I'm pretty sure my A. Avic. is gone

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
Hey all, sorry if this becomes depressing. I pulled my A. Avic's, Margarette, enclosure out today for some cleaning. I found her in a what appears to be dead state, sitting inside of her hide. I got her out of her hide and into a temporary enclosure. Death curl, as far as I can tell. I put her in an ICU, just in the vain hope she'll come back. I just don't know what could have happened. She had been behaving oddly, but I had assumed it was premolt. She had just been refusing food and moving about her enclosure more than usual. She was a juvie, so the only things I can think of are SADS or she tried to molt right-side up. I'll let you know if she improves, but I think she's already gone.

Pictures:

Her enclosure:


How she looked when I got her out of her hide. No movement whatsoever:


Upside down:


Her in the ICU:


I'm upset by this. She was my first T, and I'd hate to think I may have killed her.
 

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
Unless you put her on her back.
That was me. Like I said I found her right-side up. I flipped her because I thought at first I was looking at her fresh molt and she herself was hiding somewhere else. No such luck.
 

paassatt

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Messages
887
I fail to see the death curl you mentioned. Am I missing something?
 

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
I fail to see the death curl you mentioned. Am I missing something?
Ah, yes, I should have explained. When I got her out and flipped her over her legs spread out again due to gravity. She was curled at first. Although, that raises an important question: Are Tarantula's stiff in a true death curl? She's not stiff, just unmoving. I've never actually handled a truly dead T before.
 

cnapple

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 23, 2011
Messages
152
I don't see it either. Legs don't look curled under at all. Perhaps she is trying to molt upright. Let her be.
 

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
Also, before anyone says anything else, I know she's been sitting as she was in her hide for at least two days.
 

Blackbeard

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
17
If the spider is dead it will start to stink.
It is very unpleasant and disctinct so you will know it when you smell it.
 

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
what might be the reason? did she ate before it happened?
She hasn't eaten in weeks. Like I said, I figured she was in premolt. All I can assume is either molting the wrong way or SADS.

Update: I did a thorough investigation and deep cleaning of her terrarium. I found no signs of mites or mold, which rules them out.
 

synyster

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
532
It's always sad to see a T not going well...

Ah, yes, I should have explained. When I got her out and flipped her over her legs spread out again due to gravity. She was curled at first. Although, that raises an important question: Are Tarantula's stiff in a true death curl? She's not stiff, just unmoving. I've never actually handled a truly dead T before.
No the legs should not come back down. Usually even upside down, the legs will stay in a complete death curl. I do think the spider was not dead when you flipped it.
 

Verneph

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
144
It's always sad to see a T not going well...



No the legs should not come back down. Usually even upside down, the legs will stay in a complete death curl. I do think the spider was not dead when you flipped it.
That's weird that I got no response out of her. Maybe she tried to molt right-side up then and...

...well crap, I feel horrible now.
 

Slevin

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
53
robc has a video on youtube of a juvie theraphosa he thought for sure was dead. he moved its legs and they just remained stiff, he turned it over and it made no response. it looked like a dead t but it ended up just molting right-side up. and it did so just fine even after he manipulated it. here is the exact video so you can look it over and see if there is any corelation to your avic. hope this helps verneph! i'm rooting for her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzP6aVs30Vo
 

wandas12

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 8, 2011
Messages
28
This is sad news, unfortunately it happens though, i little while ago i had a juvi cobalt pass for no apparent reason (no curling, no shrivelling, mites or mould) but i found it when it was starting to go a bit stinky. But don't beat yourself up Avics can be a bit odd at times, We had a couple juvies that were doing perfectly and eating well, moulting beautifully and a couple weeks later they were dead. Both without curling or shrivelled abdomens, no obvious signs of cause. Really hope she pulls through for you but all you can do is wait which sucks as you feel really helpless. You wouldn't of tried to help her if you didn't care or thought she was in trouble. Good luck
 

jim777

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
130
I'm keeping a good thought for you and your T until you know for certain Vern
 
Top