Pet Store Find.

J.huff23 · Mar 14, 2012

I went to the local pet store today with my intention being only to browse, but that did not happen. I saw a cage with a thin layer of wood chips and a ball of bark and web that was labeled "Trap door tarantula", a made up label. I asked to be able to see it hoping that it was a small H.gigas tarantula like they have had at this store before. The guy reluctantly pulled apart the web structure and I saw this, so I bought it knowing that it was a trap door spider and not a tarantula. I didnt bother saying anything to the employees about it. Waste of time. So here it is, very dehydrated and skinny. Im getting it set up in a new, larger enclosure with very deep substrate.

Ciphor · Mar 14, 2012

Good save, looks like it is near death.

paassatt · Mar 14, 2012

Ciphor said:
Good save, looks like it is near death.

And now that they know that they can sell a spider like this, this "save" will give the pet store more incentive to bring in more specimens, creating a cycle of poorly-kept spiders. Why can't people understand that all you're doing by rescuing a spider from a pet store is instilling confidence to make more money off of them in the pet store's eyes?

Philth · Mar 14, 2012

Ciphor said:
Good save, looks like it is near death.

Looks healthy to me. They usally dont get fat like most of the over fed tarantula pics your use to seeing.
Later, Tom

Ciphor · Mar 14, 2012

Philth said:
Looks healthy to me. They usally dont get fat like most of the over fed tarantula pics your use to seeing.
Later, Tom

I disagree. Healthy spiders will have a smooth abdomen, that looks filled out, no mater the size.

It is not the size of the abdomen that determines this ones health by any means Philth. It is the condition of it.

You can see the shriveling in every image, but it is very clear in this one.

I pointed it out with red arrows so you can see the depressions in the abdomen which are consistent with spider malnutrition. You can tell this one is in exceptionally bad shape by the lateral "crease" on the anterior abdomen which I also pointed the last red arrow too.

Ciphor · Mar 14, 2012

paassatt said:
And now that they know that they can sell a spider like this, this "save" will give the pet store more incentive to bring in more specimens, creating a cycle of poorly-kept spiders. Why can't people understand that all you're doing by rescuing a spider from a pet store is instilling confidence to make more money off of them in the pet store's eyes?

It's a tough debate. Some pet stores will go out and replace it, and some will just be glad it is gone as they don't stock the species normally and just happened to come across it.

Spiders are never big sellers, you gotta keep that in mind too. A pet store selling one spider every 6 months is not as big an attraction to restock as you think.

J.huff23 · Mar 14, 2012

paassatt said:
And now that they know that they can sell a spider like this, this "save" will give the pet store more incentive to bring in more specimens, creating a cycle of poorly-kept spiders. Why can't people understand that all you're doing by rescuing a spider from a pet store is instilling confidence to make more money off of them in the pet store's eyes?

That's not why I bought the spider, just so you know. I thought it was a neat little spider and I've never owned one before so I bought it.

Philth · Mar 14, 2012

Fair enough, I still think its the angle the photos were taken on that is throwing you off. As well as those red trap doors just have odd shaped abdomens. In my experience with them, they are pretty tough spiders and you really have to torture them to kill one lol.

Later, Tom

Ciphor · Mar 14, 2012

To be honest the one in your pictures doesn't look very healthy to me either.

They are tanks, no doubt about that. Maybe I am miss-guided here and the depressions are the caused by the book lungs. I still think it looks deflated.

Mine appears to be the same species, Gorgyella, and has a more robust, rounded abdomen. I do not over fed, 1 adult cricket every 2 weeks. I am an advocate of less frequent feedings, to prolong the lifespan. Is the one in the images above yours? Has it been sexed?

Mine is female, not gravid.

Philth · Mar 14, 2012

Your spider looks over weight or gravid to me, regardless of how often you feed it. Has it molted in your care? The photo's I posted was a female that I owned some years back.

later, Tom

Ciphor · Mar 15, 2012

Philth said:
Your spider looks over weight or gravid to me, regardless of how often you feed it. Has it molted in your care? The photo's I posted was a female that I owned some years back.

later, Tom

She actually just molted recently, after almost 2 months of heavy pre-molt. That image was taken after my first time changing her substrate, which was awhile ago now. She is still that large however, and still eats 1 large cricket bi-weekly only. To be honest, I'm pretty bad at feeding my spiders, and they sometimes go a month without a bite.

Well, interesting to see & compare experiences none the less.

Malhavoc's · Mar 15, 2012

I support ciphors origional assumption of health, not only with the shrunken abdomen but in contrast, the origional spider can be seen with misplaced legs for supporting its weight, the back leg is curle under; rather then pushing against the floor to counter the tilt, this indicates a slugish response or a dehydrated spider in my opinion.

Pet Store Find.

J.huff23

Arachnoking

Ciphor

Arachnoprince

paassatt

Arachnoangel

Philth

N.Y.H.C.

Ciphor

Arachnoprince

Ciphor

Arachnoprince

J.huff23

Arachnoking

Philth

N.Y.H.C.

Ciphor

Arachnoprince

Philth

N.Y.H.C.

Ciphor

Arachnoprince

Malhavoc's

Arachnoking