Blind Tarantula?

[TabbieNorton]

OK So this is a weird ramble on question. I will try to make it as short as possible. Mostly it is a long thought that I would like input on. So my friend Anette gave me a very sweet little 3 1/2" or so Paraphysa scrofa..pet name"Ghost Tomato". She has always been massively skittish and "jolty" I guess you can say and never ate well so Anette figured she would give me a shot with her. Now Anette had her in a bigger container, I put her in a much smaller container and she has calmed down considerably. I also noticed after rehousing her and having her in my care she has drag lines...not silk mats but single drag lines in her captive home from her bridge to her water dish (She hides under the bridge). I know she does not like to "hunt" for food. I took the hopper legs (Back legs) off a cricket and she ate it and I gave her a wax worm and she ate that last night. The odd thing is when I look at her eyes...there is the patch where her eye structure is but you can't really "see" eyes there...it looks almost just like a raised part of the carapace upon very close inspection. I took some up close pictures and am not sure how they will come out. Now I know they are almost blind and most hunting, feeling etc is from their feet/setae...however they must have SOME use of their eyes. I am wondering if this eye problem accounts for some of her hunting troubles, skittish behavior and drag lines in small quarters? Anette got her as a rescue and she is yet to molt in our care, so we do not know her age. She is sexed as female by a breeder friend of mine but age is unknown.
I also noticed that she if you shine a light into her eyes etc there is not a slight reaction or anything. My other T's HATE having a bright light shined on them that way, especially at thier eyes and will hide...She has no reaction at all but jolts if you touch her. I could be way off base...I plan to get a magnifying glass this afternoon and take a closer look. I also will blow up the pictures I took. Here are some I took when I first brought her home...however nothing is particularly up close. All I really want to know is if anyone has encountered this and if it really would make any difference at all? I have had many T's over the last 12 years and never experienced something like this. Her ocular structure is also very different then my other friends 3" P. scrofa..until I am able to look edit pictures of her eyes from last night..this is all I have.
Ghost-Tomato in her new home…as you can see she decided to take the air on the bridge…

Cruising back down…hmmm so much territory to cover. She seems very relaxed. At this point she was slowly cruising around.

One of Anette's pictures of her prior to my care....

[Mark Pennell]

Hi Tabbie
Funny things tarantulas, I often sit in my spider room/office at night quietly watching the tarantulas go about their business. I often use a small touch to observe them better.

Most stop what they are doing straight away others seem less bothered and carry on.

On several occasions while in Malaysia on night walks to observe the local tarantulas I have noticed that even bright light from my halogen head touch does not bother them and they are easily duped into coming out even further with a tickling stick.

They would only really bolt back down when there was excessive noise and even more response came from air movement.

This last year in the swamp forests of Sabah Borneo several of us stood at a base of a tree watching a large Cyriopagopus sp about 30 feet spread nicely out on the trunk. All of us using high powered torches, flash photography but being pretty quiet. The spider remained on the tree in view.

It was only when several large moths attracted by the lights on the tree did she move. She captured one moth and retired down the hole in the tree to dine.

Now to address your Paraphysa scrofa, looking at the image it does look to me that there is scar tissue on the ocular arrangement, suggesting to me that during a molt at one point in her life she may have been a bit close to the heat source and pretty much fried herself, and over subsequent molts she has formed a solid cuticle scar rather than regaining her eyes.

I have seen this a few times but its more often seem on the abdomen.
Can’t see this bothering her to much and she does look extremely healthy.

Many thanks for sharing this with us. Oh and welcome to the BTS forum

Regards
Mark

[TabbieNorton]

Hi Mark,

Thank you, this forum is great. She is certainly healthy and not aggressive but the behavior and strange appearance of the eyes did get me to thinking. I as well often look them over or just sit back and contemplate what they could be up to and sometimes this raises questions. Thanks for getting back to me and posting a response. This gives me some strong food for thought that is much appreciated!

I will post again one of these days when she molts again since you can bet I will be watching her eye development.

[Glen Feasey]

Hi Tabbie, i cant offer any comments about your possible blind spider but i just wanted to say how healthy she looks and also how much i liked your tank set up! The bridge is an idea i will nick in the future!

Thanks, Glen

[Phil Rea]

Carl Portman had a spider either without or having a partial ocular tubercle didn't he? Only one pedipalp too. Seemed to do fine.

Are the 'draglines' left there permanently Tabbie, or does she lay them again when she's wandering?

[Ray Gabriel]

Thoas Ezendam had a G. rosea with no occualr tubercle, and cave theraphosids dont have any occular tubercle at all.

Ray

[TabbieNorton]

Carl Portman had a spider either without or having a partial ocular tubercle didn't he? Only one pedipalp too. Seemed to do fine.

Are the 'draglines' left there permanently Tabbie, or does she lay them again when she's wandering?

You know I could be wrong but it seems they are the same draglines...they go from her bridge to the water dish and back...interesting! I did manage to get some up close pics if that would help.

[TabbieNorton]

OK Here is the best I could do on a close up….from what I can gather panning in…her left side has a good eye or two and the right side is the side with more scarring.