NEED HELP!Worried Beginner

[Octa]

I'm new to this forum due to the fact that I need some help with my slings.
I just started off with this hobby and have 4 slings as of now.

I overcame my phobia of spiders and ended with a tarantula obsession.

Now the sad part is, I got a Brazilian Black sling(Grammostola Pulchra) yesterday for Valentine's, i fell in love with it.
Today I tried feeding it, but it seems like s/he is about to molt (dark spots on the abdomen, skin darkening) and refused to eat.
It happened so quick that I couldn't even hold it back.

s/he got scared and ran away so quickly, that it fell of the table it put it on :*(
i barely caught her back in her vial, and after 2 hours of research, I didn't find any clear answers to my worries.

I tried locating a crack on her abdomen or even the slightest leak of blood.
S/he is moving fine, s/he seems to be a lil clumsy because she is always climbing up the vial and falls off (the distance between the substrate and the lid is about her/his leg span).
the fall was about 3 feet.

Now s/he is burrowing in the substrate, and I'm praying to god that s/he will be ok.
I would be heartbroken if s/he passed :*O.

I would appreciate your help guys as I am in love with all my slings and care for them like no other.

 

[Midknight xrs]

What size is your sling? Most slings will either eat up until their molt or will fast for weeks/months on end.

What you should do right now is relax, take a step back and relalize that your T knows what it's doing. If it is not leaking, which i don't think it will on the outside, but you will notice substrate sticking if it is leaking. just make sure it has water available, either in mist form or from a damp spot on the substrate.

 

[Octa]

Its almost an inch in size, 0.8 to be exact.
I put some water on the vial sides.
Are slings less vulnerable to falls than adults? My G pulchra has a huge butt so i'm really worried.

P.S: Are room humidifiers and good for them ?


Thanks

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

If it's acting fine, then there probably isn't anything to worry about. And Ts tend to get clumsy/sluggish when in premolt.

Welcome to the boards.

 

[Octa]

S/he started burrowing now LOL?
Are Slings more vulnerable to falls than adults?

Thanks

 

[SentinelPokie]

Well in my experience, whenever a G. Pulchra sling burrows, it usually molts. Your T should be fine.

 

[jonnyquong]

S/he started burrowing now LOL?
Are Slings more vulnerable to falls than adults?

Thanks

If you mean 'are they more likely to get hurt?' the answer would be 'no'. Body weight is a huge factor here, so larger spiders are more likely to sustain damage, or more damage, generally, than smaller ones.
If you mean 'are they more likely to FALL?', I would say no, not in my experience. But I've only kept spiders for a little over 2 years, so I'm not an expert.

 

[gmrpnk21]

If you mean 'are they more likely to get hurt?' the answer would be 'no'. Body weight is a huge factor here, so larger spiders are more likely to sustain damage, or more damage, generally, than smaller ones.
If you mean 'are they more likely to FALL?', I would say no, not in my experience. But I've only kept spiders for a little over 2 years, so I'm not an expert.

That seems logical. More mass means more force on impact.

 

[Octa]

It keeps falling off the vial sides
I felt bad when i saw it crawl on its back.
I hope this is only a premoult behaviour

 

[Amelia]

I suggest you purchase a copy of "The Tarantula Keeper's Guide". It is VERY good. I think the section on what goes on during premolt will help ease your concerns.
http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Keepers-Guide-Stanley-Schultz/dp/0764100769

Just make sure there is nothing the T can fall ON.

 

[Octa]

Its abdomen looks larger than an average Tarantula would have.
I can see dark spots (black ones) on and under its abdomen.
Its walking around the vial, trying to climb up the sides, but always seems to slip and fall.
I sprayed the substrate slightly, just in case

 

[jolsen91]

i have a bird eater that likes to climb up the side of her tank and let go and fall all the way to the bottum and i was scarred cause i heard people say if a turantula falls for more then there leg span it can kill it but what i didnt get out of it is that it can not saying it will kill it so just becarful in the future k u might have gotten lucky and your spider is just fine all can be said is keep an eye on it keep offering it food

---------- Post added at 07:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 PM ----------

the climbing and falling is tarantula behavior or at least for mine but it could be premolt behavior because when the are starting the premolt process the loss mobility in there legs cause there old skin and new skin detach themselves from one another

 

[Octa]

Surprisingly s/he ate today.
This keeps me wondering when s/he'll molt though.

 

[Transylvania]

Its abdomen looks larger than an average Tarantula would have.

Slings' abdomens tend to be larger in comparison to their carapace than larger, more mature Ts (if that's what you're comparing it to, that is).

 

[Spidershane1]

Slings falling is nowhere near as threatening as adults falling. A sling such as your 0.8in pulchra would be in little to no danger if falling a couple feet. I'm sure she is fine.

 

[gmrpnk21]

Wait until you drop one of the sling's container! Talk about a scary moment.....

 

[Musicwolf]

Wait until you drop one of the sling's container! Talk about a scary moment.....

Or drop your P. metallica enclosure during rehousing . . . 2" of substrate landing on top of your 3.5" P. metallica after a drop of about a foot. Sheeesh - - - fortunately, she was fine, but a very scary moment.

 

[Octa]

S/he seems fine now, i can see its butt sticking out of the burrow.
I put it in a larger deli cup with more substrate so it can dig.

I appreciate your responses guys!!!


---------- Post added at 08:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

Wait until you drop one of the sling's container! Talk about a scary moment.....

I almost did....