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Missing fang..

MassExodus

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Outside San Antonio, TX
My Lp was on the glass today, showing me one fang, the other was broken off at the edge of the chelicerae.
She's almost 9" after her molt (and subsequent pairing with my male, who passed yesterday)..
I've never had this issue before, and I have no idea where or when she lost a 1/2" fang..she hasn't been acting right since the pairings, which were great, with several insertions. She has a good sized abdomen, fat but not gravid looking. And hasn't shown interest in prey since then..
Anyone have a large spider lose a fang? What can I expect here? I rarely have had issues like this..and never with a prized giant..
She won't take prey. Yet she looks plenty fat..
 

LadyFang618

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
94
My Lp was on the glass today, showing me one fang, the other was broken off at the edge of the chelicerae.
She's almost 9" after her molt (and subsequent pairing with my male, who passed yesterday)..
I've never had this issue before, and I have no idea where or when she lost a 1/2" fang..she hasn't been acting right since the pairings, which were great, with several insertions. She has a good sized abdomen, fat but not gravid looking. And hasn't shown interest in prey since then..
Anyone have a large spider lose a fang? What can I expect here? I rarely have had issues like this..and never with a prized giant..
She won't take prey. Yet she looks plenty fat..
I don't have any advice but I am following because I want to know what is said because I am interested in the subject. I'm sorry about her lost fang though, I would think that would be a painful experience for them. Did u check the male? See if maybe it's lodged in him somewhere? Just a suggestion. I know it's hard to lose a t. Or any animal for that matter. My condolences sweetheart.


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MassExodus

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Outside San Antonio, TX
I looked him over, but not really that well. He's been slowing down so I expected his passing would be soon.
The pairings were uneventful until the last attempt, when she got a bit aggressive. This was many months ago. I honestly have no idea if it happened then, or sometime in between. It does explain her loss of appetite. I'm going to get some large superworms or mash up a dubia and see if she takes it. I think she'll be fine though. Thanks LadyFang. :)
 

CrypticSpider

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292
Location
Where the Spiders are.
@MassExodus - I am sorry to read that your male passed. :(

Your female, in your own words, looks fat and healthy. I doubt she is refusing food due to a lost fang. I have seen reports of both fangs lost, and the owners simply fed their Ts soft-bodied (waxworms, etc) prey until the spider molted.

Ts can go a LONG time without food.. it's water they need most, to thrive. Your girl would be fine until she molts again. Be aware, tho, that if she drops a sac before she molts, and she is too hungry, she *may* munch her sac.

If worse comes to worse and she gets thin enough to really worry you....

take a soft-bodied prey into tongs and aggravate her just enough to get her to bite it. She will instinctively start to feed once she bites it. I don't like doing this, but I have, to get a starving T to take food. (it worked well, too.... not a prob after that.)

Their chelicerae are strong enough to mash up food, and long as it's not too hard a prey.

Good luck with her!:)
 

MassExodus

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@MassExodus - I am sorry to read that your male passed. :(

Your female, in your own words, looks fat and healthy. I doubt she is refusing food due to a lost fang. I have seen reports of both fangs lost, and the owners simply fed their Ts soft-bodied (waxworms, etc) prey until the spider molted.

Ts can go a LONG time without food.. it's water they need most, to thrive. Your girl would be fine until she molts again. Be aware, tho, that if she drops a sac before she molts, and she is too hungry, she *may* munch her sac.

If worse comes to worse and she gets thin enough to really worry you....

take a soft-bodied prey into tongs and aggravate her just enough to get her to bite it. She will instinctively start to feed once she bites it. I don't like doing this, but I have, to get a starving T to take food. (it worked well, too.... not a prob after that.)

Their chelicerae are strong enough to mash up food, and long as it's not too hard a prey.

Good luck with her!:)
Thanks Cryptic, thats good to hear. I wasn't all too worried yet, but she's my..third? Or fourth spider I purchased and she's always been a favorite. Big, hungry and sassy :) Kind of a rude awakening to see her without a fang. I haven't had one injured like that til now. Anyways, I'm reassured, and if she does drop a sac I'll be monitoring her as close as possible. She looks normal though, I dont think the male was still viable after waiting on her to molt. My two anax look ready to explode ;)
 

ManlyMan7

Member
3 Year Member
Messages
49
I have had experience with this. My Lp girl broke off both fangs a few years ago trying to find a way out of her enclosure (something I hear they are notorious for). She had molted about a month before and wasn't fattened up yet.

