Just how hardy are Avicularia metallica

johnny quango

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Hey Guys
I was wondering just how hardy Avicularia metallica are? The reason I ask is because my A metallica is currently mid moult nothing unusual there right? well that would be fine if my Avic sling was still in it's tunnel only it's not it's fallen on to the ground. It's still moulting as we speak but 2 things the old moult looks to have split in half and also I wanted to know if anybody had this happen before
 

gypsy cola

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Dry sub with full water dish, good ventilation... pretty hardy. Good luck on the molt!
 

johnny quango

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Dry sub with full water dish, good ventilation... pretty hardy. Good luck on the molt!
Sorry I should've been a little clearer the care side isn't what I was worried about. I've had this tarantula around a year it was just more to do with any injuries etc
 

chanda

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Hard to say without knowing for sure what happened. Did you actually witness it fall? Had it already started to molt in the tunnel, and then fell, mid-molt, to the ground? How far of a fall are we talking about? Or might it have climbed down to the ground voluntarily - perhaps in search of moisture/humidity - and chosen to molt there? I've had Avics molt in their web tunnels and I've also had them molt on the ground. Either way seems to work equally well. On the other hand, I did lose a whipspider (I know, totally different kind of arachnid) that slipped and fell immediately post-molt, before the new exo could harden. (My fault - I had the wrong kind of wood in there for it to climb on.) The poor thing was lying on its back on the ground, looking all pale (but otherwise intact) and died shortly after.

Good luck! I hope she's ok.
 

johnny quango

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Hard to say without knowing for sure what happened. Did you actually witness it fall? Had it already started to molt in the tunnel, and then fell, mid-molt, to the ground? How far of a fall are we talking about? Or might it have climbed down to the ground voluntarily - perhaps in search of moisture/humidity - and chosen to molt there? I've had Avics molt in their web tunnels and I've also had them molt on the ground. Either way seems to work equally well. On the other hand, I did lose a whipspider (I know, totally different kind of arachnid) that slipped and fell immediately post-molt, before the new exo could harden. (My fault - I had the wrong kind of wood in there for it to climb on.) The poor thing was lying on its back on the ground, looking all pale (but otherwise intact) and died shortly after.

Good luck! I hope she's ok.
I always feed my arboreals last but today I decided to feed them 1st because I had a couple of terrestrials to rehouse. When I came to my A metallica I noticed it was mid moult so I left it be and didn't disturb it,
I went about feeding the rest of my collection and started to rehouse my M robustum I noticed something moving in the bottom of my avic enclosure it got my attention because it hadn't been fed for a while. The Avic was on it's back at the bottom with it's legs still inside the old moult so it's carapace and abdomen were already out.
I didn't see which end of it's tunnel it fell from but at it's lowest it's only around 4" and around 6" from the top, I know that's not high for an Avic but with it being soft I was worried it would've split.
 

Rittdk01

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My big one is crazy clumsy. I have never seen any other tarantula in my collection fall. I swear to god this one has fallen off the wall onto the sub at least 7 times that I've witnessed in less than three years. Never harmed her that I could see.
 

CEC

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Yes, I have witnessed this. The severity of the situation is completely circumstantial... After I saw this, I researched it and found a few threads on the topic and I have also seen a few discussions about it since then. On the plus side, like mine and most of the other cases I've heard about, the Avics survived the molt and fall. Most of these incidents weren't slings though. I suppose a fall is less dangerous for a sling since they are not as dense.

She was rehoused to her final enclosure, she had been in there for a at least four months until molting. She never webbed up before molting on her cork bark. Once she harden up she starting making a web hide behind the cork bark. This happened about 3 years ago. She is still kick'n today, had a couple molts since then.


Sub-Adult Female Avicularia metallica
image (17).jpg


After she was done she fell about 6" at the most to the substrate. Molt was still stuck to the cork bark perfectly intact in the position seen in the pic.
 

johnny quango

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Did it end up making it through the molt alright?
It's ended up back inside it's tunnel so I'm hoping it's ok.
I did find a leg though with part of the old moult still attached so I'm hoping that's the only injury, If so then it's been lucky and should be fine with seven legs
 

cold blood

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0127150854.jpg Like said, a lot depends on circumstances. Falling mid molt can get the legs twisted up, making things very difficult. This is an AF P. cam that fell mid-molt. Her legs got all tangled and the results were nasty. Sometimes it still goes off without a hitch.
 

johnny quango

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Oh yeah, she didn't last long.:sorry:

The young one has taken her place and gave me a sac just this year though:)

She's beautiful. I was never really that interested in keeping a P cam I always lent more towards P pulcher but a few months ago I wasn't given 1 as a freebie with an order and it's completely changed my mind about them.
Mine is around 1-1.25" and unlike my other arboreals it eats out in the open it's also a sucker for a big fat juicy waxworm
 
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