URGENT! How High of a Fall is Fatal?

[Mitchel]

Pantera just fell on her back from a semi-high place while I was rearranging her hide in her normal enclosure. She's a G. pulchra sling and molted a week ago, and I'm afraid her exoskeleton may not have entirely hardened by now. It was about a 22cm/3.5in fall into eco-earth substrate. She's only about a half inch in legspan, currently (although I'm eyeballing it). When she fell, she got back up immediately and ran to the side of the plastic container that I had her in, trying to climb out, but she couldn't climb on it. God, I feel terrible. I'm shaking because of how afraid I am that she might die. I think I'm gonna throw up. Please help me. Was her fall fatal?

 

[lostbrane]

Pictures of enclosure/spider if you can would help. Look to see if you can see any fluids leaking out of her. I doubt that the fall is fatal. For as fragile as slings can be they are also rather resilient, and a 3 inch drop for a sling isn't too terrible.

 

[antinous]

Photos of the spider would be helpful, but I'm sure that a sling could survive a fall from that height.

 

[Mitchel]

Pictures of enclosure/spider if you can would help. Look to see if you can see any fluids leaking out of her. I doubt that the fall is fatal. For as fragile as slings can be they are also rather resilient.

I had her in here for a couple minutes while I fixed her hide in her normal terrarium. Where my finger is is where she fell from.

Photos of the spider would be helpful, but I'm sure that a sling could survive a fall from that height.

I can't get a current pic of her because she's in her hide and I really don't want to disturb her further. But here's a picture I took of her when I last opened her enclosure:

 

[antinous]

I had her in here for a couple minutes while I fixed her hide in her normal terrarium. Where my finger is is where she fell from.

That seems like a pretty large enclosure for a 1/2" sling. But unless the abdomen ruptured (which I doubt) of the sling or there isn't any hemolymph leaking out, it'll be fine. Slings are much more resilient from falls than their adult counterparts.

 

[lostbrane]

I second the large enclosure sentiment. Tarantulas can fall from time to time. Usually recommended available height in the enclosure is 1.5 times the diagonal leg span, so that in case of a fall, the damage would be minimized. For what I am taking a guess at is somewhere around a 1" G. pulchra, 3 inches is excessive and it seems it has even more available height than that.

So, you can have her housed in something a bit smaller, or just add in more sub until the height is achieved.

That seems like a pretty large enclosure for a 1/2" sling. But unless the abdomen ruptured (which I doubt) of the sling or there isn't any hemolymph leaking out, it'll be fine. Slings are much more resilient from falls than their adult counterparts.

I didn't see any liquid leaking from her abdomen, but I feel terrible that I scared her so badly. I'm so shaken and upset that I feel like crying. I didn't mean to hurt her, even if it won't kill her, I know it had to hurt. I've scared her so many times since I've gotten her that I feel like some kind of animal abuser, but I never mean to scare her. I know I'm a beginner and that I'm bound to make mistakes, but it really hurts me to see her so terrified. This all came about because I tried to feed her (despite telling myself to wait until she was out of her hide), and she wouldn't eat. So I had to pick up her hide and get the pinhead out because it was bothering her. But the hide was wonky when I tried to put it back in. So I opted to take her out and temporarily put her in a plastic tub that I had reserved for a larger tarantula while I rearranged her hide (which, now I'm worried that she didn't eat, even though I know I shouldn't be).

I second the large enclosure sentiment. Tarantulas can fall from time to time. Usually recommended available height in the enclosure is 1.5 times the diagonal leg span, so that in case of a fall, the damage would be minimized. For what I am taking a guess at is somewhere around a 1" G. pulchra, 3 inches is excessive and it seems it has even more available height than that.

So, you can have her housed in something a bit smaller, or just add in more sub until the height is achieved.

That's not her normal enclosure, though. That's just what I placed her in temporarily.

 

[lostbrane]

So I had to pick up her hide and get the pinhead out because it was bothering her.

You can crush the head of the cricket, and it'll still kick but it won't run around/bother your sling. It might still jump a little when disturbed though heh. Also, you have the added benefit of being able to place it by the hide/not disturbing the hide because it can't run in there.

I know I'm a beginner and that I'm bound to make mistakes, but it really hurts me to see her so terrified.

These things happen. They face much greater stresses in the wild (ie some sort of predator trying to eat them). It was good of you to take out the prey item since your sling wasn't taking to it. As you gain more experience, etc. you won't be as worried. You're not abusing it, you're taking care of it. It definitely feels bad at first but it's not a bad thing in the end, because you are ensuring the safety of your beloved spider.

 

[Tenebrarius]

just wait till one of your spiders dies you will feel a lot worse. honestly slings like said are pretty good at falling, that enclosure looks big. its internal organs might be damaged but if it fell on soft coco fiber than probably not. you seemed to have just made a beginner error only makes you an abuser if you dont learn from your mistake.

 

[Mitchel]

just wait till one of your spiders dies you will feel a lot worse.

Oof-...I mean yeah, I'd imagine...not exactly what I needed to hear right now while I'm still shaken, but I see your point...

