RED RUMP HIBERNATING??

[Adrian le Plastrier]

Hey there

I have a concern about my baby red rump i purchased at the beginning of the year(2013). she molted twice already and her third molt is due.

my problem is that one day when i looked at her she was very restless, then the next day she was very still. no movement what so ever. so i thought she died. i left her in the container because i was sad that she was gone and wanted to still see her.

last night i looked at the container again to see my spider, and noticed that both her back legs moved. i tapped the container again, and with out fail, the legs moved up and down a few times. almost like the spider is moving her legs.

what i want to know is she still alive and maybe in a state of hibernation or trying to molt but cant because she is too small.

please help me out, any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Nada]

sounds like she's just being a T. Ts get less active as they get older (conserving energy). I would just leave her alone and let her do her thing. If she were to die, her legs would curl underneath her.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

T's often sit motionless for long periods of time. My LP while it was in pre molt would sit in the same spot for days. I've learned that you really don't need to worry. They are all pretty hardy and unless you buy a really delicate species they aren't just going to die if kept properly.

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

Hey

Thanks for the replies.

@ kenny, my T's legs have curled up underneath her, yet her back legs still move. she is completely motionless, now going on to 3 weeks. could the movement of the legs just be nerve endings reacting to the vibrations?

@ Kurt, my T was very well looked after, i made sure that her container was humid enough, fed her every 4 or 5 days. she burrowed like they normally do, and her rump was black meaning she is healthy. so the reasons her her to die are un-explainable.

I will leave my T for a while and still monitor her as she progresses, but there is a chance i will have to look into getting another T.

How long can a T go with out food, my chiliean rosea has gone without food for 6 months, only because she wasnt eating or molting, but now she is fine and loves the lil wooden house i placed in her tank. is it possible to have albeno spiders? my baby curly hair is very white, with a black patch on her rump. is this normal?

Lastly, do T's hibernate?

Thanks

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

I would think that by "hibernating" T's will often, as Kenny mentioned slow down there metabolism as it gets colder. This process helps T's to conserve energy even though T's are exceptionally energy efficient. My A.Geniculata behaved the same. The humidity and temperature was more than adequate and it was a great eater. All it's legs were curled up underneath her except one. This leg moved once or twice but unfortunately it died. So I would think that its departure was caused by internal damage of some sort...maybe a fall or something. It is sad really. Hope your T pulls through.

 

[Nada]

If your T is "Knuckling" the only thing you can do is hydrate. Try putting its whole face in a water bowl and see what happens.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

Could try to pinch grab as well, flip it over and with an eye dropper drip some water into it's mouth. One drop at a time. They do not breath from their mouths so you can't down them. If the bead of water disappears keep adding a drop every time until the bead of water doesn't go away. Then throw it in an ICU with a water dish and leave it for 12 hours in a warm dark area undisturbed, and hope for the best.

 

[DalilahBlue]

Any updates Adrian?

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

Yes Adrian what is your T's status?

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

Hey guys,

I had a look at my T and it seems as though she is completely motionless. i placed her upside down to see if she would move. none the less she hasnt moved. i then placed its whole face in a water bowl and see what happens and nothing. so i went to the pet shop where i bought her from and asked them and they advised me she probably died. i then purchased a new sling, which is slightly bigger. R10 (south african rand ~ $1) which is really cheap.

i havent given up on my first T, but if i don't come right, i will give her a proper burial.

Can a cricket ever be too small for a T to chow down on?

Thanks for all the advise.

 

[Kurt Nelson]

Nope, no cricket can be too small, you're probably just going to have to feed it more crickets. I have some T's that take down crickets bigger than they are. My Ornata, and Pederseni both love to kill huge crickets.

So what exactly did you purchase? Latin name if you could. I don't know what an R10 is lol.

Do you have a picture of your other T? Is it in a death curl?

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

Thanks for the advise.

The new sling i purchased is a Brachypelma vagans. Mexican red rump.

i have inserted the pic for my first sling which i can say has died. for what reason i am not sure.


i also have the pics of my other T's: Grammostola rosea (Chilean rose) and Brachypelma albopilosum (curly hair)

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

From the picture it does look like a death curl. Sorry about your T. It sucks when a T dies and one has no explanation for its departure. I had 3 T's that died since I joined the hobby. My first B.Smithi sling died due to lack of hydration (this was my fault), my B.Abopilosum MM died due to old age (And he never got the chance to mate...) and then my A.Geniculata died as explained previously in this thread.

I like the B.Vagans' . My juvenile female is very feisty, it's like she hanged around in a bar with some OBT's for way too long. These T's are also great eaters and easy to keep. Give some extra substrate, mine likes to borrow.

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

hey guys
Chilean rose

Another question, do spiders molt during the cold seasons. it seems my chilean rose only molts twice a year, basically once a season.
how often do slings on average molt?
what is the best way to induce molting apon a T?

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

I think it will as tarantulas slow down their metabolism in the winter and are less active to conserve even more energy. Therefore, less food, slower metabolism, less active, slower growth thus fewer molts.

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

thank you, that makes sense to me now.

check it out the worlds biggest spider

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

That's a beauty! Wouldn't mind getting one of them in the future.

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

how in relation to tarantula is the bird eating spider?
are they the same upbringing as a T? or are they more attention seeking and require and extra needs?
or are they just as easy to a T?

 

[TheGreatWhiteKoos]

From what I know, is that the term "bird eating spider" refer to the giants of tarantulas like your T.Blondi, T.Stirmi, L.Parahybana etc. Their requirements are a bit more involved...Needs a higher humidity (especially Theroposa spp) which makes it a bit more difficult. Also some of these species are very fast for their size and a T.Blondi's hairs are some of the worst.

Just my two cents worth...

 

[Adrian le Plastrier]

Thanks for all the advise guys.

chat soon