Moulting advice needed pretty please

[Nicola Summers]

Hi all,

I have come in from work to find my Avic Amazonica sling lying motionless upside down on its back, so I took it out of its tub to check it was OK and not dead. A leg began to twich as I had it on my hand so I put it back in its tub.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, by me to do this as I now realise he was probably moulting, and I've have probably killed him. I only took him out as last time he moulted he did webbed to the side of the tub he is in so this time I thought he was dead.

Anyone handled a moulting spid and had it live to see another day?? I feel so bad as this was the first spid that I bought to start my collection.

[Colin D Wilson]

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, many people have handled moulting spiders (either by accident or by having to intervene in some way) and the spiders have lived to tell the tale, i won't say that this is always the case though unfortunately.
If handling was very gentle then you might not have reason to be worried.

As a general rule (but not a golden one) spiders die "right way up" with their legs curled underneath them (in simple terms their body loses the "pressure" they would use to move the legs out)

If you placed the sling back in the position it was then there's a possibility it will go through the moulting process as per usual, if there's any damage to legs etc from handling then this will more than likely be sorted out next moult.

Keep us up to date ok