I own a 16 year old Rose Hair Tarantula. She has access to water and she has had crickets about 5 weeks ago. I cleaned her cage about 2 weeks ago and she recently started curling up. Her legs are curling underneath herself. I don't know if she is dying or preparing to molt. She molted about 4 months ago already. Any thoughts?
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Chilean Rose Tarantula Curling Up
- Thread starter Joey
- Start date
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
If she's 16, she's not gonna b molting again after 4 months. At that age, molts are spread out much longer. Pix are your friend here so we can see what's happening. How's the abdomen. Thin n shriveled? Pix pix pix. Could b old age
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
When you say "cleaned her cage", do you mean pull out boluses or did you actually clean the entire thing? Did you use any cleaners? New substrate? Just thinking out loud...
I agree with both @kormath and @SpiderDad61; the legs curled beneath doesn't sound good, and 4 months is much to fast a turn-around to molt for a 16-year-old T. Pics would be great!
I agree with both @kormath and @SpiderDad61; the legs curled beneath doesn't sound good, and 4 months is much to fast a turn-around to molt for a 16-year-old T. Pics would be great!
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
The substrate looks moist in the photos...am I seeing that right? If it's coco fiber that's wet from rehydrating the bricks, you'll want to dry that out ASAP. The G. rosea abhors moist, humid conditions, and if kept like that for too long, its health can suffer. If the substrate is dry and I'm seeing that wrong, please disregard!
Were all of the decorations in her tank originally.
What happens if you gently nudge her? Does she uncurl her legs and move?
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
That may be your culprit. If it's been two weeks and the sub is still that moist, that is very unhealthy for her. This species does not like moist sub (they will usually cling to the walls or perch on decorations rather than stand on it) and the humidity level inside the enclosure as the water evaporates is likely too high.
I would take that substrate out and bake it on low heat in an oven, stirring occasionally until it's bone dry. You can use cookie sheets or one of those foil turkey pans they sell at Walmart (if you're in the states). When it's dry, put it back in. I would put your girl in something temporary with dry sub or dry paper towels until you can get her home squared away. In the very least, it will eliminate that possibility. Unfortunately, I've seen pics of rosies kept on moist sub, and they will start to curl up from the stress.
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
Is she twitching or doing any "odd" movements?
- Messages
- 800
- Location
- Connecticut
That's great that she's not twitching. Spastic, seemingly uncontrolled movements would indicate DKS symptoms, which are thought to be cause by poisoning, among other things (chemicals, pesticides, etc). It would have pointed to contaminated substrate or a decoration.
Fingers crossed that it was just the moist sub. I spoke to a guy a couple months back who had almost the EXACT same thing happen with his rosie, and it was the moist sub. His perked right up after he switched to dry. Good luck!
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
Tomoran may b right. May just b the substrate. I don't see any webbing in ur pix, which leads me to believe she isn't comfortable enough to be on the substrate to web and create her home like she wants. This species likes it bone dry. No misting, no overflowing a water bowl, nothing. Just a simple water bowl n dry sub. There's also a ton of items in that enclosure. Not sure if that's bothering her but it seems she needs to climb to get pretty much everywhere in there. It may look nice but sometimes simpler is better. These terrestrial Ts are ground dwellers with dens. They don't like to climb obstacles like super Mario.
you took the spider out before you baked the substrate right? 
Looks like @Tomoran and @SpiderDad61 have you all set. I can't think of anything else it could be. Hope the substrate was the culprit and she recovers after.
Looks like @Tomoran and @SpiderDad61 have you all set. I can't think of anything else it could be. Hope the substrate was the culprit and she recovers after.
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
Chilean rose casserole wouldn't b goodyou took the spider out before you baked the substrate right?
Looks like @Tomoran and @SpiderDad61 have you all set. I can't think of anything else it could be. Hope the substrate was the culprit and she recovers after.
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Warminster PA
That's strange. I've had the opposite deal with mine. Seems to b bulletproof. Don't eat much but healthy always.
agree, they r very hardy. the things that keep them from being a good beginner species is the fact that they r not as docile as people think a lot of the time. and they have a tendency to fast as with new keepers that makes them worry when there is no real need to. That's the only reasons I would say they aren't good for a beginner,
