Is this a death curl? Is she dead?

chimmykins

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
22
Hey,
Sorry my first post has to be one like this, I'm new to the hobby and worried about my tarantula (she's my first).

She moulted not long ago and since the moult she's been sluggish and barely moving and then yesterday she was like this:







I think that it's a death curl or that she has passed, but thought I'd ask those more knowledgeable than me.

Can anyone advise me?

Kim
 

WARPIG

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
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Jun 29, 2007
Messages
821
Is that a mature male that has wasted away???
If its not dead, it should be!!! It is under fed and severly dehydrated!!!

Did it have water available at all times??? Food on a regular basis???

That T is not in a clasic death curl, but 'IF" its alive, it needs WATER and FOOD!!!

Not to mention the substrate!!!

PIG-
 

QuantumGears

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
33
Like WARPIG said before, tarantulas should not have bark or wood shavings as substrate. It is sharp and dangerous. They could easily rupture their body should they fall. As for the condition of the tarantula, did it have access to water and regular food? What was it fed? Was it a male?
 

knifeguy

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Sep 10, 2010
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12
Unless she ate her own ass that is the most starved T i have ever seen in my life. My slings look more fat than that T and they are bout the size of a small fingernail.
Food, a lot of it, tons of it and water like the above said. But my guess is that that T has not more than 24 hours to live IF she is not dead by the time i click the submit button.
 

chimmykins

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Oct 10, 2010
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Yes, she had access to a lot of food and water. Apart from when she was moulting I obviously took the food out. She was fed crickets (medium brown ones) and her abdomen looks fatter in real life. She got given food daily taken out if wasn't eaten like my book said to do.
She's female and the man my mum purchased him from said she was about 2 years old that was in 2008 (when I got her), she's been good til after her most recent moult like I said.

As for the substrate that was what came with her and suggested to be used by the man my mum got her from...

This is her taken not long before her moult (Sorry for quality it was taken on my phone):



She seemed fine. Is it probable her moult went bad? Or it wasn't finished? Though it seemed fine.
 

Chris_Skeleton

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I can't make heads or tails of that photo. My first thought is mature male as well.
 

Offkillter

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Jun 18, 2010
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Forget what "the guy" says and change that enlosure..There are a lot of good options for substrate at most pet stores and any one would be better than wood chips.If "the guy" told you wood chips are what you should use I would also question whether or not that T is in fact a female.
 

Mack&Cass

Arachnoprince
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Oct 14, 2007
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1,574
That T is a mature male. Sorry, but you were told wrong. He's probably also closer to 6-10 years old.

The guy you got her from obviously had no idea what he was talking about. The age, sex, and woodchips are all wrong.

Good luck with him.

Cass
 

madamwlf

Arachnosquire
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Nov 15, 2008
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64
Is it me or does that T look like it might be stuck in that molt??? Could be MM post ultimate molt? Aren't rosies notorious for that?
 

chimmykins

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Oct 10, 2010
Messages
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Forget what "the guy" says and change that enlosure..There are a lot of good options for substrate at most pet stores and any one would be better than wood chips.If "the guy" told you wood chips are what you should use I would also question whether or not that T is in fact a female.
You make a good point, he clearly misinformed my mother who in turn misinformed me. I never met him myself so am unsure if he was a dealer, hobbyist or what.

Here is a better picture of her(?) before moult:
 

Chris_Skeleton

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Is it me or does that T look like it might be stuck in that molt??? Could be MM post ultimate molt? Aren't rosies notorious for that?
Yeah I think that is the case here. Hopefully next time you will be better informed.
 
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curiousme

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Is the T still connected to the molt? I am having trouble making heads or tails of that top group of pics.

Is it moving at all? My first instinct would be to place the water dish right in front of it, the curling could be from dehydration as has already been said. Any possibility of some more/ better pics?


On a completely separate note........ was this T roughly the same size as it is now when you bought it 2 years ago? If the answer to this question is yes, you do not have 4 year old tarantula. Our little G. rosea is close to 3 years and only the size of a half dollar. It is not uncommon to be given ages for your new tarantula when they have no clue how old it is, because it is a W(ild)C(aught) tarantula and no one can know how old it is. They also don't generally know the correct sex of the T either.

