Is my first spider sick or molting?

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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15
I am new so please be patient with me. I've had my first spider, a rose hair, for 4 months now. So far, she(?) has been fairly active, moving about her cage and digging holes. However, these past 3 weeks, she has crawled down in her burrow (it is a rock platform that is hollow underneath to crawl in) and won't come out. I was waiting for her to molt but nothing has happened. She has covered everything with web as well. And one morning I discovered she had completely encased herself in a thick web. I couldn't see through it. I knew she was in there because I could see her outline when I shined a flashlight through it. The next morning, she had destroyed it, leaving a big ball of web. But she won't come out of her hole. She doesn't even move around in it. 3 weeks has got me worried. I tried to give her crickets 3 days ago because I was concerned and she did eat them all. Is she molting or sick? Her behavior is just so different than it has been. Please help us! I keep checking to make sure she is alive because she won't move at all under her rock. The sides are open and up against the glass so I can see through her whole nest.
 

Nitibus

Arachnodemon
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Feb 7, 2007
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Sounds like pre-moult behavior to me. Don't worry, everything is OK. I've had some T's baracade them selves up for months. Just leave it be.


The webbing thing has me wondering that you may have a mature male. Do you have any pics ?
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
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Don't worry, G. rosea's (rose hair) are just neurotic. There are accounts of them going as long as a year without eating. I have one that has sat in the same spot for a week now without moving. They're just weird and their behavior changes with no reason. My 4" juvenile rosie used to be the sweetest, best spider for handling but since her last molt she is a total b!+ch! Changes in behavior and all that webbing may indicate an upcoming molt. She may not eat for a month or more in preperation for it.

Just keep her substrate dry, her water bowl full (no sponge) and remove uneaten prey after 24 hours. She'll be fine, that species is unbelievably hardy.
 

jenniferinny

Arachnoknight
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Jan 14, 2007
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174
Did you buy her as an adult from the pet store?
Does she appear to be guarding the ball of web?
Cause that sounds like she laid an eggsac rather then molted...
 

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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15
When I bought her from the pet store, they told me it was a young spider. I don't know for sure if that is true or if it is a male or a female. It is definitely hanging out near it's web ball. How would I know if it is an egg sac? Do they wrap it up in web? Or if it is even a female or a juvenile for that matter? I don't have any pics and can't really get any right now because of how she is positioned.
 

GailC

Arachnoprince
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How big is the ball? a egg sack will be slightly smaller then a golf ball.

Here is a egg sack from a different species of tarantula
 

penny'smom

Arachnobaron
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"Big ball of web", and the fact she won't come out has me thinking egg sac for sure, and she was probably ravenous after laying, but it's not unheard of for a new momma to stop eating also. If it is a sac, don't bother her, or she may destroy it.:eek: Hopefully someone will chime in on the subject of getting the sac away from her eventually.

As far as that piece of rock, I'd think about replacing that when this issue is said and done. I know someone who recently lost a female rosea when she dug too much sub out from under her ceramic water dish and it collapsed on top of her. :( Something similar, but lightweight plastic would be a good substitute.
 

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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The ball of web does look like that, only smaller. What do I do with it if it is an egg sac??? Is it supposed to be covered in web? She completely cocconed herself in it under the rock. The next day she tore it all down and voila, a big web ball.
Also, the rock she is under is a platform. It is molded plastic with a solid top and legs. I got it because she was burrowing under the water dish and I was afraid it would collapse on her. So this one can't collapse at all.
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
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Sounds like a sac. When you say smaller, how much smaller? Like mabe the size of a ping pong ball? Assuming it is a sac (which seems likely) if there's a member of arachnoboards near you they might take it off your hands. What part of the country (world?) do you live in?
 

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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It's hard to see under her rock now. She has pushed substrate against all the glass and added more web today. I would say the ball is probably half of a ping pong ball size, if I remember correctly. I live in the Tampa, Florida area.
 

problemchildx

Arachnoprince
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If you got a mature female (I'm assuming?) from a pet shop, chances are it could be wild caught and has successfully mated sometime in the past year or longer.. I don't know if this is a fact, but if the sac is significantly smaller than the normal sac should be, does it mean it could be infertile?
 

penny'smom

Arachnobaron
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Also, the rock she is under is a platform. It is molded plastic with a solid top and legs. I got it because she was burrowing under the water dish and I was afraid it would collapse on her. So this one can't collapse at all.
I am so happy to hear this!:clap:

And yes, the webbing is the sac, with the eggs inside.
 

shurakidz

Arachnopeon
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Jul 28, 2007
Messages
3
help me please1

im new here in this hobby, my tarantula she is a S. Peerboomi, the problem is that she is not moving for 2 days already up to now, is she going to molt or dying and when i decided to check it out, i moved one of her pedipalp the joint bleeds and still no reaction to her.still remains steady..im so very worried...what she up to?..
 

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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How long is the gestation period? If I got her in July, how could she have eggs 3 months later? She was supposed to be young, not mature when I bought her. She was much smaller than now. If it is an egg sac, it is really small. Probably one quarter of a ping pong ball. Could it be infertile? Should I remove it? What should I do with it? I don't want to leave it with her if she is just going to keep guarding something that isn't going to hatch. But I don't want to hurt it if there are babies. I just can't have spiderlings. Any advice?
 

problemchildx

Arachnoprince
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Sep 24, 2007
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sorry, i thought you had her longer than 3 months.
in this case, especially for roseas, females can produce a sac for as long as a year after mating from what i understand.

even though you have only had her 3 months it could be a legit sac. imo, i believe it is infertile, inferring from the size of the "sac".
i would just wait it out, provide same feedings, and leave her alone for a while. she knows more than all of the best entymologists ut there, and her mysterious instincts will work everything out.
 

Mushroom Spore

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How long is the gestation period? If I got her in July, how could she have eggs 3 months later? She was supposed to be young, not mature when I bought her. She was much smaller than now
If she's molted since you got her, it's not a fertile sack. Female Ts can basically wait to become pregnant, after mating, up until their next molt (which destroys the pocket that holds stored sperm). So that's why these wild-caught Ts, which have been living on lean diets and in stressful environments where they don't want to molt OR lay their eggs, can suddenly have babies once in a good enclosure.

But you say she was smaller when you got her--again, if she's molted since you got her, it's a dead/fake sack.
 

algrif

Arachnopeon
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Oct 8, 2007
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No she hasn't molted since I've had her. This morning I tried to get a better look at the sac with the flashlight. It is probably 3/4 ping pong ball from what I can tell. A bit bigger than I thought. I'm not sure what to do. I can't really handle 100 babies. I am new to just having the one. Does anyone want the egg sac? I don't know how to take care of it or spiderlings. Help! Should I open it to see if there are eggs in it?
 

Nitibus

Arachnodemon
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No she hasn't molted since I've had her. This morning I tried to get a better look at the sac with the flashlight. It is probably 3/4 ping pong ball from what I can tell. A bit bigger than I thought. I'm not sure what to do. I can't really handle 100 babies. I am new to just having the one. Does anyone want the egg sac? I don't know how to take care of it or spiderlings. Help! Should I open it to see if there are eggs in it?

Don't open it ! Leave it with the mother. Where are you located if someone wanted to take it off your hands ?
 
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