URGENT - Unpacked sling during molt

[Meludox]

I just received a package of three slings from PetCenterUSA, and the A. velutina is mid-molt. I have no idea what to do. I have never dealt with this before. It looks like its back legs are still inside the molt and the entire old abdomen is still attached. The spider is so small, 3/4" and it's really fragile. I gave it some water but I don't know what to do about the old molt. I don't want to pull on it.

 

[Meludox]

I have it in an ICU.

 

[kormath]

keep the moisture up, that will help. can you take pics?

I'd let it remain in ICU without disturbing it more and see if it will remove the exo itself.

 

[Meludox]

 

[Meludox]

He flipped over earlier. Abdomen is free and he got another leg free but it's deformed. There's still three legs in the molt as you can see in the picture.

 

[Chubbs]

Personally I would've just left it alone and let it finish molting on its own. Touching it or attempting to move it is one of the worst possible things that could've been done. But what's done is done, so now it's just a matter of what you can do to help it recover, and I personally am not gonna be able to help you very much in that area. From all that I've learned and been told over the years ,touching or even moving a tarantula in mid-molt usually ends up killing it. There are of course cases where the spider pulls through and eventually recovers, and I really hope this will apply to you. ICU's are meant more as a method of euthanizing invertebrates.

 

[Kymura]

The way some of them are wrapped its impossible to see if they are molting or not until you get them unwrapped,
by then they are already somewhat damaged,
fingers crossed for this little one, least abdomen is free, maybe at worst it will lose a leg or two

 

[Meludox]

By the time I unpackaged it it was already stuck. It definitely didn't have enough room in the vial and I had no idea it was molting when I unpacked it. It has freed another leg.

 

[Kymura]

Well lets hope for the best then, hes still working at it so the will is there,
you can always call it Pirate, for the whole peg leg thing

 

[Meludox]

That's a cute name.
He worked the old exo off, luckily! Four of his hind legs are deformed. He is still active though.

 

[kormath]

Well lets hope for the best then, hes still working at it so the will is there,
you can always call it Pirate, for the whole peg leg thing

Lol i like that

 

[Enn49]

Active sounds good. Fingers crossed it eats now and then in a moult or 2 and it'll be fine.

 

[kormath]

View attachment 13617 That's a cute name.
He worked the old exo off, luckily! Four of his hind legs are deformed. He is still active though.

Great!! power feed time to repair the damage with an early molt

 

[Meludox]

Should I move him into his enclosure now? Or perhaps let him rest in the ICU for another day or so.

 

[Enn49]

I'd leave it a few days to give it chance to harden up before you move it.

 

[Kymura]

-cheers-
hoping for the best for this little fighter, leave it to harden up a bit,
perhaps he'll be able to move them some once hes pumped up a bit and rested.

 

[MassExodus]

I've had them molt in transit before, but never got one mid molt. Glad it worked out Meludox Some of those rear legs might have some function when it hardens up. Imagine these poor guys having to endure that epic molting struggle while being bounced around in a package..they're tougher animals then we give them credit for.

 

[Kymura]

Hows this baby doing ? been hoping for an update...?

 

[Meludox]

Hows this baby doing ? been hoping for an update...?

The sling is still alive and seems to be acting normal. I put him into his enclosure earlier today and he is really struggling to transport. But I will try offering pre-killed food in another day or two.

 

[Kymura]

Thanks @Meludox , been wondering and worrying about that little one.