T. albo acting strange after shipping

[MariaLewisia]

Hi! I'm having a situation with my new Tliltocatl albopilosum "Nicaragua" adult female that has me stumped and I need some input.

I received this adult female Tliltocatl albopilosum by mail on the 24th of August this year. Right from the get go, she was acting extremely stressed. She was all curled up in a stress pose in the box and refused to move. Eventually I had to really push her out using the handle of a brush and she bolted like a huntsman into her new enclosure, bumping into the walls and cork bark and everything with audible thuds. Eventually she came to a stop and immediately resumed the same super-tight stress pose.

This was two weeks ago and she has not settled down in the slightest, quite the opposite. She's in this same stress pose 24/7, and seemingly at random she'll freak out and bolt around into this. Not around, not over, INTO things. She'll also do this little shake from time to time with her legs while in the stress pose. Not a DKS sort of shake but more like how a dog or cat will shake their limbs when wet. A vibrating sort of shake. She's not kicking any hair or webbing, not exploring, not even turning around. This is all she does, day and night. Just the other day I was freaking out over her still acting like this, and I rehoused her into another container, just in case the container itself was causing the stress. No luck.

This is the fourth T. albo I've kept. The other three (one of which I received in the same shipment) are all thriving in the same room, in the same environment, in similar enclosures. I've been in the tarantula hobby for 4-5 years by now and out of all the slings, the adults, the OWs and NWs, and the 50+ tarantulas I've kept, I've never seen this sort of drawn out stress before, especially not considering the others of the same species are doing just fine and settled in quickly.

What do you suggest I do? Is this "normal" behaviour that I've been lucky enough to never have experienced before? Could there be something wrong with the tarantula itself?

I'm new to the site but I'll try to attach a picture of her in her current enclosure.

Best regards,
Maria

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Have you ever kept a wild caught tarantula before?

I'm wondering since you purchased it as an adult that there's a possibility it could be wild caught.

Other than that I'm stumped. To maintain stressed for that time length there's something more going on here.

The only other two things I can think of is exposure to some kind of chemicals or parasites.

I'm not going to jump to that though or any of the above I mentioned. It could just be stressed for that time length for all I know.

Hopefully someone who has experienced this before might shed some insight as I'm curious as well.

 

[Pmurinushmacla]

Have you ever kept a wild caught tarantula before?

I'm wondering since you purchased it as an adult that there's a possibility it could be wild caught.

Other than that I'm stumped. To maintain stressed for that time length there's something more going on here.

The only other two things I can think of is exposure to some kind of chemicals or parasites.

I'm not going to jump to that though or any of the above I mentioned. It could just be stressed for that time length for all I know.

Hopefully someone who has experienced this before might shed some insight as I'm curious as well.

Honestly didnt think of that. It would make sense, that or it is just a high strung individual.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Honestly didnt think of that. It would make sense, that or it is just a high strung individual.

I never heard of a T doing that before. I'm stumped just like the op.

That's the only 3 things I could think of but I'm usually always wrong, lol.

 

[MariaLewisia]

Have you ever kept a wild caught tarantula before?

I'm wondering since you purchased it as an adult that there's a possibility it could be wild caught.

I'm not sure actually, but I've never kept any wild caught T's either (as far as I know). I purchased this one from another hobbyist who was selling off most of their collection. No mention of any wild caught tarantulas, and the other one of similar size I got at the same time from the same person is doing just fine, but who knows? I just find the situation really stressful, both for me and especially the poor tarantula.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

I'm not sure actually, but I've never kept any wild caught T's either (as far as I know). I purchased this one from another hobbyist who was selling off most of their collection. No mention of any wild caught tarantulas, and the other one of similar size I got at the same time from the same person is doing just fine, but who knows? I just find the situation really stressful, both for me and especially the poor tarantula.

Yeah I'm stumped, I never heard or read anything like this before.

There is something to the shake you mentioned but I cannot remember what I read on that in the past. Like you said not dks but something else.

Maybe when it's on the move again you can get some video footage.

 

[MariaLewisia]

Yeah I'm stumped, I never heard or read anything like this before.

There is something to the shake you mentioned but I cannot remember what I read on that in the past. Like you said not dks but something else.

Maybe when it's on the move again you can get some video footage.

I'll try to capture some footage for sure! And also do some further digging into those shakes. I wrote them off as a stress thing, but there could be more to it.

 

[viper69]

I’ve seen bolting, thought it’s usually due to an outside stimuli- vibrations usually

 

[birdonfire]

Seems like something happened during or prior to shipment. How long was the curly in shipping? Was the box insulated and cushioned? Was the spider cushioned in the container? Is it really hot or cold there? Was the seller reputable? Have you purchased from the seller before with good success? Have you used the same shipping service before with success?

 

[Benzen]

bumping into the walls and cork bark and everything with audible thuds.

This is the key point here i think. A huge red flag and i do think there's something seriously wrong with your T. I suspect your T has some damaged nerves, "brain", maybe her senses aren't working properly. I am obviously no expert and this is just an educated guess but 2 weeks not moving, stress posing and running into things leads me to believe it's neurological or physiological damage. Sad to hear and i hope i am wrong.

 

[MariaLewisia]

UPDATE:

So before I answer any of the questions or speculations, there's been a huge development during the night! She's webbed! Now, it's not a huge amount, and she's back in a stress pose in her usual spot, but this is more than she's ever done that's normal behaviour since I got her. She apparently calmed down enough these past 10 hours to move a few centimeters and place down webbing. I'm still very much NOT optimistic, but this has to be a good sign that things can improve.

