A few days ago my 4-year-old brother found a pretty large spider (as big as my smithi!---but it was not a T) in our yard. He was missing 2 forelegs on one side and was very listless and disoriented. One leg on the opposite side was also damaged somehow and all but useless. I put some cornstarch on the empty sockets and placed him in an ICU. The next day he was more active and alert, so I moved him to a small container with some sub and a small water dish. Meanwhile my brother adopted and named him. 
After a couple days the spider seemed to be doing well, so I caught a fly and put it in. I was thrilled to see that he ate it almost immediately. It seemed he was going to make it. But the next morning, the spider was in the death curl and no longer living. When I investigated more closely, it appeared the underside of its abdomen had ruptured near the pedicel. I assumed this was definitely what caused its death. Any idea of how this could have happened? He was unable to climb and never left the sub, so he couldn't have fallen.
After a couple days the spider seemed to be doing well, so I caught a fly and put it in. I was thrilled to see that he ate it almost immediately. It seemed he was going to make it. But the next morning, the spider was in the death curl and no longer living.
When I investigated more closely, it appeared the underside of its abdomen had ruptured near the pedicel. I assumed this was definitely what caused its death. Any idea of how this could have happened? He was unable to climb and never left the sub, so he couldn't have fallen.
