Regal Jumping Spider. Probably dead.

[lovecptjack]

Hi, all. I have a very weird question. 4 days ago my very sweet baby wouldn’t come see me (strange because he loves to hang out), but instead crawls down to his moss substrate. He’s plump at this point from eating, so I figure he’s about to molt. The next day, what I think is his molt is laying in a droplet of water at the bottom of the substrate. So, after 4 days of not seeing my baby, I get concerned he’s seen nowhere in his tiny enclosure and put a little tiny corner of a paper towel near what I think is his molt. When I pull the corner out, the “water” is a grayish brown. And there is definitely a bad odor on the towel. This picture is what it looks like. Is my spider dead? Is this my spider? Or is it his molt and my spider is in the substrate. I don’t want to rifle through the substrate in the event he has malted and is trying to form his exoskeleton.

 

[lovecptjack]

Sorry for the spelling and punctuation errors.

 

[NMTs]

I don't think it's the exuvia - there's no reason that would be producing a brownish, foul-smelling fluid. Sorry about your little friend!