Strange leg movements - normal or odd?

[R Thomas]

Hi All,

Last week I acquired two G. rosea slings each approx 1" but both exhibit what I consider very odd movement. To describe it I would say it is almost as if the spiders are drunk and the legs do not move in the usual synced way. I am sure that if you have seen this behaviour before you will know what I mean.

I have never seen this odd movement before with any other T and just wondered if anyone could enlighten me on whether this is normal for G. rosea slings or not.

I have increased the humidity level in their enclosures incase they are dehydrated but other than the odd walk they do not seem to be having any other issues.

Any help would be appreciated.

Many Thanks,

Richard

[R Thomas]

Having watched them moving after my previous post, the best description I can give is it is like the spider is walking over a 'sticky' surface or hot coals and having to really pull hard to unattach each leg as it moves leading to an exagerated high lift of each leg in an odd order. I suppose only time will tell if this will clear up, perhaps after their next moult.

[Peter Lacey]

Two of the issues that come to mind are dehydration or DKS.
I'd suggest you take them out of their enclosures, put in an ICU (a clean cricket tub will do) without substrate, not too hot but with half the tub laid with moist kitchen towel. Keep disturbance down to a minimum, dark.

What temps have you been keeping them? have they been in a room where hairsprays, nail varnish or other fumes are present.

[R Thomas]

Well, dehydration came to mind initially for me and before putting them into ICU's I thought I would put them in much more humid conditions and observe them. They were purchased from a shop where to my mind they were perhaps kept on too dry a substrate for spiderlings (this is odd really as most shops seem to think tarantulas are swamp dwellers and imho over do the watering). They are however eating small crickets, so they arent off their food and other than the odd movement they both seem to be active and able to get around.

Never heard of DKS, so need to research that term before I can comment on that.

The feedback is however much appreciated and I will try ICU's for both when I get home and see if they improve their mobility over time.

Most shops tend to keep their display cabinet glass clean, so perhaps whatever they use to clean the cabinet glass might have had an effect on the spiderlings? I hope it is nothing too serious though as the thought of a whole load of ill Tarantulas in the shop is now worrying me.

[Colin D Wilson]

DKS = dyskinetic syndrome.

An inaccurate term come to be used in todays lexicon by many to describe a tarantula that has any form of mobility problem.
Dyskinesia is a mammalian issue, primarily a reaction to drugs that produces involuntary twitches, tics and choreia after such treatment.

Most problems are linked to dehydration, hyper hydration, parasite infestation (primarily wild caught specimens), chemical toxicity, infection (or chemical imbalance through nutrition) and (in in the long process of being confirmed) the results of severe inbreeding.

[R Thomas]

Thanks Colin, I had found some basic information on DKS which seems to suggest its a catch all phrase for an illness with often unknown causes. I placed the two spiderlings into ICU's yesterday evening and I think there has been an improvement in at least one of them overnight. I am hoping that it turns out to be purely dehydration as if it is DKS it sounds like they have a vastly shortened lifespan ahead of them.