How long was the curly in shipping? Was the box insulated and cushioned? Was the spider cushioned in the container? Is it really hot or cold there? Was the seller reputable? Have you purchased from the seller before with good success? Have you used the same shipping service before with success?

The T was in the box for 48 hours. Good insulation, good cushioning all around and with the spider, no heat pack but temperatures of 22°c to 26°c (71.6 to 78.8 in Fahrenheit) the whole time. I personally have not bought anything from the seller before but they have a good reputation and seem legit. I've never had any problems with the courier before. I also received two other T's in the same box and they are happy and healthy. This is the only one that shows any sign of something happening.

 

[goonius]

The T was in the box for 48 hours. Good insulation, good cushioning all around and with the spider, no heat pack but temperatures of 22°c to 26°c (71.6 to 78.8 in Fahrenheit) the whole time. I personally have not bought anything from the seller before but they have a good reputation and seem legit. I've never had any problems with the courier before. I also received two other T's in the same box and they are happy and healthy. This is the only one that shows any sign of something happening.

Are you able to message the seller to get some information about her temperament and behavior when in his/her care?

Crashing into things is bizarre. In the photo, it looks like she is in the hide with webbing at the entrance — am I seeing that right? If so, that does seem like a really good sign in that it suggests there is no major neurological dysfunction, which initially seemed like a good suggestion. Webbing suggests the T can carry out a complex and normal task that doesn’t seem like it would be possible if there were significant damage to the ganglia. Also, that’s just a very normal T albo thing to do — mine always webs up her doorway straight away once she accepts a new enclosure, which can often take awhile — though nothing like what you’re experiencing.

I hope whatever happens you’ll update the thread over the next few weeks. I hope it is just a prolonged stress reaction, and that she will recover. Definitely very strange.

 

[MariaLewisia]

Are you able to message the seller to get some information about her temperament and behavior when in his/her care?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that. She did not act like this before, hence why I named the thread "after shipping". She was acting normal before, according to the seller.

In the photo, it looks like she is in the hide with webbing at the entrance — am I seeing that right? If so, that does seem like a really good sign in that it suggests there is no major neurological dysfunction, which initially seemed like a good suggestion. Webbing suggests the T can carry out a complex and normal task that doesn’t seem like it would be possible if there were significant damage to the ganglia.

Not quite the entrance. The hide I made for her is to her right, you can see it to the left on the picture. She webbed around a random piece of wood. But as you said, it is a complex task to accomplish. It basically rules out any major neurological damage or dysfunction.

I hope whatever happens you’ll update the thread over the next few weeks. I hope it is just a prolonged stress reaction, and that she will recover. Definitely very strange.

I will! With the slight improvement I'm getting into my vet med mode (I'm a former vet tech, current veterinary student) and wanting to observe, document, and try to understand, more than the freaked out owner mode I was in before.

 

[Mike Withrow]

I've kept and still actually have wc spiders. Not by me. Isolation for four months because I've seen the heartbreak from nemotodes. Never had any to act like that.

 

[MariaLewisia]

I've kept and still actually have wc spiders. Not by me. Isolation for four months because I've seen the heartbreak from nemotodes. Never had any to act like that.

That's good to know, thank you for sharing. So sorry about the nematodes though. Awful. :'(

 

[Mike Withrow]

That's good to know, thank you for sharing. So sorry about the nematodes though. Awful. :'(

It wasn't my spider thankfully. I think it was another member on here not sure I only belong to two forums,but yeah it was pretty bad.

 

[Benzen]

So before I answer any of the questions or speculations, there's been a huge development during the night! She's webbed!

So i was wrong...thankfully. No neurological damage. The only other explanation i'd have for a T running into things is the new, unexplored environment. Ts map their surroundings, so if she never explored it's only natural she doesn't know where stuff is and thus runs into them when spooked. I hope she settles in very soon because i know how stressful it is. Not just for the T, but for the owner as well.

 

[MariaLewisia]

UPDATE #2:

Yet another development this evening. When I walked in to the tarantula room, I saw her walking around and exploring. Only for a split second though, because as soon as she noticed me, she bolted and returned to her standard stress pose. But for that split second I saw her, she was acting very normal, just walking around like any other tarantula does. I'm very happy! Perhaps she really did hate her former enclosure and this is what she needed? Who knows. She's obviously improving now, unlike how the first two weeks went by.

 

[MariaLewisia]

UPDATE #3:

Some more webbing, and some very minor digging/redistribution of moss and soil. I spent several hours straight in the tarantula room yesterday rehousing slings and never saw her do a single random bolt, nor did I hear any of those thuds. So to go from bolting for no reason several times an hour to not once in two or three, while I was also rummaging around making noise, is great.

 

[MariaLewisia]

UPDATE #4:

Long time no see! I've been away on holiday since September 11th, and today I asked my mom - who's dog-, reptile-, and spider-sitting - to take a picture of the T. albo enclosure and send it to me. There's definitely more webbing and a lot of digging/redistribution of substrate going on. Mrs. Albo was still in her usual stress pose in the pics but she is obviously improving and doing normal tarantula things when no one is looking, unlike before. I'll be home in a week so I'll snap a better pic then and give another update if something new has happened!