Odd Haplopelma lividum

[darrell hetzel]

hello everyone,

i have recintly purchased a H. lividum and she is acting very odd. when i purchased her she was healthy and burrowing. shortly after a cage change she developed a tear between the carapace and abdomin. she has not yet burrowed and spends most of her time on the walls of the terrarium. last night she lost a leg (unfortuniatly i was not at home to witness how it happened) and ate it. if anyone could help explain the odd behavior of her, i would much appreciate it. thank you for the help.

[Johan van Vuuren]

Hi Darrell,

I might be wrong but it sounds like a stressed spider. Keep her on the dry side for a while to allow for the wounds to heal.

[darrell hetzel]

thanks johan. i was hoping it was as simple as that, but being the pesimist i am, i tend to think of the worst. i will try the advice.

[wayne balcombe]

i've never heard of it with haplopelma spp but some spiders have been known to remove thier own injured limbs, if there is damage to the abdomen it may be possible the spider has also damaged a leg at some stage and has autotomized the limb,

if a spiders leg is removed at the coxa (1st section of the leg closest to carapace) it will be fine and regenerate the limb over the next few molts.

if there is a tear in the abdomen and heamolymph (clear fluid, spiders blood) is leaking from the wound then the heammorhage may need to be manually stemmed, you can used dental paste or vasolene speared over the wound to for a clot, this should be left in place untill the spider has molted and shows no sign of the injury.

[darrell hetzel]

thanks wayne. the first thing i did was check for any fluid and there was none. that is indeed where the limb was removed. i have never heard of any Hoplopelmas removing there injured limbs. has anyone heard of one doing this?

[wayne balcombe]

if the limb was removed at the coxa there would be no leak of heamolymph as there is a sort of built in shut off valve located there, i was refering to the tear in the abdomen..................... a bleed there would have to be stemmed or the spider would "bleed out"

i have never heard of haplopelma spp removing damaged or inactive limbs but i know it has been doccumented in some of the african spp specifically baboon spiders so it is possible other old world species may act in a similar way.

[Johan van Vuuren]

Hi Darryll,

How is the spider doing? Hope you did find the cause to the injuries?

[darrell hetzel]

i never did find the cause of the injuries, but she is doing much better. the lower humidity helped her a lot. she is healing up great. thanks for the concern Johan.