S'ling mortality rates?

[Nemesis]

Hey Spider Gurus,

I recieved 10 s'lings in via mail order, and 2 died within' 3 days...a Brachy boehmi and a Brachy emilia. I am really bummed as I had been looking forward to having these 2 for quite a time. They never ate, and passed in the typical spider death curl.

Is ordering s'lings a crap shoot? Is 2:10 a pretty normal mortality rate? they were about 1/4".

Thanks in Advance,
Kelly O

 

[Code Monkey]

I'd say you had bad luck. We've had this topic come up before and it's actually a small minority of slings that just die.

My own statistics go like this:
28 small slings purchased.
1 died a short time later of unknown causes, probably shipping trauma.
1 died a couple of months later of unknown causes.
1 died months later of the infamous "buttplug of doom" disease/infection.
1 died months later of the unknown "epileptic" wasting disease.

Percentage wise it's not far off of your mortality rates, but only one died immediately after receiving it. The others all died a significant amount of time afterwards; and of those 3, 2 had clear signs of a pathology involved.

 

[Nixy]

I'm Real real Real nervous about ordering online.
Even with all the great reports I've read.
I Want to. But I kinda cringe back form it.
I've ordered things online a few times and have been so Vastly disapointed.
And those weren't live critters.

We do want a few scpecific speacies that the shop we deal with hasn't had.
Though I also enjoy going there to find surprises too.
Like the bracys and avics we got last time.
And they always cut me a deal for the twins.
Knowing they will get it back from me later in sales or trades.

One day I prolly will.

I want to get Eden a whompin huge Blondi so I know I will one day.

I guess I have to work myself up to it.

And of course keep on reading the dealer reports.

 

[Lycanthrope]

out of the 13 spiderlings ive owned, thus far only 3 have died. 2 were P. murinus, which were overtaken by mold, the other 4 siblings survived and are growing like weeds. the other loss was a 3/4" A. avicularia which basically was a spaz who couldnt make webbing without webbing his feet together and couldnt walk right. the sibling of that one is also doing well.

 

[Code Monkey]

@Nixy, there is really nothing to worry about with the reputable dealers in my experience. These guys are doing this because they love the hobby, not because they're rolling around in $$$ from selling Ts to a very small percentage of the U.S - they put a lot of care into their packages and their Ts. I've placed six orders in the past and never had a DOA and only the one probable shipping related death as described above. As I type this, I have order #7 ready show up this Tuesday.

 

[Nixy]

Originally posted by Code Monkey
@Nixy, there is really nothing to worry about with the reputable dealers in my experience. These guys are doing this because they love the hobby, not because they're rolling around in $$$ from selling Ts to a very small percentage of the U.S - they put a lot of care into their packages and their Ts. I've placed six orders in the past and never had a DOA and only the one probable shipping related death as described above. As I type this, I have order #7 ready show up this Tuesday.

Oh I don't think anything like that about online dealers.
It's just personal trepoditions and fears of my own dumb luck lol.

I KNow i'll end up ordering online.
Eventualy....

I guess I just need to keep circling the subject in my mind before moving in to take a bite out of it.



Because from what I have read, and noticed from the dealers that come here is that they ARE, helpful, kind, they stand behind their critters and treat people right.

I think mostly I am waiting for spring.
maryland has been Brutal this winter.
Snow up to our keisters and snap freezings.
I know I would just feel better ordering when the temps and conditions are more reasonable and safe for the darlings.
Driving them ten minuts from the pet store with their containers wrapped in a portable car electric blanket to my house is one thing.
Dead winter cold in the mail is another and it just makes me go ERK.

Spring Is on the way though.

 

[Grael]

well i dont have to worry about ordering a spider online coz i got no credit card lol

 

[Nixy]

Money orders Grael.

 

[Grael]

Originally posted by Nixy
Money orders Grael.

yea but thats another problem u need money LOL! =D

 

[chid]

Originally posted by Nemesis
Hey Spider Gurus,

I recieved 10 s'lings in via mail order, and 2 died within' 3 days...a Brachy boehmi and a Brachy emilia. I am really bummed as I had been looking forward to having these 2 for quite a time. They never ate, and passed in the typical spider death curl.

Is ordering s'lings a crap shoot? Is 2:10 a pretty normal mortality rate? they were about 1/4".

Thanks in Advance,
Kelly O

I have had one sling that was DOA out of about 10 that I have bought over the time of keeping them.
The one that died was a B.emilia 1.5cm it arrived with a B.boehemi and B.albo at the same time.
The emilia was DOA ,the other 2 were fine, but that was down to them being sent overnight and not arriving untill two nights later.So it was the couriers fault.To tell the truth i was surprised the other 2 made it ok as it wasnt particulary warm at the time of year that they came.

Chid

 

[Nixy]

I know how that is.But hopeful I will be rentering the work force soon.
I feel come fall and the twins restarting school that my husband will be recovered enough to handle getting them off an afternoon bus.
Right now they have two schools, morning and afternoon and the scheduals between them are insane, and frankly the last stroke my husband suffered left him less then capable of Handling that insanity.

I won't be going back into the automotive repair and painting field. My body can't handle the extremes in temperatures that most shops have and I am starting to have a great deal of difficulties handling a production spray gun. Between my hands and elbows and the arthritise I can't see me meeting up to the workload as much as I love the work.

I Do want my own invert shop.
Not online, but a physical Place.
Geared toward education and quality care.
I am So sick of seeing how inverts are treated in pet stores.
It sickens me.
I am Also sickened at how they are sold with little or No information.
And not everyone can get online to find out and or buy.

So I want my own place.
I have started looking into grants.

But honestly.
I'm a bit lost on just How to start.
Where to start.

But yeah.
I want a place.
The twins place.

Where these exceptional creatures can be viewed and learned about and purchased with the respect they deserve.

I Can do it.

I am one of those people that Will do.
When I get the Gotta. I roll with in.
So. Like our breeding project it is not a matter of If. It's a matter of When.

I just gotta get myself pointed and moving in the right direction.

 

[conipto]

I've had a grand total of 6 T's that I'd call spiderlings since I've started. I have a great dealer within 5 miles of me, so I've never had the need to mail order any. Of those 6, two have died. The first, a cobalt blue, got eaten by a cricket. The second, an A. versicolor died probably due to his small enclosure drying up while I was on vacation. I've also had an adult die from dessication and not eating, and a juvenile from cold. So, all in all, I'd say the odds are not that bad against spiderlings. In some ways, I think they are even more hardy than adults (falling, shipping trauma) As long as you keep them in good temperature/humidity conditions, they should thrive.

Bill

 

[Tim R.]

I ordered all these online and have'nt lost any, some I've had for over a year. Some were as small as 1/4":
A. Avic.
A. Versi.
B. Angustum
B. Smithi
B. vagans
C. Cyaneopubescens
G. Rosea
G. Pulchra
A. anax