Newbie - is my spider molting or dying?

[cosmosis]

A few days ago I captured a small spider in my house. I’m not fully sure what he is (or if he is a he at all) I’m thinking a juvenile tegenaria of some kind? Here are some pics:


Today I got a new enclosure for him and he had settled into it well, was acting the same way he had been since I got him. It’s still pretty bare as of now but I added a toilet roll tube in for him to hide in. I went to check on him half an hour or so ago and he was underneath it, but upside down with his legs curled up. I’ve only ever seen dead spiders do that leg curl so I panicked a bit but after some frantic googling I now know they do it when they molt. Is this the case for him? See here:

He isn’t moving at all so I’m still worried he’s dead or in the process of dying, but the outstretched leg is reassuring me a little - they can’t do that when dead, can they?

If he is molting, is there anything I can do to help it go smoothly? Would just giving him some space be the best thing?

 

[Tbone192]

Unfortunately that spider does not look as alive as it should...

Likely a male T domestica, but I'm not sure which other Tegenaria are present in the UK. Probably died of old age, stress, or poison. Those are my best guesses.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Rip possibly dehydration or the causes listed above .

 

[cosmosis]

Unfortunately that spider does not look as alive as it should...

Likely a male T domestica, but I'm not sure which other Tegenaria are present in the UK. Probably died of old age, stress, or poison. Those are my best guesses.

If he is a T domestica then don’t you think he would be too small to have been an adult? So I don’t think it was old age, but I’m not 100% on what he is so maybe it was. I really hope I didn’t stress him out or otherwise cause it. He still hasn’t moved so I’m now pretty sure he’s dead. I had gotten really attached to him, I feel terrible if it was my fault.

I wonder why he’s on his back though, and with his leg like that. I don’t think he would’ve climbed and fallen, I didn’t see him attempt to scale the walls of the box at any point.

Rip possibly dehydration or the causes listed above .

I don’t think it was dehydration because I had been giving him water, though I didn’t ever actually see him drinking it so maybe

 

[Charliemum]

It looks like he fell while trying to moult, Tetchy like to hang and moult when they are smaller or the ones I have had have. If he has fallen while moulting it isnt a good sign. Still I would wait a day just to make sure then if there is no movement you have your answer.

 

[Tbone192]

Sorry for your loss, truly. It sucks to lose friends with legs. When they are small especially, not all spiders make it unfortunately. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll have some awesome spiders in no time.

Best wishes,

TBone

 

[Godsmack1934]

I had a wolf spider do this when she died, so while there's a chance it's molting it's more than likely not.

 

[cosmosis]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Unfortunately he has definitely passed - I think he fell, from the tube or the sides of the box. Another spider of (I’m pretty sure) the same type showed up today and I took her (?) in, she’s a lot more lively and explorative than he ever was, and she was climbing under the tube too, so I think that he was maybe not doing great in the first place and that just did him in.

I’m wondering if I should just take the tube out in case she does the same thing, but it doesn’t feel right to not give them anything to hide under. What would be some good alternatives? I thought maybe to put a few rocks in so she could go between them or something? But my thinking with the tube was that it would be good for a web, and I don’t know if something “flat” would work as well.

 

[Charliemum]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Unfortunately he has definitely passed - I think he fell, from the tube or the sides of the box. Another spider of (I’m pretty sure) the same type showed up today and I took her (?) in, she’s a lot more lively and explorative than he ever was, and she was climbing under the tube too, so I think that he was maybe not doing great in the first place and that just did him in.

I’m wondering if I should just take the tube out in case she does the same thing, but it doesn’t feel right to not give them anything to hide under. What would be some good alternatives? I thought maybe to put a few rocks in so she could go between them or something? But my thinking with the tube was that it would be good for a web, and I don’t know if something “flat” would work as well.

I am sorry I thought he may have but like you I was hoping.
Anyways yes you could keep the tube although if your keeping long term I would suggest some corkbark and sub with some sticks or plastic plants as web points they will well out last some card that will eventually mould. But as temporary it's fine.
Make sure your tub/viv is tall though promise you new friend will web up to the roof.
My girls 6lt jar that as you can see she filled it does have corkbark and plastic plants but she covered everything pretty sure if I gave a Tetchy a 30cm/12inch cube she would of filled every inch gotta love a Tetchy 🤎🤎