Is she okay?

swampsounds

Arachnopeon
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Nov 29, 2021
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16
Hello,

Brand new keeper here and I’m nervous.
I’ve been doing tons of research and trying my best to give my new spider the love and care it needs but recently it fell and I’m curious y’all had any info you could help me with.

I got this B. Hamorii sling about 2-3 weeks ago and it’s still pretty small. About the size of my thumb.

I had placed the cup on my desk to remove a feeder and water down the enclosure and the sauce cup with my baby fell into my lap.
I got nervous and when I went to gather her and her enclosure she fell down to the floor. (About 24 inches total)

I checked on her this morning and I haven’t noticed anything off but how long until I know if there is something wrong?
I tried walking her on my hand right after to see if there were any leaks but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

I read that as a sling she may not experience as much damage from a fall but what should I do now? What should I look for? How long until I should stop worrying?

I’ve attached pics of her when I first got her.

Thanks for any advice 💚
 

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DomGom TheFather

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If there's something wrong, you'll know in time.
No leaks or visible damage is a good sign.
Slings are less prone to fall injuries due to their size but they're still fragile critters. If it accepts its next meal and is acting normal otherwise, I'd say it's good.
Cut that handling out. Lol
Best of luck with your spider.
You should have many more years with it.
 

QuinnStarr

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Here’s the thing. Accidents happen. I turned around while holding a pair of tongs and the tongs knocked the condiment cup that houses my tiny N. chromatus sling off the desk I was working on and it fell at least three feet to the floor. The sling is fine and actually molted last week.

that said, if something is wrong, all you can do is wait. Nothing being visibly wrong is a positive thing but, like Dom said, don’t handle your tarantulas and let it do normal tarantula things. Outside of the random freak accident, or if the tarantula skitters up your tongs and onto your hand, there’s really no need to handle it and handling actually increases the risk of a fall or injury.
 

Neonblizzard

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Mar 3, 2021
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611
Only time will tell. That is by far the fattest sling I've ever seen in my life, definitely don't feed them again until they molt
 

Tarantulafeets

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The vent holes look a bit big, so you might have an escape, as the carapace looks like it could fit through, which means the rest of it might be able to fit through.
 

swampsounds

Arachnopeon
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Nov 29, 2021
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16
Y’all are the best. I really appreciate it, definitely keeping this all in mind.

This is honestly the first time I even touched the thing and just because I wanted to put it back in the enclosure.
 

swampsounds

Arachnopeon
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Nov 29, 2021
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The vent holes look a bit big, so you might have an escape, as the carapace looks like it could fit through, which means the rest of it might be able to fit through.
Oh I keep the lid on the sauce cup. I just have it set up for once it gets big enough to move.
 

vancwa

Arachnobaron
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Not enough substrate to burrow into (cup). The plastic enclosure is too big.
 
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Craig73

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Even though I have a desk I primarily work on the floor or the bed. I‘ve knocked over a few sling enclosures and it’s much easier to deal with when you take the ‘fall‘ risk out of the equation.

My worst spill was a 1” obt, I was mortified. Laughable now, didn’t know I could move so quick.
 

Smotzer

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Usually sling falls end up perfectly fine, but even though there is no external visible damage, there is always the risk of internal issues. All you can do is wait till it gets to a molt and hope it goes off without a hitch. There’s nothing you can do but wait and see.

and I second @DomGom TheFather best to get out of the habit of handling now, if you were worried about a fall inside a cup where substrate is a cushion, you should be naturally worried about a falloff a hand with no protection.
 

LucN

Arachnobaron
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Jan 22, 2009
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The T. albopilosus I currently have had taken an accidental fall about 2 feet from a low table to a carpeted floor when it was 1/2". That was over a decade ago. Slings are apparently much more resilient than we think. There were instances where I thought it wasn't going to make it when it was so small. I'm sure my AF laughs at these moments now. ;)
 

swampsounds

Arachnopeon
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Nov 29, 2021
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You’re all the best. It’s been a week and she’s still moving around like normal. My nerves have mostly subsided and I’m just very excited to watch her grow.
I’m attaching some more recent pics as I can see she’s already been growing a hearty deal.
Working on getting her a better sling enclosure with some more substrate at the moment.
Love you Barbeque Sauce
 

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pongdict

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Dec 2, 2021
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that sharp thing poking out from the vent hole in the cup is making me nervous. it may not be sharp enough to hurt your sling, but I would do something about it just to be sure.
 

DomGom TheFather

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Working on getting her a better sling enclosure with some more substrate at the moment.
That deli cup is perfect. You could poke some extra holes in the lid if you like but much more sub and your spider will probably pull the vanishing act.
 

DomGom TheFather

Arachnoprince
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Also, looks pretty wet.
A tiny water dish will help out.
You can trust your little guy to find water without having to always add directly to the sub. Just throwing it out there.
 

swampsounds

Arachnopeon
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Nov 29, 2021
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Whoooo!!! She molted!!! I’ll take some pictures when I return from work but I’m so damn happy! I got to watch her do it too 🥲
 
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