He has been in his hide religiously for the last two weeks. His sister molted around the time he disappeared. I have been monitoring him daily however, because when I bought him he has a tiny perforation in his abdomen and was leaking fluids. I have been taking off the old starch as it molds, and reapplying fresh for at least a month now. I have watched his abdomen swell, observed a few position changes but he hasn't come out or shown his feet to express interest in food.
This morning I noticed him completely out, looking nice and plump. He looked normal but was not moving. Tonight he is acting unlike any other tarantula.
He seems very weak, his movements are ataxic. I can see fluid leaking from his carapace. At the risk of sounding completely foolish, my intuition is telling me he having trouble popping his carapace and is extremely uncomfortable.
Here are a couple videos. The most concerning movement is in the last one...it's nothing short of writhing. He's been doing it with the substrate too (although it looks like he is trying to free himself from the moss). Like he is hugging it. The back legs usually stay relaxed and I see gentle movements, like you'd see during molting.
Since he has been hiding out in his burrow, I have been using a syringe to target water within his hide, and then I keep the lower layers moist by overflowing a water dish in the corner with a bundle of moss in the corner behind it to act like a drain, so I can keep the top layer on the dry side. His hide/burrow is about 8 inches long, and I water the back corner.
Today I placed a bottle cap to slide under him. I sprayed the wall where he retreated to when he touched the water in the cap. I also added a larger bowl so he can't travel very far without encountering a water dish.
He is in a room with 100ish other tarantulas. No one has ever exhibited anything close to this. His sister and neighbor is on the same watering schedule, she's thriving. There are no other pets in the house aside from isopods and leopard geckos, in another room.
This one shows the delicate back leg movements while he's hugging substrate, and a little glistening is visible at the carapace/trochanter level. Full enclosure briefly visible at the end, more/better pictures can be provided if you think it will matter
This one shows all the legs moving. He inched deeper and deeper into his hide over the course of 30 minutes, then made his way back out in a matter of one or two.
This last one is the best depiction of the writhing movement. He will hug the substrate too if that's what's under him. The only thing he wants nothing to do with is water. He's acting nothing short of revolted by it. I guess I am relieved to see him fighting with something he can drink from.
I have since left him alone. I feel like he is trying to molt and can't.
Picture of fluid coming from carapace. We have survived each other this long it will be a shame to get him so close to fixing his leak to lose him now.
Here is his perforation. It looks dry. I have been ridiculously careful applying starch as to not drop any on his spinnerets.
This morning I noticed him completely out, looking nice and plump. He looked normal but was not moving. Tonight he is acting unlike any other tarantula.
He seems very weak, his movements are ataxic. I can see fluid leaking from his carapace. At the risk of sounding completely foolish, my intuition is telling me he having trouble popping his carapace and is extremely uncomfortable.
Here are a couple videos. The most concerning movement is in the last one...it's nothing short of writhing. He's been doing it with the substrate too (although it looks like he is trying to free himself from the moss). Like he is hugging it. The back legs usually stay relaxed and I see gentle movements, like you'd see during molting.
Since he has been hiding out in his burrow, I have been using a syringe to target water within his hide, and then I keep the lower layers moist by overflowing a water dish in the corner with a bundle of moss in the corner behind it to act like a drain, so I can keep the top layer on the dry side. His hide/burrow is about 8 inches long, and I water the back corner.
Today I placed a bottle cap to slide under him. I sprayed the wall where he retreated to when he touched the water in the cap. I also added a larger bowl so he can't travel very far without encountering a water dish.
He is in a room with 100ish other tarantulas. No one has ever exhibited anything close to this. His sister and neighbor is on the same watering schedule, she's thriving. There are no other pets in the house aside from isopods and leopard geckos, in another room.
This one shows the delicate back leg movements while he's hugging substrate, and a little glistening is visible at the carapace/trochanter level. Full enclosure briefly visible at the end, more/better pictures can be provided if you think it will matter
PXL_20231107_010751647.TS.mp4
drive.google.com
This one shows all the legs moving. He inched deeper and deeper into his hide over the course of 30 minutes, then made his way back out in a matter of one or two.
PXL_20231107_013703555.TS~2.mp4
drive.google.com
This last one is the best depiction of the writhing movement. He will hug the substrate too if that's what's under him. The only thing he wants nothing to do with is water. He's acting nothing short of revolted by it. I guess I am relieved to see him fighting with something he can drink from.
PXL_20231107_020033614.TS.mp4
drive.google.com
I have since left him alone. I feel like he is trying to molt and can't.
Picture of fluid coming from carapace. We have survived each other this long it will be a shame to get him so close to fixing his leak to lose him now.
Here is his perforation. It looks dry. I have been ridiculously careful applying starch as to not drop any on his spinnerets.