I think my GBB has died. I found it this morning lying on it's side against the glass with it's legs curled up. (not all the way curled up though) I'm unsure because it's lying on it's side. So I've sprayed a fair amount of water into the tank and covered the ventilation a bit. Just in case it's molting. It hasn't eaten for about 3 weeks, so a molt was imminent.

When I touch it lightly with tweezers, it doesn't respond. What do you guys think?

I have been doing some reading up, and it seems it is not that uncommon for Ts to molt on their sides. Now I have another problem. There is a cricket in the tank. I put it in about 10 days ago, and thought the T had eaten it, but I saw it again a few days ago. I tried to remove it, but it hides in the Ts burrow and i can't get it out. I haven't seen it since then. Do you think it poses a significant threat to the GBB? I would hate to lose the T. It really is quite a pretty specimen. The cricket is small and the T is about 6cm in size.

A cricket can hurt the tarantula during a molt that could kill the T. You should really try to remove the cricket, never a good thing to have them in the enclosure for long. If they die, it can cause a mite infestation as well.

Quick add some carrot shavings or a dog pellet to the tank this way the cricket will eat the food and hopefully not the T.

Crush the burrow, as long as the T is not in of course.

Visser wrote: I think my GBB has died. I found it this morning lying on it's side against the glass with it's legs curled up. (not all the way curled up though) I'm unsure because it's lying on it's side. So I've sprayed a fair amount of water into the tank and covered the ventilation a bit. Just in case it's molting. It hasn't eaten for about 3 weeks, so a molt was imminent.

When I touch it lightly with tweezers, it doesn't respond. What do you guys think?

I would leave it if it is going to molt it will/should have started to molt.
Try not to disturb it, if it is in the process of starting to molt it will not respond to you touching it. So give it a chance.

You will see soon enough if it was a molt or if it is dead!


My Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (GBB) molted 3 days ago, also stopped eating for about 2 weeks. and sat in one spot of it's webbing for a couple of days.