Brazilian White Knee - concerns

[Tangochile]

Hi,
I have had my White Knee since she was tiny and she moulted about 6 weeks ago into an 8” beauty. Her normal behaviour is to eat anything that moves, as is common in this species and she is a glutton, but since this moult she refuses to touch any food!
I am really worried, as it is so out of character. She looks well enough and isn’t skinny, but it’s just not normal. She has also taken to sitting on the glass sides of the tank. There is no change to the flooring, no dead insects or anything untoward.

Does anyone have similar experiences?

Thanks.

 

[Enn49]

Hi,
Are you certain she's a female?

 

[Arachnoclown]

Ive had a couple of my old large mature spiders not eat for a few months after molting. Just keep that water dish full and keep trying every week.

 

[Tangochile]

Hi,
Are you certain she's a female?

Hi,

No, not certain but I assumed based on size.

 

[Tangochile]

Ive had a couple of my old large mature spiders not eat for a few months after molting. Just keep that water dish full and keep trying every week.

Thanks, will keep the dish filled and try her with food every week. Her pedipalps looked a little red after the last moult, so not sure if she is recovering... she did all the post moult stretching without issue.

The spider isn’t very old, probably no more than 3 years max.

 

[Enn49]

Thanks, will keep the dish filled and try her with food every week. Her pedipalps looked a little red after the last moult, so not sure if she is recovering... she did all the post moult stretching without issue.

The spider isn’t very old, probably no more than 3 years max.

If the pedipalps look as if they have boxing gloves on and it has hooks on it's front legs then you have a mature male.

 

[Tangochile]

Thanks, but I have other mature males and this isn’t the case. It’s far too young to have matured fully and there are no hooks.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Hi,

No, not certain but I assumed based on size.

Not doubting it's a female but Male size can very. One Male can mature at 4-5" and another may mature at 7-8". You can never assume sex by size. If you have red pedipalps thats odd for a female. Sometimes hooks are hard to see...hook size can very too.

 

[Arachnoclown]

Post a picture of those pedipalps.
I'm getting confused the more I read. You say it's far too young to mature...its around three years old. It's also 8"...the max size of the species.

 

[Tangochile]

I’ll take a photo this weekend, it may be less than 8” but I’ll try to measure it! Scary....
I will also take a closer look for hooks.

Main concern is lack of interest in food. It’s always been ravenous until this last moult.

Thanks!

 

[Arachnoclown]

I’ll take a photo this weekend, it may be less than 8” but I’ll try to measure it! Scary....
I will also take a closer look for hooks.

Main concern is lack of interest in food. It’s always been ravenous until this last moult.

Thanks!

More reason to think it maybe a male. They tend to have only one thing on their mind...and it's not food.
A ventral photo would be great since it's up against the glass.

 

[Tangochile]

More reason to think it maybe a male. They tend to have only one thing on their mind...and it's not food.
A ventral photo would be great since it's up against the glass.

Not sure these photos will work, some reflection and the spider is in an awkward position!

 

[Nunua]

Pedipalps are bulky and front legs have hooks. I'd say there is no doubt this is a healthy mature male

 

[Arachnoclown]

Yeppers....that's a mature male. That's why hes not eating.

 

[Phil]

It's a boy! He needs some spider loving.

 

[Tangochile]

Thank you all for your help! I can rest easier now, albeit he will probably only live 12 to 18 months
He is healthy though. I need to find him a female!!