Unkown affliction on mature male Selenocosmia Javanensis

[Tom Dauncey]

Hello everyone,

I recently made a bit of a silly purchase from a no-longer-local reptile house (I moved away two days after the purchase): a mature male S. Javanensis, only I didn't discover it was mature until it fully showed itself the other day. A pretty daft oversight on my part. Anyway. After investigating it more closely I found these strange white dots around the chelicerae:

http://imageshack.us/a/img829/9637/dscf0712o.jpg

My initial thought was mites, but I've been monitoring the spider closely since I found them and the dots are neither moving or multiplying, and I don't see any on the substrate or in the water dish. I've asked around on another forum I use and the more experienced users there don't seem to think it's mites, but they don't know what else it could be either (or so I gathered). Does anyone on here have any idea what they could be, and/or where they could have come from? I've ruled out my crickets as I've had this batch longer than I've had the Javanensis, and none of my other spiders have the condition.

Whatever these little dots are they don't seem to be distressing the spider, and he's still eating, so I'm guessing it can't be anything immediately life-threatening. My main concern is whether or not anyone will let him near their female with whatever it is he has on him - I'd hate to see him expire without doing what he was born to do. I haven't advertised him yet as I cannot identify what exactly he has!

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help,

Tom.

[Matthew Bagley]

I'd have to say some form of mite . Can't really see them properly even when I zoomed in the pic but they are where I'd expect to see them . Had a few T's with mites in the past . Mites love it really damp so I suggest letting in dry out a fair bit but keep the water bowl full .

[Tom Dauncey]

Thanks for the reply Matthew, I'll try that and see what happens. I've seen pictures of tarantulas with mites and I have to say that is what it looks like, but they don't appear to be moving, and I can't see them anywhere else, on the spider or in the tank. Time will tell I s'pose - I just hope he doesn't run out of it before his little problem clears up!

[Matthew Bagley]

the mites I've seen on my T's don't seem to move . I've heard they're hitch hikers betwween meals . whether they are or not ....

[Tom Dauncey]

I read something similar somewhere. Have you managed to rid yourself of them in the past, then?

[Matthew Bagley]

I have , I let the tub dry right out and controlled how much water got into the tub . Got to be careful though , I think you still need to leave some drinking water in there for the T .

[Tom Dauncey]

I've been keeping his dish topped up, yeah. How did you go about drying the sub, exactly?