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P. muticus sling help?

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Hi everyone, I bought a P. muticus sling a few days ago and when I got it home, everything seemed okay. I gave it a couple of days to settle in and tried to feed it, but it didn't seem to want the food so I took it back out again. It spent most of its time huddled in a corner after that with its legs hunched over defensively, so I made the room dark and left it alone, assuming it was just stressed. Today I saw its legs were very slightly curled under it, but when I nudged it it immediately sprang to life and ran to the other side of the enclosure. I caught it drinking two separate times last night, and the abdomen is rather fat, so I'm not sure why it would be refusing food and huddling in a corner? I've never owned a sling before, so maybe I'm just worrying too much :(

I will add that I found a lot of dead crickets in the small glass enclosure it was in, and it did stink pretty bad, so I rinsed it all out with warm water and added fresh substrate. I use coco fibre blocks that expand in water. It's still pretty moist because I'd only just made that batch up, but I did wring it out as best as I could. It has a water bottle cap with water, and I made the substrate as deep as I could to give it something to burrow in. The sling is about 1 1/2 inches. I also noticed that it has some kind of whitish patch on the underside of the abdomen, but I can't really get a good look at it. I have no way of getting a picture of the possible death curl yet, but I have a picture from when I first got it.

R3etTqn.jpg
 

Ghost

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
302
I wouldn't worry to much about him not eating he's got a pretty plump abdomen and you said he's been drinking so he will be fine without eating for a while,what you've got to remember is P.muticus are slow growers,as for his legs being curled its hard to say if its a death curl without a photo,I've seen my T's legs in some strange positions I think he's probably a bit stressed and the substrate could be a bit damp for his likening,P.muticus should be kept on deep dry substrate with plenty of ventilation,I keep mine with 75% of the enclosure filled with sub for burrowing,they don't need a hide but I always add a curved peice of bark with a starter burrow and some fake plants to give some cover untill they start their own burrows.
On another note I wouldn't be poking at him to much these are pretty defensive T's and will either bite then hiss or hiss then bite and they can still move quite quick for a burrowing species and you don't want to be getting tagged by one of them they've got pretty nasty venom....
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Thank you for the reply! I did wonder about the substrate being too damp, but I didn't want to move him about again so soon incase it stressed him out even more. I have some drier substrate now so I could replace the damp with it. Also I definitely would not touch him with my fingers, I have very long tongs with soft ends just incase metal ends would damage his fangs! If he does the curl again I will try to get a picture.
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Okay, I took him out (he gave the tongs a bit of a nip as I nudged him, which is probably a good sign) and put drier in, I packed it in fairly well and started a burrow for him, does this look about right? I don't want to cover up the ventilation holes at the top too much. I put it on my windowsill briefly for better lighting.

buyflFH.jpg
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Okay he started doing the curl again in the temporary box he's in... but then he sort of came out of it again? I'm honestly baffled... sorry for the terrible pics, I'm using a different phone.
curl.JPG
sortofcurl.JPG
 

Ghost

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
302
Yes that looks fine plenty of substrate for him to burrow,I would just leave him to his own devices for a few days and hopefully he will start burrowing,once he dose burrow you probably won't see much of him their pet-holes and can say in their burrows for months....
 

Ghost

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
302
Okay he started doing the curl again in the temporary box he's in... but then he sort of came out of it again? I'm honestly baffled... sorry for the terrible pics, I'm using a different phone.
View attachment 9850 View attachment 9851

I'm at work at the moment so I'm viewing this on my phone,but it doesn't look like a full on death curl I've seen them doing this when their dehydrated but you said he's been drinking so I'm really not sure what's up with him although it looks like he could be doing with moult,the only thing I can suggest is keep an eye on him and see how things go.....
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
About 21 C... I thought my room was warmer than that. I have a heat pad but I didn't really want to use it because I've heard bad things, but would putting it near the enclosure but not touching it help raise the temperature a bit?
 

Ghost

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
302
About 21 C... I thought my room was warmer than that. I have a heat pad but I didn't really want to use it because I've heard bad things, but would putting it near the enclosure but not touching it help raise the temperature a bit?

