Tarantula Suicide?

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
We had this situation before. We don't think its terribly common, but it happened to us. We had a P. irminia sling a while ago, about 2 inches or so. It molted like normal, but when it would pounce its food, it would just release it like it was just playing with it. Come to find out it molted without fangs, or more appropriately lost them in the molting process. Water was enough to sustain it through to its next molt, though we were sure it wouldn't make it. Shortly after molting, with new fangs, it decided that living wasn't fun so it drowned itself in its water cup, which was small enough not to drown. Anyone else ever experienced this kind of behavior? Just weird, you know?
 

Fran

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
1,533
Of course, tarantulas dont have the capacity to "decide" to kill themselves.

The T probably wasnt ok, and it happened that she end up in the water dish.
Thats my guess.
Sorry about your lost. :(
 

hassman789

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
576
My G. rosea has made several unsuccessful attempts by "jumping" from the top of her tank. She has had second thoughts a few times too where she hangs from the screen and decides she dosn't want to, at that point I go to rescue her! Crazy stuff. She only tries to do this when she gets re-housed, to show her anger towards me!;). And sorry about your T:(.
 

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
Actually, our G. Rosea has done the same thing. Her tarsi claws get stuck on the mesh, so we have to tip the cage to get her down without hurting her.


My G. rosea has made several unsuccessful attempts by "jumping" from the top of her tank. She has had second thoughts a few times too where she hangs from the screen and decides she dosn't want to, at that point I go to rescue her! Crazy stuff. She only tries to do this when she gets re-housed, to show her anger towards me!;). And sorry about your T:(.
 

BlackCat

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
195
She isn't going to the top to jump, she's wandering the tank to finding her boundaries again, or the substrate is too wet for her. Inadvertently she gets her tarsal claws stuck and ends up hanging there. I hope you weren't serious. I'm in a weird mood so if you were begin sarcastic, my sarcasm detector is currently broken.
 

hassman789

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
576
Don't worry I wasn't serious. I know tarantulas aren't capable of suicide. But my friend did tell me that dolphins are...:?
 

Mr. Irminia

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
23
no fangs

ten years ago i had a MF Psalmopoeus cambridgei molt and she lost her fangs i did what i could to keep her alive. A year past and she molted again, i hoped she would regen her fangs, but that was not the case. She was very skinny and becoming inactive and i couldnt bare to watch her live her last days like this so i ended her suffering myself.
 

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
ten years ago i had a MF Psalmopoeus cambridgei molt and she lost her fangs i did what i could to keep her alive. A year past and she molted again, i hoped she would regen her fangs, but that was not the case.
I'm sorry to hear about your loss, that really stinks. I guess that we got lucky when ours got his fangs back, though it didn't do him much good in the end. I wonder if yours just had a bad molt again? Whatever the case, weird stuff thats for sure.
 

Ictinike

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
460
I'm sorry to hear about your loss, that really stinks. I guess that we got lucky when ours got his fangs back, though it didn't do him much good in the end. I wonder if yours just had a bad molt again? Whatever the case, weird stuff thats for sure.
Just a question and not judging but after the initial molt how long after did you feed? T's need time after a molt to harden their exoskeletons and if not given enough time they may strike at prey thus damaging their fangs.

Many times also when they don't want to feed they simply kill the prey just so it won't pester them anymore so it's a common thing to do. If they don't eat within a few hours I remove and discard and try again a day or two later.
 

NevularScorpion

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Messages
916
We had this situation before. We don't think its terribly common, but it happened to us. We had a P. irminia sling a while ago, about 2 inches or so. It molted like normal, but when it would pounce its food, it would just release it like it was just playing with it. Come to find out it molted without fangs, or more appropriately lost them in the molting process. Water was enough to sustain it through to its next molt, though we were sure it wouldn't make it. Shortly after molting, with new fangs, it decided that living wasn't fun so it drowned itself in its water cup, which was small enough not to drown. Anyone else ever experienced this kind of behavior? Just weird, you know?
This one happened to me too, one hot summer I receive a WC T and I think because of the bad shipping and weather it was miserable. It was skinny and dehydrated. It decided to drown it self to end its misery. the next morning it was laying dead in the small water bowl. From that experience I learned a lesson and from that day I change my water bowl set up (drown proof).
 

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
Just a question and not judging but after the initial molt how long after did you feed? T's need time after a molt to harden their exoskeletons and if not given enough time they may strike at prey thus damaging their fangs.

I generally start feeding my spiders after two weeks after they molt so that they have plenty of time to harden. For my smaller ones, I might act a little sooner, but in either case they always have access to water.

I thought I had made this ones water cup shallow enough and virtually drown proof, but that little bugger still found a way. He drowned him self shortly after competing his molt.
 
Last edited:

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
When you are saying your tarantulas drowned, what part of them was in the water?
 

Ictinike

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
460
Just a question and not judging but after the initial molt how long after did you feed? T's need time after a molt to harden their exoskeletons and if not given enough time they may strike at prey thus damaging their fangs.

I generally start feeding my spiders after two weeks after they molt so that they have plenty of time to harden. For my smaller ones, I might act a little sooner, but in either case they always have access to water.

I thought I had made this ones water cup shallow enough and virtually drown proof, but that little bugger still found a way. He drowned him self shortly after competing his molt.
Understood and thanks for the clarification :)
 

kenzie

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
92
He was just small enough to have all of his body in the water. He was death curled in his dish.
 

Hanes

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
52
I think as long as the booklungs are in the water then they can drown so a sling could potentially drown in a tiny drop
 

esotericman

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 15, 2004
Messages
298
There may have been a problem with the sucking stomach not molting out as the fangs were reforming.

Secondly, tarantulas float on water, they have a hydrophobic cuticle which does not allow water to "stick". IF you added a surfactant, like soap, then they can drown.

I suspect there was a molting problem, which led to the observation of "drowning", which is not possible.

I am sorry for your loss.
 

Gonzantula

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
1
Regarding Tarantula Suicide

My Rose Hair just did its 4th molt about 3 months ago. I filmed it with a camcorder start to finish and will be editing out non-movements so it can fit on my Youtube Channel.

I never saw it till this last time and when I came home from 3rd shift, I saw it n its back and thought it fell from top of aquarium and died. I reached in an flipped it over, realizing it was still alive, I searched on internet to find out I probably killed her by flipping her over. She lived.

Now, months later, I keep seeing her laying in the water formation. And, I can't seem to find a reason for this on internet. So, I keep pushing her out of water(she's in it right side up)...actually, I just touch her and she scurries out of water. And to think, when I used to pour water in, and a drop hit her, she ran away. She's not in it 24/7, but enough time for me to wonder what's up.

I've had her since 2003 and no matter how many crickets she eats...she stays the same size- unlike my Mexican Red Legged, which grew to the size of a baseball and about 4" tall.

Any ideas my new friends ?

Thanx, Craig
 
Top