Help! Maude!

[marisa]

My poor spider is not looking good today. In another post I wrote how she has been in a hiding spot for two months now. She wasn't molting and she is not full grown yet so even if she was a "he" its not the adult molt time. She came out of the hiding spot two days ago all the sudden.

Today she is very lethargic, I thought she was dead but she moved slowly around a little from the spot I originally saw her in this morning. I gave her water, and when I thought she was dead I dripped a drop on her and she didn't move so I was fairly sure she was gone, but then she did move. I sprayed some more water and it doesnt even phase her and she doesn't crawl away from it like normal.

Can anyone tell me anything I can do? I am sure there is nothing I can do but it doesn't hurt to ask.....

Marisa

[Pixie]

From what I know, you'll know if your T is dead just by looking at it. Almost 100% of the time, they have all their legs curled under their body.

As for your spider being lethargic, it could be normal. As T's get older and bigger they usually aren't as active and start hiding out for long periods of time. It's also not uncommon for them to fast for quite some time. I don't know the size of your T but if it has a 2" legspan or more I wouldn't worry too much as they are more robust at that size.

As for things you can check: I would say temps would be first, some T's get very inactive when the temps go down. Make sure it's in the right gradient for your species. Same with humidity.

Pixie

[marisa]

My last Tarantula died and it really was impossible to tell...he died with his legs out and one foot up on the water dish! *L* well its not funny but compared to how most spiders die it seemed a fitting end for him.

Anyways, I raised the humidity, and temp a little. She is still fairl "dead" and not moving much. It conerns me because she is normally a totally active spider, never hiding, never stopping really! *L* I guess time will tell whats going on if anything.
thanks for your reply.

marisa

[uog11]

if you could give us the common or latin name than we could be more helpful

[marisa]

Maude is a Bolivian Salmon Pink Tarantula or better yet:
Acanthoscurria chacoana.

She is about 8 months old, 4 inches long and had her last molt 3 months ago. She normally eats about 12-20 crickets per week, and a pinkie mouse once in a blue moon.

Marisa

[uog11]

i don't keep any of that species but i do of that genus. they tend to like it a little dryer and are extensive burrowers. do you have space for the spider to burrow? if not you could use half a coconut shell. do you keep it in a tank or a jar? if you use a tank than you can test humdity levels in different corners to find the prefered humidity level. you will know because you will find the spider in that corner first thing in the morning. another possibility could just be that it does not want the food that you are offering. some species, especially for aphonaphelma, tend to go on a hunger strike when they want something different. try meal worms, roaches or mice if you have been using mice.
i hope this helps
aaron

[marisa]

I may try a pinkie. She does need to eat a very large number of crickets before she is "full" so maybe now she prefers pinkies. So far she is doing better as far as I can tell...but not back to the spider she was before. Who knows maybe I guess she has gone through a personality shift.

Marisa