that has them when mature since the question was to determine if this spider might be mature?



please don't move your spider to an ICU. GBB's are from dry environments in the wild. An ICU could very possibly compound whatever problems it has and actually wind up killing it. I have a few questions. Does your spider have access to water? If not, put a bowl of water in the enclosure. Try to get the spider to move to the water, you may have to actually put it's mouth parts in the water. If it's in a death curl due to dehydration it may not be able to move enough to get itself to the water. Think of a hydraulic system where the pressure of the fluid in the system is the means of movement. That's how spider walk. Hydraulic pressure moves their legs outward. If there's not enough fluid due to hydration, they are not able to extend their legs and thus are essentially crippled if they get dehydrated. Wet a small portion of the substrate to raise the humidity in the enclosure. Then put the whole enclosure in a warm, dark, quiet area of your home and leave it alone. Check on it every 5 to 6 hours or so but try not to disturb it too much. Ultimately, this is about the best you can do.

good luck. :)
She does, she has gone the last week or so without water as I was not home but other than that she does have. I tried to feed her last week but she would not accept any food and then today... this. I will try move her over the water bowl. What is the best way I can do this? I have never handle Ts or poked / prodded them so I just want to make sure about this before I do so.
 

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
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759
ok, get a small, soft paint brush and just kind of gently brush one of its legs to get it to move. I'm not sure how to get it to the bowl if you are not familiar with pinch grabbing. Basically, you gently, using your index finger and thumb to pinch it around it's "waist". If it's not moving at all then it shouldn't be that difficult. Be cautious though, if it is in a threatening position when you brush it's leg then don't attempt the grab.


you can see three different methods of picking up a tarantula in this video.

good luck. let us know how it goes.
 

Veribug

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
86
A whole week (or so?!) without water? Damn, that's dangerous, Ts are very susceptible to dehydration, couldn't anyone have supplied water while you were away? Sounds definitely like dehydration, especially if the weather has been warm...
I agree with previous posts, don't put them in an ICU, instead place their mouth parts into a water dish. ASAP.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
39
ok, get a small, soft paint brush and just kind of gently brush one of its legs to get it to move. I'm not sure how to get it to the bowl if you are not familiar with pinch grabbing. Basically, you gently, using your index finger and thumb to pinch it around it's "waist". If it's not moving at all then it shouldn't be that difficult. Be cautious though, if it is in a threatening position when you brush it's leg then don't attempt the grab.


you can see three different methods of picking up a tarantula in this video.

good luck. let us know how it goes.
Just put her mouth over the waterdish as best I can and she is literally motionless. No sign of life whatsoever.

A whole week (or so?!) without water? Damn, that's dangerous, Ts are very susceptible to dehydration, couldn't anyone have supplied water while you were away? Sounds definitely like dehydration, especially if the weather has been warm...
I agree with previous posts, don't put them in an ICU, instead place their mouth parts into a water dish. ASAP.
Sadly there was not, but something does not tell me it was dehydration. I have two other Ts, a mature male G.rosea and a unsexed juvinile B.smithi which are both doing very well. Ever since I got my C.cyan she had some strange behaviour. Day one she webbed all over the place and seemed healthy. She devoured any cricket or roach I would drop inside within an instant and then continue to web but she would always be in a pose with her legs over her head as if she was hiding? Now I am not too sure if that is strange but I thought it was. I eventually rehoused her because she was given to me with a barkchip / spargam moss substrate and she seemed alright once more but webbed a lot less and eventually stopped eating all together and I would still see her in that pose with her knees bent up over her face most times. It is winter here and has been raining the past two weeks.

Then again it could be dehydration. I really do not know haha, which is why I am here to ask for help.
 
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ratluvr76

Arachnodemon
Active Member
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Messages
759
sadly, if there is no movement at all, and given the classic death curl positioning of it's legs, I'd say your GBB is dead. :/ I'm sorry.
 

Spidi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
39
sadly, if there is no movement at all, and given the classic death curl positioning of it's legs, I'd say your GBB is dead. :/ I'm sorry.
Well that will be the 1st one that I have ever lost :( really sucks to know that it could have been my fault too.
 
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