She spent the next 5 months without food or much if any water before she molted again with a new pair of fangs.

She was about 6" at the time and is now pushing 8".

I have a video I made of a way to try to feed her and there is a thread elsewhere I will send you a link to when I can get to my computer.

As for her potential pregnancy, that does add another level of complication to it, but she will likely force a sooner molt to resolve the fangs.

Keep us posted.

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Last edited:

ManlyMan7

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3 Year Member
Messages
49
Here is a thread where I deal with this issue (pics included). The forum is currently struggling with a vulnerability hack that will give you a warning page. If you can ignore (or report that to Google as false), and get into the forum and thread, my story on the fangs starts at post # 292.

http://www.tarantulasus.com/showthr...na-(Lp)-Fan-Club!/page8?highlight=Sabea+fangs

And I did come up with a creative idea as to how to flip her over and give her food or drink. Watch this video to the end to see what I came up with.

 

LadyFang618

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
94
@MassExodus - I am sorry to read that your male passed. :(

Your female, in your own words, looks fat and healthy. I doubt she is refusing food due to a lost fang. I have seen reports of both fangs lost, and the owners simply fed their Ts soft-bodied (waxworms, etc) prey until the spider molted.

Ts can go a LONG time without food.. it's water they need most, to thrive. Your girl would be fine until she molts again. Be aware, tho, that if she drops a sac before she molts, and she is too hungry, she *may* munch her sac.

If worse comes to worse and she gets thin enough to really worry you....

take a soft-bodied prey into tongs and aggravate her just enough to get her to bite it. She will instinctively start to feed once she bites it. I don't like doing this, but I have, to get a starving T to take food. (it worked well, too.... not a prob after that.)

Their chelicerae are strong enough to mash up food, and long as it's not too hard a prey.

Good luck with her!:)
Like I said I was following this thread cuz I wanted to know the answer as well cuz I had never experienced it myself and luckily I've also never had a t refuse food longer than two weeks at most. (But most of mine are species that are known to be good eating species). But anyways, ur answer was very informative. And u seem very compassionate. So thanks for the info :) I'm gonna go follow u if I haven't already, lol.


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MassExodus

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3 Year Member
Messages
5,547
Location
Outside San Antonio, TX
Here is a thread where I deal with this issue (pics included). The forum is currently struggling with a vulnerability hack that will give you a warning page. If you can ignore (or report that to Google as false), and get into the forum and thread, my story on the fangs starts at post # 292.

http://www.tarantulasus.com/showthread.php/2211-Lasiodora-parahybana-(Lp)-Fan-Club!/page8?highlight=Sabea fangs

And I did come up with a creative idea as to how to flip her over and give her food or drink. Watch this video to the end to see what I came up with.

:) Great video, that's a fantastic idea. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it's nice to know a way to do it. She's very big and skittish, not a handleable girl. I handled the male several times, he was a big baby. I tried once with my female and she shot up the wall, extremely fast for such a large spider. Not poeci fast, of course, but too fast for my taste :) Thanks ManlyMan7.
 

MassExodus

Well-Known Member
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3 Year Member
Messages
5,547
Location
Outside San Antonio, TX
Like I said I was following this thread cuz I wanted to know the answer as well cuz I had never experienced it myself and luckily I've also never had a t refuse food longer than two weeks at most. (But most of mine are species that are known to be good eating species). But anyways, ur answer was very informative. And u seem very compassionate. So thanks for the info :) I'm gonna go follow u if I haven't already, lol.


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Sounds like our taste in spiders is the same. I love the SA giants. Theraphosa, Lasiodora, Phormictopus, Acanthoscuria, etc. I have a juvenile dificilis that thinks she's an obt, lol. And I'm quite pleased with my three P campbridgei, I believe they may grow even faster than Lasiodora do. I'm not a big fan of hiders but even at 2" they show themselves sometimes, unlike my irminia. And they are eating machines.
 
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