Here is a short update. After keeping her tank higher in humidity and removing the heat rock, she still looks a bit jerky but did something today that really surprised me: she started cleaning herself. She cleaned her feet and worked her fangs a great deal. She still usually sits in the ready-to-pounce stance, but I would think that her attending to hygiene might be a positive sign. I also think she might have eaten a cricket last week, as I gave her two and only found one left over.
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Rose Hair Acting Very Irritated since Last Feeding
- Thread starter daphnep
- Start date
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
Hi, there. If she's cleaning herself, that's a great sign that things might be okay. DKS gets tossed around quite a bit, but a tarantula exhibiting these symptoms usually doesn't last as long as yours has. Plus, these symptoms are pretty severe once it gets going, and the spider would barely be able to walk at this point, let alone clean itself.
Sometimes, when our tarantulas suddenly change behaviors, it can freak us out as owners and cause us to see things that are totally normal as dangerous and scary. Although she's currently not eating, G. porteri/roseas are NOTORIOUS for fasting for no apparent reason and for long periods of time. It might be best to just give her some peace for a bit. She'll eat when she's ready.
Also, you say that you've been keeping her tank "higher in humidity." What do you mean by that? This is a species that abhors humid conditions, and a high-humidity environment would definitely cause her stress. Provide her a water bowl (again, WITHOUT the sponge) and make sure her substrate is dry. It is obviously that you care a great deal for this T, but sometimes, our concern can cause us to worry and to do things that aren't in the best interest of the animal.
If you could get video of her strange movements, that would be a HUGE help.
- Messages
- 87
- Location
- Lockport New York
can you post pictures of the entire enclosure please and G. Rosea don't like humidity that's the biggest thing you can do to make it act funny in its enclosure..
have you noticed any white crusty stuff around her mouth parts???
have you noticed any white crusty stuff around her mouth parts???
- Messages
- 187
- Location
- NC
Just having a water dish in the enclosure should provide enough humidity for a rosehair. I'm glad she's grooming and eating again though; hopefully she was just acting funny and this isn't a huge health issue.
- Messages
- 220
In the last picture you posted it looks like the water dish in the corner of the picture. It might just be the reflection, but it looks like its full of water crystals, like we use for crickets and roaches. Please say it's not!!!! Thats not just plain water.
