Rosie acting weird

[Jeffery]

Hi everyone. I haven't been around much but I need some advice, or tell me this is normal behavior.

My Chiliean Rose (Jeffery) has been acting weird for several weeks. She (yes she's a confirmed female) molted approx. 6 weeks ago. I with held food for a bit, then fed her which she refused so I took all the crickets out and just left fresh water available for awhile. I have since attempted feeding several times and she has refused all food, water remains available at all times. When she walks she lifts her legs high and takes short steps and movements are jerky, almost like she's drunk for lack of a better visual picture. She also seems alot of times to be "kicking" up the substrate as it is always lose. I found her 2 days ago on her back in her hide and thought ok, she's gonna molt again, but she righted herself about an hour later and has not been on her back since that I know of.

Jeffery was an adult when my son brought her home 9 years ago so she has some age on her.
Any suggestions as to why the weird behavior?

Marcia

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

How big was it when you first got it?

How did you confirm it female?

Does it have hooks under it's first legs, and are it's pedipalps (short appendages next to the fangs) balled up like boxing gloves?

 

[Jeffery]

She laid an eggsac shortly after my son brought her home and of course promptly ate them due to being moved and re-homed. My ex thought it would be funny to buy a full grown T for a barely 9 year old boy and then tell him it had to be kept at mom's, meaning me. Instead of freaking out I did my research, posted her pic here I believe, and if not another Arachno board I belong to and confirmed her as female. The fact that she laid an eggsac leads me to believe she was fully grown then, I am not altogether clueless. :wall:

Now can you explain the odd behavior because in the nine years I have kept her as well as adding several other T's to my group I have never seen this type of behavior? Help would be appreciated.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Well G. rosea are known to act weird anyway.

Maybe it's approaching the end of it's life.

 

[Jeffery]

She has been fairly ordinary for the last nine years, and yes that fact had crossed my mind.

Anyone else have any helpful insight? Please?

 

[Arachnos]

If you got "Jeffery" from a pet store and it came with an eggsac it was most likely a wild caught T. It could have been any age when it was captured and having her for 9 years after that does sound like it could be nearing the end. Dehydration will also cause awkward movements but it would be visible in the abdomen if it was dehydrated. I had a G. rosea I kept for 12 years(my very first T) and it moved around basically the same way near the end. I assumed it died from old age because I have not lost many T's. It displayed "drunken" movements compared to the "spastic" movement associated with DKS. I never witnessed it flipping over though. If nothing new was introduced into the enclosure lately and she has been showing this activity since her last molt that would be my guess. I hope she is just being 'wierd' like most rosies though and you have her for another 9 years. :}

 

[Jeffery]

Thank you Arachnos for the more informative response. Since she always has water available I wouldn't think she would be dehydrated but what would I be looking for in her abdomen to show dehydration? After not eating for so long her abdomen isn't very large.

 

[nesok]

She might look kind of wrinkled, or if she's severely dehydrated she'll be almost raisin-like. Are you able to post pics?

 

[curiousme]

We have only lost one T to old age and it also walked in a drunken way, but it also flipped on its back and then righted itself several times before it finally died. If you have had water available constantly, then I am really doubting that it is dehydrated.

 

[Jeffery]

Yes, she has had water available at all times. She seems to scare easily now, the slightest noise triggers jumping and jerking and wild movements often resulting in her landing on her back and then righting herself. She flails around so intensly that she kicks substrate everywhere as well.
I am inclined to believe we may be nearing the end of her life and that saddens me greatly. She was our first T and what a great T to start off with.