MM behaviour then DEAD!

[Iain Condy]

Okay my MM(unidentified sp) became very jerky in his movements a couple of weeks ago, this gradually became worse and then on Saturday night he was the right way up with his legs curled in tight, but not underneath, when disturbed he would jerk about for a second but either would not or could not move away from where he was in his tank. On rising on Sunday morning he was about 6" from where i had left him the previous evening. He was in a normal resting position legs normal with the body on the substrate. But after a couple of hours he had not moved, and upon closer inspection he was found to be dead!

Is this normal for the demise of a mature male spider?

Also please do not make the mistake I have just done and mispell substrate as SUBSTARTE as it sounds like a lower class of call girl

[Mrs Linda Street]

Hi Iain, sorry to hear your T has died, it's always sad to lose one, obviously something was wrong with him, by the movements you observed previously. Any spiders that we've lost, have always gone into a death curl, never lost one in the position you've mentioned.

[wayne balcombe]

my first spider was a G.Rosea which matured as a male and he eventually passed on in a similar way though i dont think he had the jerky movements, at the time i just figured that he didn't curl up strait away as he hadn't started to dry out yet and didn't die from heamorrage of heamolymph. he just seemed to lay down and die, just went all floppy so to speak

[Ray Gabriel]

Hi ian,

Sorry for your loss if you still have the male he could be usefull (and a possible ID) for the Museum at Oxford.

Cheers

Ray

[Peter Lacey]

Hi Ray, I have an adult female G. mollicoma Southern sitting in the freezer at mo. What's the best way to transport this?
Presumably you'll be at Kempton?

[Ray Gabriel]

Hi Peter,

yep ill be at kemptom,

best way to pack is with lots of tissue, to stop the specimen rolling around.

I will be on the spider shop tables for most of the day.

Cheers Ray