B. smithi - disease

[argiope]

One of my adult B. smithi females has a strange mark on the abdomen. The lesion is is dry, no leakage observed, no progression for 3 months (when I first noticed it). She is fit, eating regularly, even mating. I purchased her about 4 month ago, and I did not notice the lesion in that time (the plastic box was not clear,but matt, my fault to check her carefully). After one month she molted regularly and when she climbed the glass wall of her cage, I noticed it for the first time.

I speculate that this could be burn from heat source (bulb) in the cage of the previous owner. However it seems strange to me that the tarantula would touch the bulb long enough to get burnt, but who knows...

Unfortunately, the previous owner is not responding to me so I can only speculate and wait ...

Any thoughts?

 

[Nada]

Looks like a healed wound. Possibly caused by bad bedding. It's not bleeding nor does it look wet. I would watch how much I feed her, and I would definitely not breed her. Get her to the next molt and see what happens. Good Luck.

 

[argiope]

Thanks for your opinion

 

[argiope]

After a year and one molt, the would is smaller, but still it is there. I hope that next year it disappears.

 

[argiope]

For those who are interested, I just found a report on Brachypelma klaasi having very similar wound:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/sho...chypelma-Klaasi-is-sick&p=2332155#post2332155

 

[argiope]

Two years after my original report, and two successfull molts, but the spider still has the same scar. No change of size. Does anyone has an idea what is it? Thank you.

 

[argiope]

Despite advices, I let her to mate. She rewarder me with a sac containing over 900 slings... But she still has the wound unchanged.

 

[MassExodus]

Three molts and she has the same mark? I'm leaning towards a defect. As far as I know, even deep wounds don't mark them for life..Maybe some problem area, when she molts? Does the wound look fresh right after a molt? Smaller you said, but does it look fresh?

 

[argiope]

She molted more than 6 months ago, I do not remember exactly, but it looked still the same ... fresh .... depends what do you mean. It is not wet, but dry like a burn mark. I also think that the reason lies beneath her skin. Some kind of ulcer. Never noticed a problem during molting, it went as usual. I guess that she will molt again within 3-4 months and we will see...

 

[kormath]

i'd agree with @MassExodus if there's no change to the 'wound' after 2 molts it's gotta be a defect, spider birth mark or something

 

[RedCapTrio]

I am guessing that it is a bacterial infection that transfer to the new exo every time it is nearing molt. If left alone, I am guessing that it will never disappear. Just my two cents though.

 

[Entity]

You would think a bacterial infection would not stay in one place on her body though. it would spread, not stay in one place.