Should I be concerned?

[sydneymclean]

Hello there, I am new to tarantula keeping and recently received a Brazilian Black sling from my husband. He got the spider for me in Dallas on a business trip (we live in East Tennessee). He purchased a small mason jar salt shaker and put spidey along with some Kleenex in the shaker and then smuggled it on the plane in his pocket for his trip home. We re-housed it into the container it had been in at the reptile store with a seashell of water and a small piece of cork bark. It stayed on top of the cork bark for a day and a half, then the second morning when I looked in it's enclosure it was gone. It had buried itself under the cork bark. That was over a week ago and we haven't seen it since. I don't know what to do. I'm attaching some pics. The guy at the store said it appeared to be in pre-molt, but how long does molting take? Should I disturb it? Or leave it alone? Is this common? I just need some advice or information on whether this is normal for this species. FYI: It's about an inch and a half long. Thanks in advance for ANY help!!

 

[sdsnybny]

Yes that is pretty regular for a T in premolt and yours definitely is. It will come out when its ready. I see a tank in a tank?? its far to small for the larger tank probably even the smaller KK is very large for one that size. If it buried itself while it was laying flat and started to molt then you tipped the container sideways it might have interrupted the molting process. I would let it be for 2-3 weeks before trying to carefully dig it up.

 

[cold blood]

100% normal, you have zip to be worried about. It may be in there a week, it may be in there for 5 months...theres nothing to do but wait...this is one reason so many us keep a lot of them.

Your new enclosure is gigantic though, and this will only mean you will see it less. I would reccomend a 16oz deli cup set up like this.

Deli Cup Setup for Terrestrial Slings 1-3"

• cold blood
• Mar 13, 2017
• 6
• enclosure

Deli cup set up for terrestrial slings 1-3"

 

[sydneymclean]

Yes that is pretty regular for a T in premolt and yours definitely is. It will come out when its ready. I see a tank in a tank?? its far to small for the larger tank probably even the smaller KK is very large for one that size. If it buried itself while it was laying flat and started to molt then you tipped the container sideways it might have interrupted the molting process. I would let it be for 2-3 weeks before trying to carefully dig it up.

Thank you very much. I've taken it out and put the small lid on it and put it somewhere quiet and darker. Should I put any food in there or wait until it comes out? I feel so helpless (lol). My husband and I have umpteen reptiles from chameleons to a black throat monitor, but I know nothing about these spiders! I will dive into learning more, but any expertise is surely appreciated. Thanks so much!!

 

[sydneymclean]

100% normal, you have zip to be worried about. It may be in there a week, it may be in there for 5 months...theres nothing to do but wait...this is one reason so many us keep a lot of them.

Your new enclosure is gigantic though, and this will only mean you will see it less. I would reccomend a 16oz deli cup set up like this.

Deli Cup Setup for Terrestrial Slings 1-3"

• cold blood
• Mar 13, 2017
• 6
• enclosure

Deli cup set up for terrestrial slings 1-3"

Thank you so much~

 

[Ungoliant]

Congratulations; Grammostola pulchra is an excellent first tarantula. This species is sometimes affectionately referred to as the black lab of tarantulas for its docile disposition.

I've taken it out and put the small lid on it and put it somewhere quiet and darker. Should I put any food in there or wait until it comes out?

If it's sealed in with no hole, I wouldn't even bother offering prey. If there is a hole, you can offer prey, but I'd remove any uneaten prey within 24 hours. (Feeder insects can injure a molting tarantula.) Be sure to crush the heads of mealworms so they don't injure your tarantula with their strong mandibles.

I have two pulchras, and they have very different temperaments. My first pulchra, the smaller one, is extremely skittish and will often seal herself into her hide even when she is not preparing to molt. I just let her be, but if she hasn't come out within a month after a molt, I dig her out to make sure she gets a drink. Many slings will eventually grow out of this skittish phase, so I'm hoping she will as well.

My second pulchra, the larger one, has never been scared of anything. She gets possessive of anything you put in her cage, and she never hides.

 

[darkness975]

Thank you very much. I've taken it out and put the small lid on it and put it somewhere quiet and darker. Should I put any food in there or wait until it comes out? I feel so helpless (lol). My husband and I have umpteen reptiles from chameleons to a black throat monitor, but I know nothing about these spiders! I will dive into learning more, but any expertise is surely appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Another reason why rehousing into a 16oz deli cup after it re-emerges is a good idea like @cold blood said is because when they are small they can squeeze out of the vent holes of a Kritter Keeper.

Save the Kritter Keeper for when it grows more.

A general guideline is if it can fit it's carapace through, then it can escape. That is not a 100% formula but it happens more often than not.

 

[mack1855]

Cant add anything to the great advice already given,but a warning!
Be prepared to become very emotionally attached to your G.pulchra.

 

[Ellenantula]

Awww -- sweet little sling!
You've already received some solid advice so I'll just coo over the sling's cuteness.
Congratulations on new addition!

 

[viper69]

Hello there, I am new to tarantula keeping and recently received a Brazilian Black sling from my husband. He got the spider for me in Dallas on a business trip (we live in East Tennessee). He purchased a small mason jar salt shaker and put spidey along with some Kleenex in the shaker and then smuggled it on the plane in his pocket for his trip home. We re-housed it into the container it had been in at the reptile store with a seashell of water and a small piece of cork bark. It stayed on top of the cork bark for a day and a half, then the second morning when I looked in it's enclosure it was gone. It had buried itself under the cork bark. That was over a week ago and we haven't seen it since. I don't know what to do. I'm attaching some pics. The guy at the store said it appeared to be in pre-molt, but how long does molting take? Should I disturb it? Or leave it alone? Is this common? I just need some advice or information on whether this is normal for this species. FYI: It's about an inch and a half long. Thanks in advance for ANY help!!

That original setup, the LARGE container, is deathtrap for terrestrial Ts. The below is for advice now, and in the future for your T. It's pretty important because G. pulchra is one of the NW species that tend to get a really large abdomen relative to other NW species.

The distance from substrate surface to top of container. It's too tall in your case. The recommended distance for terrestrials is 1.5X their Diagonal Leg Span (DLS) to prevent fall death/injury. Yours was too high.

Also, don't use screen tops that will end up being a material that your Ts tarsal claws will hook onto and end up getting it stuck at some point more than likely. While more of an issue for arboreals, still a threat to terrestrials. Once hooked they either hang there, or at times end up falling with injury, losing leg etc, or dying if their abdomen goes splat.

G. pulchra females get to be a nice, thick bodied tarantula, mine was.

You can keep an adult in a ExoTerra Breeder Box, or Really Useful Box or Sterilite.

The distance from substrate to lid is critical w/terrestrials.