Get it off the wood chips and on some coco fiber/ peat/ potting soil(no fertilizers) soon if possible. (after/ if it recovers) Make sure to have enough substrate in the enclosure to only allow a legspan and a half from the top of the substrate to the top of the enclosure.
 

Londoner

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Mar 21, 2008
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I agree with curiousme. The 1st pic sure looks like the front legs are still inside the old exuvium. Chimmykins, can you give us more details about it's recent molt?
 

chimmykins

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Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Messages
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Is the T still connected to the molt? I am having trouble making heads or tails of that top group of pics.

Is it moving at all? My first instinct would be to place the water dish right in front of it, the curling could be from dehydration as has already been said. Any possibility of some more/ better pics?


On a completely separate note........ was this T roughly the same size as it is now when you bought it 2 years ago? If the answer to this question is yes, you do not have 4 year old tarantula. Our little G. rosea is close to 3 years and only the size of a half dollar. It is not uncommon to be given ages for your new tarantula when they have no clue how old it is, because it is a W(ild)C(aught) tarantula and no one can know how old it is. They also don't generally know the correct sex of the T either.

Get it off the wood chips and on some coco fiber/ peat/ potting soil(no fertilizers) soon if possible. (after/ if it recovers) Make sure to have enough substrate in the enclosure to only allow a legspan and a half from the top of the substrate to the top of the enclosure.
I don't think it's still connected as the moult is separate from it although it looks a lot smaller than the other moult it had (this is the second since I've had it).

I've looked at her just now and she seems to have 9 legs so I assume some of it is connected to her, I can't really tell. I moved the water bowl next to her yesterday (it's just out of the pic) I also sprayed the substrate etc.

Would it be OK to use the same substrate as my great African snails? Which is of the plantation soil range.

In answer to your question, yes she/he was about this size when I got him/her.
 

Londoner

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Just looked at your pic from before the molt again, and I see palpal bulbs. Your T was a mature male before it's recent molt. The reason you see nine legs is because it got stuck during the molt. I'm surprised he's still alive at this stage, but I don't hold out hope of him surviving. Sadly, mature males rarely survive a post-ultimate molt. You could try helping him out of the stuck bits but from the look of him, I don't hold out much hope.

Got my fingers crossed for you though. Good luck.
 

Stopdroproll

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Aug 27, 2006
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It's either biting its molt or stuck in it, hard to tell from that angle. There's no way that is 2 years old, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a male and toward the end of its life cycle.
 

chimmykins

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Oct 10, 2010
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I've taken a better look and it looks like he's definatly got 9 legs, what's the best way to help him out of the stuck bits? Or is it not worth trying since they rarely survive post-ultimate molts?

Thank you all for the advice, it's made it slightly easier knowing why he may of got this way after seeming fine before the molt.
 

chimmykins

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Oct 10, 2010
Messages
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It's either biting its molt or stuck in it, hard to tell from that angle. There's no way that is 2 years old, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a male and toward the end of its life cycle.
Sorry, I should of been clearer I was told it was 2 years when I got it in 2008, making her 4 now. I was also told female. I don't think it's biting it, it's hard to see even in real life.
 

curiousme

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I don't think it's still connected as the moult is separate from it although it looks a lot smaller than the other moult it had (this is the second since I've had it).

I've looked at her just now and she seems to have 9 legs so I assume some of it is connected to her, I can't really tell. I moved the water bowl next to her yesterday (it's just out of the pic) I also sprayed the substrate etc.

Would it be OK to use the same substrate as my great African snails? Which is of the plantation soil range.

In answer to your question, yes she/he was about this size when I got him/her.
It does sound and look(according to Londoner who has 2 available eyes that I trust!) like a M(ature)M(ale) who has tried to molt one last time. Unfortunately, most(but not all) MM that try to complete this last molt do not make it.:( Your T would have to be much older than you were told, and like I said in my earlier post they usually don't know the sex. If they are smart/ shady they tell everyone that they are female, since females can live 20+ years.

I am unsure what plantation soil would be, but if has no fertilizers/ wood chips in it I would say it would most likely be fine.

I do wish you luck with your T, but do not hold high hopes for it.:( We just had another MM on the forum attempt to molt one final time last week, but unfortunately did not make it.:(
 
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