Re-juvenated legs ?????

[Neil Ashby]

As you may know , my t blondi has lost a leg . I have been told that she will grow it back and there should be a smaller leg in the next molt .

What amazes me is where does the leg come from ,where abouts does it grow and how does it grow without affecting the new skin ? . Obviously there isnt a leg there on the outside for it to grow inside that ,so does it grow under the carapace ?

[Toran Tanner]

Most likely she willl not grow the leg back on the next molt. If she holds off on molting for awhile then she may. I had a H. lividum who lost a leg and it took 2 molts for a new leg to appear. good luck though hope she gets better

[Neil Ashby]

Thanks Toran , but i was really just asking about them in general and where abouts the leg develops within the T !

[Neil Martin]

I'm intrigued about this as well, because my L.Para has it's right pedipalp missing and I can't see where it can develop, without the old one being at least partly there?

[Chris Wheeler (Gigus)]

for those who haven't seen the thread on arachnophiles, tarantula leg regeneration does not occur when the trochanter of the limb has been removed.

[Mark Pennell]

The leg is formed within the body of the spider, it will be small but next molt or so be back to normal.

I have had T's lose a leg during a molt, lost the leg right at the basel joint. This was an adult tarantula over 14 years old. Next molt her leg was back. Yes a great deal smaller but well formed.

Regards
Mark

[Chris Wheeler (Gigus)]

interesting mark, i have heard of spiders losing the leg right down to the coxa and then not reforming the leg in a later moult, they were both new world sopiders though, what species was yours/

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[Mark Pennell]

interesting mark, i have heard of spiders losing the leg right down to the coxa and then not reforming the leg in a later moult, they were both new world sopiders though, what species was yours/

[shift key not working sorry]

Chris
B,boehmei and the leg was lost completely, I have never heard of the leg not forming after a molt, so thats a new one on me. Over 25 years of keeping tarantulas have never had this happen. A small leg always appeared after a molt.

Seems a strange thing, that tarantulas are capable of autotomy therefore have a cut off valve between the coxa and trochanter which stops the spider bleeding to death after a loss of a limb a near miss with a predator or during mating perhaps yet supposedly then wont go on to regenerate the leg.

This seems a weird survival strategy. I have removed legs at this joint to save tarantulas - all reformed a leg.

Regards
Mark

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Mark, this sometimes happens as the regeneration depends on many factors.
Subadult males sometimes never regenerate legs after the molt if 1-2 are lefted to adulthood, spinnerets also sometimes don't regrow at 3-4 molts as I've experienced myself.
If I remember correct something like is discussing at Alan Mans. Principles of regeneration at spiders // 2003. (as I've read as a references). I also believe Guy Tansley have dig some up as I got some paper with the reference to: Guy Tansley.: « Anatomy and Morphology of Spiders. Features of Organization», 1999.
Some Pikkok and Mattson (spelling) papers or books also should be available.

[Mark Pennell]

Mark, this sometimes happens as the regeneration depends on many factors.
Subadult males sometimes never regenerate legs after the molt if 1-2 are lefted to adulthood, spinnerets also sometimes don't regrow at 3-4 molts as I've experienced myself.
If I remember correct something like is discussing at Alan Mans. Principles of regeneration at spiders // 2003. (as I've read as a references). I also believe Guy Tansley have dig some up as I got some paper with the reference to: Guy Tansley.: « Anatomy and Morphology of Spiders. Features of Organization», 1999.
Some Pikkok and Mattson (spelling) papers or books also should be available.

Mikhail
I check that out, but I have never experienced this, all mine where female and new world species though.

All produce a small leg on the next molt cycle, I can see that there could be factors that my influence this though. Guess I have been lucky
Of course if the spider was well into the molt cycle, I see how it might not reform a leg.

Cheers
M

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Hello Mark!

Personally me experienced with the only spinneret case in my Brachypelma annitha adult female. In all other cases of lost "walking legs" or palps every time the limb fully regrow after 2nd molt no matter from which segment (coxa etc) it was losted and no matter of the age and species of theraphosidae.

[Neil Ashby]

Fantastic replies , really informative , thankyou !

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Hi All!
Some rather old but still very nice reading indeed:
ELLIS, C. H. (1944) THE MECHANISM OF EXTENSION IN THE LEGS OF SPIDERS. Biol. Bull., Feb 1944; 86: 41 - 50.
Found at:

http://www.biolbull.org/cgi/reprint/86/1/41?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=tarantula&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=90&sortspec=relevance&tdate=8/31/2007&resourcetype=HWCIT

[Neil Martin]

Looks like we can put this one to the test - my L.Para (with a missing pedipalp) has just gone over onto its' back (Sun 19th) so it will be interesting to see what grows back?

I will try to get some shots through the process as it has flipped over outside of its' hide.

[Eduard Johan Hijmensen]

this thread just isn't complete with out a picture.