Advice please deformities after shedding A Geniculata

[jasonweald]

Hi I have a sub adult A Geniculata which has just moulted but unlike the last two sheds which have been fine, this time the spider has some leg deformaties and the pedipalps look enlarged and swollen and pinkish in colour. Wasn't sure it would survive overnight as it had remained on its back after shedding. This morning I gently turned it upright and can see that it definitely has some twisted legs and set at odd angles. Is this something that the spider will survive or do I need to be thinking of euthanising? I haven't had the spider sexed but it's leg span is about 4 inches at present. I will try and take a photo but anxious not to disturb it any more than necessary

[Stuart Baker]

Hi Jason,

Possibly a silly question, but are you sure it isn't a male that has undergone it's ultimate moult? They have pedipalps that are very different in appearance to a juvenile's or adult female's. They also tend to have very spindly almost 'bony'-looking legs.

If it is some kind of deformity, if it was my spider, I'd treat it the same as after any other moult. Once it's hardened up, if it can feed itself, it can moult and possibly correct anything that has gone wrong. If it can't feed itself, that when the hard decisions have to be taken.

Hope this helps.

[jasonweald]

Hi Stuart, thanks for the reply. It's not big enough to be mature yet and it just looks deformed. One of its rear legs is almost a third longer than the others and just is laying there straight out with no bend in it. The pedipalps look sore and fleshy and it hasn't moved at all from where I put it but it's still alive. I will try and get a photo on here in the morning. Just gutted at the moment because it was a lovely lively bold spider and it looks in a very sorry state now.

[jasonweald]

Photos

Here are some photos you can see back leg really straight and long

[Stuart Baker]

It's hard to tell from those photos, but my money says it's a mature male. The legs have that certain look about them and "fleshy and sore-looking " would certainly be how I'd describe a freshly-moulted, mature males pedipalps. They do have proportionally long legs when mature and can be surprisingly small. I would treat it like any other freshly moulted individual for now and try to get some better pictures when it has recovered from the moult.

[Richard Harper]

Hi Jason

Here is are a few pics of my MM A. Geniculata if it helps.



Because his Legs are so long and thin sometimes they look broken or bent out of shape.

Hope it helps

Richard

[Paul Hadgett]

The legs do have that "male" look about them with them being spindly and thin. My N chromatus definitely went like that in it's last moult and because I could never get hold on any previous moults it was the only time I knew he was a male. I would let your spider settle and dry out for a few days and then see how it's going on.
I also had a Brachypelma klassi juvenile that had a very bad moult and it was quite easy to see something wasn't right and sadly it didn't survive besides my best efforts to save her.

[jasonweald]

Thanks for your comments. I have checked it again tonight and it looks like it is a mature male from the size, shape and colour of the pedipalps. However it still has a rear leg that is twice as long as the others and seems to be semi mobile. It can only shuffle around at moment and just doesn't look healthy or right. I will monitor it over next few days and see if it will take some food at the weekend.

[jasonweald]

Sadly had to euthanise my T today. It transpired that during the last moult he had left his fangs in the old moult and was not going to recover. Took him to my local expert who confirmed what had happened. Sad day but relieved he's not suffering any more.