In trouble with my new T. blondi

Hi guys!
I recently bought a very young L4 T. blondi female.
At the beginning she was fine - good appetite, no signs of bad shape or visual deformations..
She was about some 2 weeks in premolt with typical dark bald spot on her abdomen. And finally yesterday she molted to L5. Now I'm anxious about her, because I found a two scar - alike spots on her abdomen. My first thought was that she stained her abdomen with her fresh faecal or so ever while she laid on her back. But then I moisted paintbrush and tried gently remove that spots like some dirt
. So I found out that it isn't a dirt or some matter like that..
I also can say that there was enough space and humidity in her hide to perform first-class molt, even substrate was soft enough (peat moss) - so there wasn't any presence of sharp edges or so else like that..
Now I'm start to worry if this could be some sort of entomophagous fungi...(?).. but still not sure if fungi can grow that big this fast - in 4 hour molting period (it seems to me unbelievable in some case)..
In my keeper's 5 year practice it is first case. I'm really worried and confused, because this T cost me a lot and it was hard to me to find one of these species:cry: I hope to see some ideas or hopefull suggestions from you guys.
Thanks.

The T looks very dark for a blondi. Perhaps a stirmi? I am sure collectors of this species will jump in.

They look like some type of cyst. Examine the old molt and see if there is damage in that area as well. If that is the case, you may have to keep her lean and keep your fingers crossed for each molt.

I don't have any other idea what they could be other than damage (actual wound) or cysts.

Good luck,

Marga

Earlier owner told me that this spiderling was reared from T. blondi - so he is 100% sure that this is T. blondi. I'm pretty sure of myself, cause there is no lighter markings on the endings on first two pairs of legs - as T.stirmi have.. T. stirmi spiderlings also don't have hairs on patella..
Returning to those weird "damages"... I also examined internal side of abdomen of old skin. I found out 3 reddish markings (2 signifficantly bigger) on upper side of abdomen and one on lover side.



I figured out - if lover side have this marking then there must be similar "wound" on lover side of spider's abdomen.



But I found none wound- alike markings near the lungs as it was expected from skin examination...
I'm still not sure is that can be a cysts, because my spider's "wounds" don't stick outside of body as cysts always do... And even if those are cysts - can they perform so fast - from one developmental stage to another?? (I really don't have experience on those..)
Or maybe here can be some other explanations - maybe spider lived in less humidity conditions earlier? So maybe that why then there wasn't enough of fluid produced between old and new skin, - and abbrasion in molting process made those wounds on abdomen?? And if this is true - how big risk I take with continuing feed my T normally? ::



I will update pics as she will molt again, guys..

yeah your t. blondi looks a little darker. heres my t. blondi shes around 5". shes also has these baldspots more so than yours. but im sure shes fine though.

hermzxd45 said:

yeah your t. blondi looks a little darker. heres my t. blondi shes around 5". shes also has these baldspots more so than yours. but im sure shes fine though.

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Interesting..
Maybe our European T. blondi CB popullation iz genetically different that your in America (?)..
Just wondering..

---------- Post added 10-27-2011 at 01:51 PM ----------

hermzxd45 said:

...shes also has these baldspots more so than yours...

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Yes, but here is a difference.
My T. blondi is freshly molted. But yours maybe got those spots from manually rubbing off hairs on her abdomen - which is normal.
Or you say that she got them after fresh molt??.. (this could be inportant for me)

Because of the placement of those marks, on the highest part of her abdomen, I would tend to think that she got them from scraping against something (such as the top of her burrow), but I don't know. Best wishes for your beautiful spider.

DaveM said:

Because of the placement of those marks, on the highest part of her abdomen, I would tend to think that she got them from scraping against something (such as the top of her burrow), but I don't know. Best wishes for your beautiful spider.

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No, she molted with these marks. I know as I followed her molting process..

Is anybody had similar experience? None? ..

I can't offer a whole lot of help, or explain what it might be. I've studied your pictures a bit closer, and what I've had experience with didn't look quite like this, this does look more serious than simple bald spots, when I don't just look at the monitor straight on. I have had, though, a tarantula molt and have two small hairless patches in the same area as yours. As I said, I can't offer much help or explanation, simply that they ended up going away with the next molt, and there were no negative effects from it. I'm not sure what caused it, but it corrected itself and never showed back up again.

I'd treat her as usual and as long as she eats and drinks then see what happens with the next molt.

Mine has developed a growth on her backend (T. stirmi), she's about 8.5-9" and molted in my care once. I hate to say it but i expect this to be her last molt with me judging by what i've seen and if so, i'll go back to brachys/grammys just because i don't know if i want to deal with this problem again. It seems to be pretty common on them.

I used to think about LARGE people with birth defects and hormone problems causing them to grow so big, then having so many health problems, and i'm wondering is this much the same.

Bazzgazm said:

Mine has developed a growth on her backend (T. stirmi), she's about 8.5-9" and molted in my care once. I hate to say it but i expect this to be her last molt with me judging by what i've seen and if so, i'll go back to brachys/grammys just because i don't know if i want to deal with this problem again. It seems to be pretty common on them.

I used to think about LARGE people with birth defects and hormone problems causing them to grow so big, then having so many health problems, and i'm wondering is this much the same.

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Any pictures? Good chance it might be nothing. There not all perfect you know.

She took a good roach today. I would be optimitic and believie that she will recover from those weird markings.
Will see..

Ingar said:

She took a good roach today. I would be optimitic and believie that she will recover from those weird markings.
Will see..

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Great news! Eating is a really good sign. *fingers crossed*

If she/he is eating normally then it's just "cosmetic"...if her appetite diminishes then she has a problem..but, she is eating so

Ok.. Sorry guys I haven't posted results for awhile..
Female molted withot that weird spots on her back. And appetite seems OK. As Ran said, possibly it was just cosmetic..

I'm glad she's fine now. She is really beautiful.

Thanks!