 

[Teal]

Slings being so light generally means they can handle a fall better than a heavy bodied adult. In the future, though, definitely crush the head of prey and use a tiny deli cup as a holding container (a 2oz condiment cup would be perfect). When in doubt, always wait to feed. Food is less critical than water, and a T won't starve to death in a few weeks or a month.

Also, tarantulas don't feel pain like mammals do.

just wait till one of your spiders dies you will feel a lot worse.

Wow, really? This just isn't a necessary sentiment to express at this time. Show some tact.

 

[Tenebrarius]

yeah sorry, I guess im not a people person, but I hope you feel better soon, your T is likely fine, I hope for the best, we all had troubles before, and Ts overcome. If i came across insensitive I apologize, I always feel bad when Ts get hurt or injured, I think if you move it into something smaller or add more sub so the vertical size is reduced to prevent falls, give the T some water, and maybe a senzu bean if you got them. I send my love to you and your T.
>be me
>has no friends cause Ts
>dont understand humans
>tries to comfort fellow hobbyist
>fails
>FML.jpg

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I've dropped a 1/2" sling 4ft onto carpet tile before and it was fine.

That enclosure in the pics is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too large, a sling that small would be fine in a 16oz deli cup until about 2".

 

[Mitchel]

I've dropped a 1/2" sling 4ft onto carpet tile before and it was fine.

That enclosure in the pics is waaaaaaaaaaaaay too large, a sling that small would be fine in a 16oz deli cup until about 2".

View attachment 290051

I have a deli cup that's about that circumference but taller. I could fill it up with a little more sub and move her sometime tomorrow maybe. The enclosure I have her in currently isn't nearly as big as the plastic tub in the picture. It's a small critter carrier (I bought the smallest size they had), but if a cup would work better, then I could clean out the deli cup and put her in it.

 

[Mitchel]

yeah sorry, I guess im not a people person, but I hope you feel better soon, your T is likely fine, I hope for the best, we all had troubles before, and Ts overcome. If i came across insensitive I apologize, I always feel bad when Ts get hurt or injured, I think if you move it into something smaller or add more sub so the vertical size is reduced to prevent falls, give the T some water, and maybe a senzu bean if you got them. I send my love to you and your T.
>be me
>has no friends cause Ts
>dont understand humans
>tries to comfort fellow hobbyist
>fails
>FML.jpg

It's okay. And thank you.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I have a deli cup that's about that circumference but taller. I could fill it up with a little more sub and move her sometime tomorrow maybe. The enclosure I have her in currently isn't nearly as big as the plastic tub in the picture. It's a small critter carrier (I bought the smallest size they had), but if a cup would work better, then I could clean out the deli cup and put her in it.

How much taller? You don't want it to be too deep to make monitoring easier. An 8oz cup would work too but you'd have to rehouse sooner.

I don't use those mini kritter keepers for anything under 1.5" as small slings can escape from them.

 

[Mitchel]

How much taller? You don't want it to be too deep to make monitoring easier. An 8oz cup would work too but you'd have to rehouse sooner.

I don't use those mini kritter keepers for anything under 1.5" as small slings can escape from them.

This is how tall it is.

 

[Teal]

YALL, that enclosure is NOT the sling's enclosure. Read the post!

yeah sorry, I guess im not a people person, but I hope you feel better soon, your T is likely fine, I hope for the best, we all had troubles before, and Ts overcome. If i came across insensitive I apologize, I always feel bad when Ts get hurt or injured, I think if you move it into something smaller or add more sub so the vertical size is reduced to prevent falls, give the T some water, and maybe a senzu bean if you got them. I send my love to you and your T.
>be me
>has no friends cause Ts
>dont understand humans
>tries to comfort fellow hobbyist
>fails
>FML.jpg

It's okay, I am constantly told that I should have refrained from saying something or that I could have said it more tactfully... I am not at all savvy to humans and their ways.

 

[Arachnophoric]

I'd honestly be surprised if your sling was injured. Falls are more of an issue as the T get's larger, slings of that size can take quite the drop. For example, my first sling was a P. irminia I got from a pet store. They had her on a shelf at least 6' high, and when opening the enclosure to get her out, she flung herself in a leap of faith and plummeted those 6' down to solid tile. Landed just fine without a problem, and I still have that same T to this day. Mind you, as an arboreal species, they're less prone to fall injury than a terrestrial, but if she survived a fall from that high I'd bet money your sling falling 3" into soft cocofibre was akin to you flopping onto your bed.

Try not to stress too much. As they say, when you worry you just suffer twice.

 

[boina]

YALL, that enclosure is NOT the sling's enclosure. Read the post

Just to emphasize it: The sling is in the critter keeper in the third pic and that is perfectly fine!!! The enclosure is NOT to big. If you look at the pic the sling is about the size of the bottle cap or more and that makes it more than an inch in leg span. Slings that size don't get out of kritter keepers - I know, because I tried, extensively. I use kritter keepers for everything.

G. pulchras also appreciate a little more space. They are bulldozers that are constantly remodelling. Somehow the good advice to not use completely oversized containers turned into: 'stuff it into the smallest container possible' and I don't think that's necessary at all.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Slings that size don't get out of kritter keepers

I've had a nearly 2" B. smithi get out through the slot under the carry handle on the lid.