My water burn theory. Your thoughts

[Toran Tanner]

I Have been working on a new theory about abdomen blisters/hernias and molt issues. I have posted this in other forums with little response.

"water burn" Is what I call this. I have found that Tarantulas that are kept in highly humid environments with soaked substrate with little or no ventilation. Can cause like a pruning effect like when you are in the water to long, which cause's the cuticle to become soft and blister. Think of it like this if you take a tire inner tube pump it up with way more air than is need it will make a bubble or blister then pop at the weakest spot being the thinnest and softest. Tarantulas run off of pressure as well and pressure seeks the weak spots. If the Tarantula is a heavy bodied T such as a blondi they may drag their abdomens which may speed this up. I attribute blondi molt issues to Water burn.
I have been working few test and have found that dry specie's exposed to very wet conditions fall in heath in the long run as well as species that need a higher humidity need. I believe many molt issues could solved by paying closer attention to details of humidity and gradients.

I am not saying this 100% true. And this is just a theory that I have been working on for some time. So Water Burn is not a real term just something I have come up with to name this Phenomenon and shortly explain my theory.

I would love to hear you thoughts
hope this makes sense as I am terrible with putting words togethers

[Jeremy D. Hoge]

I'll have to give this some thought and investigate the properties of tarantula skin. Very interesting theory. Thanks for shareing.

[Elaine Ross]

I dont really know anything about water burn in Tarantula's but I know that wet weather can cause rain scald in horses.
It is caused by a bacteria called Dermatophilus congolensis which lies dormant during dry weather but when the horse gets wet over a prolonged time it can surface and cause matting of the hair with blistering and scabs forming on the skin. This can be transfered from horse to horse through contact.
Its probably not the same thing that we see on Tarantula's but maybe something along similar lines?

Just a newbie's thoughts.
Elaine

[Colin D Wilson]

Interesting theory Toran, and quite possible.
It's always been an ongoing task to have as correct a humidity and temperature for your spiders to offer problem free moults.
In captivity we can offer a more controlled environment with no weather extreems that occur in natural habitats therefore helping as much as we can in the moulting process.
When you ran your "tests" were you able to run a "control" subject alongside offering the correct environmental conditions, offering a similar feeding regimen?, as this would offer more validity to the results of the project.

I've polled my personal vote in the affirmative after a little contemplation and online research.

Colin

ps when are you (or are you still) heading for the UK?

[Bryan_Dennis]

Feeling evil on a grey day....

Ok but what you are basically coming down to Toran is that keeping your inverts under conditions unaccustomed to them can have dire results.......I think thats a lesson everyone learnt here on day one.

I have been working few test and have found that dry specie's exposed to very wet conditions fall in heath in the long run

Likewise. That's not very surprising Toran...thats why most people who keep spiders or whatever try to create the same conditions the animal would experience at home.

I believe many molt issues could solved by paying closer attention to details of humidity and gradients.

Ditto......

[Nicola Dolby]

I understand what you're saying Toran but first you need to be able to establish pressure levels within the normal healthy tarantula, and whether these alter from species to species (also from body part to body part).

[Toran Tanner]

ps when are you (or are you still) heading for the UK?

Yes I am still heading there and should be in a month or 2 and I am bring a big surprise.

Feeling evil on a grey day....

Ok but what you are basically coming down to Toran is that keeping your inverts under conditions unaccustomed to them can have dire results.......I think thats a lesson everyone learnt here on day one.

I think you mis understood me I mean this in the sense that most people keep alot of T like blondi's in conditions that are wrong. most believe blondi's need high humidity which they sort a do but not 80 90 or 100 I have over the past few months watch blondi threads one after another with bad molts leading to loss of fangs, loss of legs or life. but my main focus is what are thought to be just hernias that no one can explain, I think I can "water Burns" from to much humidity or water..

Likewise. That's not very surprising Toran...thats why most people who keep spiders or whatever try to create the same conditions the animal would experience at home.

Putting a blondi in 10 G tank with 3 in of soaking wet peat is not the same as a blondi"s native home. not saying everyone is doing just that. but i am guessing the majority that are having problems do.

[Bryan_Dennis]

I think you mis understood me

No i didn't misunderstand you Toran, i was just being naughty..sorry!

It's myth's mate.....you could call them my pet hate. Not just myth's pertaining to spiders and their husbandry but all myth's in general

Anyway, your water burn theory...

I have found that Tarantulas that are kept in highly humid environments with soaked substrate with little or no ventilation. Can cause like a pruning effect like when you are in the water to long, which cause's the cuticle to become soft and blister

The thing is Toran..we shrivel and prune up after being in the bath because the natural oils we have on our skin at any one time are washed away. This allows water to enter the outer layers of skin..So using the expression "shrivel" is wrong because what actually happens is we "swell". It's just that some places on our fingers and feet swell more than others....this gives them the appearence of being shrivelled and prune looking.

Your theory assumes that the same mechanical processes also apply to spiders despite that their whole physiology is different from ours.......

Don't get me wrong Toran...i agree with you 100% that if you keep your blondi on 3 inches of wet soil then the poor creature is most likely to develop problems......but whether it'll be hernia's, fungus, bacteria, bad genes, mites, water burn or a 7rd, 8th, 9th or 10th thing or a combination of one or all of them, i don't know......

[Colin D Wilson]

Toran,
Don't forget to email me when you get here, we'll have a day out and see the sights. (if it's not raining still and the UK's not under water by then)