My Brazilian black has been on his back ready to molt for four days now :/

Fifi

Arachnopeon
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Mar 29, 2014
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Please help!!! My max has never had me worried so much as he has this past month.When I say he I think he's male but not sure and he is my first t.Hes now three and half and I've had him since he was a sling.
He's always had a very healthy appetite and classic symptoms when it came to a molt; fasting,sluggish,huge web,generally an all round easy t.
He molted around 8 weeks ago; normal molt ,no problems.Anyway after a couple of weeks he showed signs of a death curl.I put him in an icu for 2 days ,kept him warm ,and he looked a lot better.Whilst he was in his ICU I cleaned his tank,not knowing if he would go back in,the pet shop was adamant he was dying.
He did recover,by my miracle beginner googling,and seemed to be slowly getting back to normal,he didn't eat but sometimes he goes long periods without eating.
My daughter came to me Thursday morning and said that max was on his back getting ready to molt and when I looked he was.This isn't unusual as he has molted pretty close to another one before,before this there were no signs beyond him fasting.Hes on his back,no web,he moved to the preferred corner to do it,but it's now Monday morning and still nothing.He does make movements with his legs so he hasn't died but nothing yet.His substrate is drying out underneath him but I can't startle him by misting.I have used a paintbrush and water to brush his legs ,that I saw someone had done on here....please help :(
 
Last edited:

Silberrücken

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Give him a drop of water directly into his mouth. Watch the drop... if it disappears, give him a few more, one at a time. It sounds as if he is dehydrated. Let us know if he accepts the waterdrops.

I hope he pulls thru for you!
 

Fifi

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Oh thankyou,that's what I thought because his abdomen has shrunk,he was recovering really well after the ICU,but I guess he still isn't quite right.Ill try that now

---------- Post added 03-31-2014 at 09:32 AM ----------

He's just taken those drops so hopefully that's all it is and I can make sure he gets enough to pull through the molt :)
 

SuzukiSwift

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It is very strange for him to have been on his back for four days, normally I would think he is dead but as you've said he's moving. Can you post a pic? Is he mature?
 

cold blood

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It doesn't need to be misted ever, a water dish is plenty for the species.

Good luck with him, that long on its back is highly unusual. I agree a pic may help. I'm shocked that its molted multiple times in such a short period of time...even more surprised that its done this before. I would expect that if it is molting, there either was something not right following the last molt, or there was a slight injury that could have triggered it.
 

Fifi

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He's still not molted,but he's moving his legs a lot more and he's been taking the water drops .The lack of web is worrying too as he always lays down a really good bed first

---------- Post added 03-31-2014 at 08:37 PM ----------

I was wondering if there was any way he could have gotten stuck,but they flip themselves after a molt don't they so surely he would be able to help himself if that happened
 

viper69

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Keep giving him drops of water. This is highly unusual. Beautiful T! Well if he's truly dehydrated, then producing silk could potentially be a problem there as well.

The only thing I can think of is that he's mature and this is his last moment on Earth. I had a male Rose Hair (same genus) that molted, and barely got out of the exoskeleton, and then POOF died shortly after.
 

Silberrücken

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All you can really do is keep giving him as much water as he can drink. Hopefully he will be able to rehydrate enough to either molt or flip. I agree that being on his back this long is not a good sign, but the water seems to have helped a lot. Keeping my fingers crossed for him!
 

Formerphobe

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He's not mature as he doesn't have palpal emboli. What is his leg span?
Any chance he's been exposed to pesticides?
 

freedumbdclxvi

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Definitely not a mature male. Keep hydrating. Like former said - any chance of contact with pesticides or flea/tick repellants?
 

Fifi

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He's three and half years old I don't know if that helps anyone and I've never had to measure him before so I'm not sure if I've done it right.In the position he is now the span is four inches.No,no pesticides,I have no other pets,he's kept in the bedroom,nowhere near any cleaning products and I live in the uk so we have no need for insect repellant besides fly spray in the summer.
When he was I'll a few weeks ago the pet shop thought he was dying from being a mature adult,but never actually saw him so he couldn't tell me if he was mature or not.Im not even hundred sure that he is a 'he'.Ive tried my best to sex him myself but I'm genuinely not sure ,he's just always been 'he' to me.ill post some pics of how he was a few weeks ago and see if this sheds some light,it might still be an ongoing thing

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:36 AM ----------


This was his molt before he got ill.It went smoothly,a few hours later he was all done.
He was still very quiet a couple of weeks later and eventually sat with all legs curled underneath,from what I found out when I googled it,it was a death curl.

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:39 AM ----------


This was him in his ICU as you can see he definately wasn't right,eventually when he did perk up and move a bit it was like he was drunk and collapsed

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:40 AM ----------



---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:45 AM ----------

He did start walking around eventually,looked a lot healthier,just wouldn't eat still,but they do have a habit of not eating anyway.Hed eat a lot or not at all,then my daughter found him in his molt position.I know I'm only a beginner but I think I've done ok so far,to say I've had no help off anyone,just googled anything I wasn't sure about.Like I said the pet shop thought he was dying but I managed to bring him back,and he seems to be holding on now ,just hope he keeps fighting .He is a beautiful T

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:47 AM ----------


This is him before all of this ....pretty :)

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 07:48 AM ----------

 

Fifi

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He ate one about a three months ago.This has been what he's been eating for the last two years.He eats them no problem at times he's a had two at once.If I don't feed him he splats himself up the side of the tank when he's hungry,like a dog.I wanted to give him the next size up but the pets hop said to leave it for a bit,try and make him slow down,just always hungry then a big fast before a molt.Never had any problems :(
 

Fifi

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He's still with me,still on his back,but still taking a few drops at a time.Just wish I knew what else I could do :(

---------- Post added 04-01-2014 at 09:06 PM ----------

It'll be six days in the morning :/
 

SuzukiSwift

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That is very peculiar indeed, I'm thinking perhaps he fell in that position while climbing and is just too weak to right himself, but if he really is preparing to moult you don't wana risk turning him over. Keep giving him water for now and increase the humidity in the enclosure (mist the substrate on the other side of the enclosure and maybe add another full water bowl in there to add to humidity levels) If he is just weak then when he gets stronger he'll turn over on his own. Can you please send his moulting schedule if you have one? It would be helpful to know the last time he moulted and the time before that at least

Also, if you post a closer pic of his underside then we can tell you if he is a he or not =) He looks pretty leggy to me but you can't tell by that alone, not mature male at least
 

cold blood

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personally, if it has been 6 days, I would right the t. There is no way it will have the strength to molt, if that is in fact its plan. That's just me and just because you are lucky enough that he's still alive after 6 days in its back. Tough situation.
 

Fifi

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He keeps doing these movements ,moving all his legs at the same time,tryin to lift then just relaxes.It looks like we would if we were sat on a comfy sofa,a sort of strained movement.
I don't have a schedule for his molting as it's never been regular.Before his last one though it had been about six months where as they were pretty frequent before that,sometimes as close together as this.
The thing that makes me think that he was tryin to molt is his position ,that where he goes in his tank ,no other time.
I think I may try turning him over and. See what happens.
 

Fifi

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Well day six and he's still with me,seems to be a lot more moving in his legs,so I've misted the substrate on the other side and put an extra water bowl ,like suzukiswift said,and see how he goes.I think if he can just get enough strength hell flip himself back,but I think I'll do more damage than good trying to flip him myself.Also where he is ,is right in the corner so it would be very awkward.I can only hope,he's pulled through this long :)
 
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