Tarantulas leg fell off?

samatwwe · Sep 22, 2014

Hi guys. So I was checking on the Ts today and when I looked into my Grammostola sp. maule enclosure (2.5 gal aquarium with screen lid half covered) I saw a leg laying beside her. I figured maybe she molted and ate the rest but I quickly realized that it was her actual leg laying there. Does anyone have any idea what may have happened? My only guess is that she somehow got it caught in the screen and pulled it off herself? I hate screen lids and I am literally just waiting on vents in the mail so I can switch to plexiglass lids I've made for the 2.5 gals. I got the leg out and gently rubbed her with a paint brush and she had her usual feeding response thinking it was a roach. She seems fine and there is no oozing from the separation. Does anyone have advice on what to do next, and what may have caused this? I feel so bad for the poor girl...I'll upload pictures shortly.

ratluvr76 · Sep 22, 2014

samatwwe said:
Hi guys. So I was checking on the Ts today and when I looked into my Grammostola sp. maule enclosure (2.5 gal aquarium with screen lid half covered) I saw a leg laying beside her. I figured maybe she molted and ate the rest but I quickly realized that it was her actual leg laying there. Does anyone have any idea what may have happened? My only guess is that she somehow got it caught in the screen and pulled it off herself? I hate screen lids and I am literally just waiting on vents in the mail so I can switch to plexiglass lids I've made for the 2.5 gals. I got the leg out and gently rubbed her with a paint brush and she had her usual feeding response thinking it was a roach. She seems fine and there is no oozing from the separation. Does anyone have advice on what to do next, and what may have caused this? I feel so bad for the poor girl...I'll upload pictures shortly.

Well, I'm still pretty new to the hobby myself and have never experienced anything like this. That being said, from what I've learned, tarantulas can separate and remove their own legs if they need to through injury or what ever. I imagine you are probably correct in your idea that she may have gotten a foot stuck in the screen and subsequently removed the leg herself to free herself.

Also from all the information I've learned, the loss of a leg or two will not ultimately harm her at all. She will still be able to do all the things spiders do with no discernible handicap. There's even a little miracle T that had lost all but one leg. Spiders will regenerate their legs when they molt. Apparently it takes between 2 and three molts to do so.

in short, don't worry to hard about your girl, but one more reason for you to replace the screen with vented plexiglass.

JZC · Sep 22, 2014

She'll be fine. When arthropods lose a limb, they can "shut off" blood supply to the area so they don't bleed out.

samatwwe · Sep 22, 2014

Great, this is exactly the information I needed. I knew they regenerated their limbs so that's why I wasn't too worried. I just felt bad that I didn't replace the screen lid sooner. Thank you both!

JZC · Sep 22, 2014

samatwwe said:
Great, this is exactly the information I needed. I knew they regenerated their limbs so that's why I wasn't too worried. I just felt bad that I didn't replace the screen lid sooner. Thank you both!

Losing a leg really isn't much to these guys. If it helps, it has never been studied as to whether or not they (Ts) can even feel pain, so in all likelihood losing a leg really may just be a minor annoyance to them

Storm76 · Sep 22, 2014

JZC said:
Losing a leg really isn't much to these guys. If it helps, it has never been studied as to whether or not they (Ts) can even feel pain, so in all likelihood losing a leg really may just be a minor annoyance to them

I'd still make sure that it was her casting the leg off, not some freak accident that teared it off. Just get a look at her, see if she's leaking haemolymph or not. If not, she'll be just fine like JZC said.

VenomousMe · Sep 22, 2014

JZC said:
Losing a leg really isn't much to these guys. If it helps, it has never been studied as to whether or not they (Ts) can even feel pain, so in all likelihood losing a leg really may just be a minor annoyance to them

Hmmm. I'm going to assume since it's never been studied that they feel pain like everything else...small brain or not. Why would you assume otherwise?

ratluvr76 · Sep 22, 2014

VenomousMe said:
Hmmm. I'm going to assume since it's never been studied that they feel pain like everything else...small brain or not. Why would you assume otherwise?

I agree. it wasn't too long ago that there was a widely held assumption that reptiles don't feel pain. There have been numerous studies done since, I believe, the 60's which prove that even plants feel pain, or at least discomfort. I'm not sure I would agree with the assumption that inverts don't feel pain. Pain is a natural, self preservative sensation. I believe, essential to survival for every individual.

JZC · Sep 22, 2014

VenomousMe said:
Hmmm. I'm going to assume since it's never been studied that they feel pain like everything else...small brain or not. Why would you assume otherwise?

Only a select few inverts posses nociceptors. Would you just keep going about your day if I chopped off your leg?

Smokehound714 · Sep 23, 2014

They actually have the ability to autotomize a limb, as well- akin to a lizard dropping its tail.

Many spiders will also drop a damaged limb, especially if it's envenomated, or the femur is squeezed

Tarantulas leg fell off?

samatwwe

Arachnobaron

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon

JZC

Arachnobaron

samatwwe

Arachnobaron

JZC

Arachnobaron

Storm76

Arachnoemperor

VenomousMe

Arachnopeon

ratluvr76

Arachnodemon

JZC

Arachnobaron

Smokehound714

Arachnoking