- Joined
- Mar 21, 2012
- Messages
- 624
I picked up some spiders last Friday (1 week ago as of tomorrow) including a 3-4" B. smithi female. I picked the beasties up locally and they were given to me in their original enclosures rather than being packed in vials. Tonight I was feeding part of the collection and I noticed the B. smithi in question holding her legs in an unusual way. Upon closer examination, she appears to have scabs under several of her knees, some of which have been torn away. I don't know the cause of the original injury, nor do I know how she managed to reopen the wounds. I guess maybe she just hyperextended her legs and tore the backs open?
I tried to take some pictures, but I used an iPad and have very poor lighting. There isn't a lot of bleeding, but her first two sets of legs and her pedipalps each have at least one joint with a drop of clear fluid oozing from where the scabs were. I can see it clearly, but couldn't get clear pictures. I don't plan to glue them because they apparently healed up the first time without issue and I don't want to immobilize half of her legs. I'm just keeping her hydrated and leaving her alone and I'll check on her periodically. I mostly am making this thread because the whole thing is very odd, but if anyone has advice or knows how this might have happened, I'd love to hear it.
I tried to take some pictures, but I used an iPad and have very poor lighting. There isn't a lot of bleeding, but her first two sets of legs and her pedipalps each have at least one joint with a drop of clear fluid oozing from where the scabs were. I can see it clearly, but couldn't get clear pictures. I don't plan to glue them because they apparently healed up the first time without issue and I don't want to immobilize half of her legs. I'm just keeping her hydrated and leaving her alone and I'll check on her periodically. I mostly am making this thread because the whole thing is very odd, but if anyone has advice or knows how this might have happened, I'd love to hear it.