Purchased this P metallica mid August. My first P metallica but I've kept other Poecilotheria in the past. When unboxing and moving the tarantula into its enclosure I noticed she was slow (especially for a pokey) she just sort of plodded out and after a while made her way into the cork bark.
I have never seen her eat, I have tried roaches and crickets, She would sort of slap them or just curl up, Thought maybe she was in premolt?. I would still try with a feeder weekly just to see if she was hungry. Time passed and she showed no sign of preparing for molt, not webbing, not even hiding properly just sitting on the inside of the cork tube. Eventually started to get worried and left a roach in overnight, it seemed to disappear so I assumed she had eaten them. tried this for a few weeks but it became apparent she was not eating them, had to remove a couple, and found 2 dead, so she may have just been killing and leaving them. At this point she would just completely ignore feeders, even letting them walk over her legs.
Over the last few days I noticed she was out of the cork bark more, just sat on the glass or outer cork bark but she didn't look right, sitting crunched up. She never really sat in a pokey stance but she would normally be spread out.
The attached picture was from last night, I got home from work today and she was worse, still holding on to cork bark but obviously going into death curl. She can still walk and climb but slow and lumbering. I do not have a picture of her in her current state.- as soon as I saw her I made up an ICU and scooped her up and put her in.
What could have caused this? and what else can i do to help her!?!
I've seen her drink! and the water bowl is always full. (White things in the water bowl are Springtails)
She is in a modified Exo Terra with a plastic top with drilled holes.
Part of the substrate is moist and she is kept at the same temp as the other tarantulas.
I have never seen her eat, I have tried roaches and crickets, She would sort of slap them or just curl up, Thought maybe she was in premolt?. I would still try with a feeder weekly just to see if she was hungry. Time passed and she showed no sign of preparing for molt, not webbing, not even hiding properly just sitting on the inside of the cork tube. Eventually started to get worried and left a roach in overnight, it seemed to disappear so I assumed she had eaten them. tried this for a few weeks but it became apparent she was not eating them, had to remove a couple, and found 2 dead, so she may have just been killing and leaving them. At this point she would just completely ignore feeders, even letting them walk over her legs.
Over the last few days I noticed she was out of the cork bark more, just sat on the glass or outer cork bark but she didn't look right, sitting crunched up. She never really sat in a pokey stance but she would normally be spread out.
The attached picture was from last night, I got home from work today and she was worse, still holding on to cork bark but obviously going into death curl. She can still walk and climb but slow and lumbering. I do not have a picture of her in her current state.- as soon as I saw her I made up an ICU and scooped her up and put her in.
What could have caused this? and what else can i do to help her!?!
I've seen her drink! and the water bowl is always full. (White things in the water bowl are Springtails)
She is in a modified Exo Terra with a plastic top with drilled holes.
Part of the substrate is moist and she is kept at the same temp as the other tarantulas.
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