I keep my T's at around 75-80 temperature range during the day at let them cool down to about 70-73 for night time temps,So if the 21c that you have is a day time temp then you could be doing with it a bit higher as that's about the same as my night time temps,as for the heat pad I don't use them as in my opinion there a waste of time and money,what I do his heat the room with a radiator with thermostat this way you get an ambient air temperature which is far better than just hot spots that you get with heat pads.
Now bumping up the temperature might not make a difference to him as there could be any number of reasons for him acting like this and it's just a process of elimination to try and find out what's up with him,but it certainly won't hurt to give him higher temps....
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Yeah, the heating pad was a sort of freebie that came thrown in with a bigger tank when I got it. I immediately put it away and forgot about it. I'll do my best to raise the temperature a bit, and see if it helps. I really don't want him to die :(
 

PamCz

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
308
Location
Holland, Michigan, USA
I wonder if putting him in ICU would help? Maybe overnight, just for the added humidity. And add some warmth to that, definitely. (I keep mine at 82 during the day and 75 at night.) If he is dehydrated, putting him on drier substrate would desiccate him further, wouldn't it? I'm just throwing that out....as I have no idea what's wrong, either. I feel bad for you that you don't know what's wrong... It's such a frustratingly helpless feeling.
 

Therasoid

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
496
Location
Ohio
Hello Steff,
I have some P. muticus and here is my thoughts on your concerns.

1. Its a sling requiring moist substrate at all times, with the water dish you've provided.
2. This is a burrowing species, from Kenya/Tanzania, with medically significant venom. They are very fast, will "flight before bite", in most cases. If cornered are worse than an OBT, and be ultra defensive. Beware!!
3. Use topsoil or compacted peat as your substrate, use a bit of vermiculite to help retain moisture. Coco fiber is fine for terrestrial species, not for burrowerers, unless topsoil is mixed in.
4. Don't expect a T to become acclimated to a new enclosure in a couple of days. Some can take a couple weeks before feeling "safe" and burrow. I wait 7 days then offer a sling a pre-killed cricket, removed the next day if not eaten.
5. I keep my slings enclosures in a 20 gallon aquarium with the temp 80-85 degrees, and cools to 70-75 degrees at night. Every third day I feed and check soil moisture and a clean, full water dish.
6. As far as a "white" spot on the abdomen, this may just be "poo", if it were at its mouth I would be concerned.
7. It has a plump rump and doesn't look to be in premolt to me. I'd leave it be in a warm, dark area of the room, or the closet and check it in 2-3 days. Offer food and check its water dish. You said it has been drinking, so putting it in ICU, will only stress it out further. Its hydrating itself, and just needs time to settle and feel safe in the enclosure.
These are my thoughts and suggestions and given with the best intentions on your Ts health and safety.
Btw, the new enclosure is fine for your sling, maybe add something on the surface, some bark or a fake plant.
Hope this helps you. Happy T'ing.
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Hi all, well I let him be overnight and he's moving a little more now but still curling into himself when he stops. I've seen him wiggle his legs about while sitting still, not really sure what he's doing at this point. I made the substrate damper again and I've kept the room warmer, and my curtains are shut so it's dark. I'll look into getting the soil and mixing it in, thank you all for the good advice!
 

Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Quick update- he's still alive, and every so often he moves around his enclosure. I caught him drinking again, but he's still curling up when he stops moving and there's something clumsy about the way he walks. I've noticed he still moves his legs a little while curled up, like he's stretching them. He's a fighter for sure, I just hope he pulls through.

EDIT: Just gave him a makeshift hide, ended up breaking one of my mum's measuring cups for it :rolleyes: He's in there now, hopefully he'll feel a bit safer.
 
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Steff

New Member
3 Year Member
Messages
24
Okay, well, final update... he must have died sometime during the night. No movement at all, still curled in on himself. Feels horrible. :( Thank you all for the advice, I appreciate all the help. Hopefully I can get another one, I've had my heart set on a King Baboon for a long time now.
 

PamCz

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
308
Location
Holland, Michigan, USA
Oh, no. So sorry to hear that, Steff.:( Thanks to you, tho, at least he died feeling comfy and safe. You'll never know what this was...and it seemed like more than just dehydration. You did all you could for it... ;)

Perhaps you should comfort yourself with a new, healthy specimen. A new baboon is just the right medicine...:)
 
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