Really confusing behavior post shipping

[JulianH1001]

Hopefully recovers fully, then you're likely to have the most docile and cooperative Venezuelan sun tiger on the planet (at least for a little while, until she remembers she's supposed to be ornery). I'm guessing that all the webbing she's doing in the water dish is just instinctively supporting herself in a kind of precarious position. It does look like she's got decent mobility of the abdomen, though. Good luck with her!

Thank you!

It's really a trip getting to be so close and touch such a famously grumpy species. Obviously I'd much rather her be teleporting around and throwing threat poses, but the sentiment stands.

Makes sense about the webbing. I really hope we can bring her through the next molt and it heals up. I don't even know if molting will help with internal damage, but fingers crossed.

 

[cold blood]

I dont suggest feeding it hard things like roaches that make her have to work to eat....I suggest earthworms [pieces] or wax worms. But hinestly, I would be shocked if it wanted or even needed to eat. There is nothing you can do but wait and hope for a molt...if you tried to "drain" something, it would kill her almost immediately...never do this or even think about this kind of thing....

Also, you seem to be expecting/anticipating a molt...don't....it could be a year before she actually molts (it could also be soon, there is no way to know). I will say that when in heavy pre-molt, such lethargy as you are witnessing is pretty normal.

 

[JulianH1001]

I dont suggest feeding it hard things like roaches that make her have to work to eat....I suggest earthworms [pieces] or wax worms. But hinestly, I would be shocked if it wanted or even needed to eat. There is nothing you can do but wait and hope for a molt...if you tried to "drain" something, it would kill her almost immediately...never do this or even think about this kind of thing....

Also, you seem to be expecting/anticipating a molt...don't....it could be a year before she actually molts (it could also be soon, there is no way to know). I will say that when in heavy pre-molt, such lethargy as you are witnessing is pretty normal.

For sure - I'm thinking she's fairly close to molting in tarantula time, but that could be months and months. It's all relative. I don't even know how she could push herself out of her exuvium without being able to use her legs well though, so even that's a pipe dream.

I did find at least one post on here from a poster who cut and drained a cyst with the tarantula "under" CO2, and then "stitched" it with superglue. He got at least one more molt out of her, but I couldn't find anything past that about her future. It just doesn't seem like an effective strategy for inverts, as their bodies just don't seem to possess the same level of self repair as vertebrates (at least for things like open wounds... they can just grow new legs entirely though, so that must be a tradeoff that evolution is okay with?). I'm not planning on that method, don't worry.

 

[cold blood]

I don't even know how she could push herself out of her exuvium without being able to use her legs well though,

Yeah, seems unlikely, but it happens....I had a t that only had 2 legs and was basically immobile....but still managed to flip and molt.

Two-legged Avic

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 8
• avicularia avicularia avicularia missing legs pinktoe tarantula sling

A. avic 2 legs is better than none. Fully recovered now.

 

[JulianH1001]

Yeah, seems unlikely, but it happens....I had a t that only had 2 legs and was basically immobile....but still managed to flip and molt.

Two-legged Avic

• cold blood
• Oct 15, 2016
• 8
• avicularia avicularia avicularia missing legs pinktoe tarantula sling

A. avic 2 legs is better than none. Fully recovered now.

Should I flip her onto her stomach or leave her on her back long term? I don't know if there's an exoskeletal equivalent to bed sores or if being on her back is causing more stress than needed. Makes giving her water easier though.

 

[cold blood]

Just leave it do as it pleases

 

[JulianH1001]

It's been a while, but figured I should update this for anyone who comes across it in the future.

I continued giving her water and roaches for a few months (she would eat prekilled roaches I placed near her fangs with enough encouragement). Eventually I found her molting, but she appeared stuck - she had gotten her body out, but multiple legs were stuck, probably due to whatever condition led to her weak leg strength in the first place. I was able to gently hold the exuvium and use a wet paintbrush to get most of her legs out, but had to leave one in that simply wouldn't come out - I later found that she self-amputated that leg. From this point she was a lot more mobile, and usually rightside up instead of stuck on her back. She even started webbing her enclosure, taking live roaches, and climbing a little, though very slowly and still clearly weak. Today I found her post-molt with a thin, fresh replacement leg, and no apparent issues during the process. Hopefully she'll gain strength as more molts go by.

Her progress really shows how hardy these animals are - I'm sure more than a few people would have disposed of her with how few signs of life she had a year ago when I received her, and a little over a year later she's almost autonomous, if still a little slow!

-Julian

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

This is fabulous news! Thank you for updating. You saved this girl’s life with your attention, care and persistence. Favorite person of the day!

 

[Charliemum]

This is fabulous news! Thank you for updating. You saved this girl’s life with your attention, care and persistence. Favorite person of the day!

Agreed
A little late to this thread but you did an amazing job! I am sure she will do nothing but flourish under your care congratulations to you both

 

[MariaLewisia]

Wow! What a ride! This update makes me so so happy. Well done, OP, and well done little spider!

 

[coolnweird]

Thanks so much for the update!! Happy to hear your T is recovering well. These animals are amazing, if you can get them to and through the molting process they can heal from practically anything. Hopefully in a few more molts she'll have made a full recovery