Species: Tliltocatl verdezi (Mexican Rose Grey)
Indigenous: Guerrero, Alcapuco, Mexico
Habitat: Dry, deciduous forest
Type: New World; Terrestrial
Temper: Docile, Shy
Birthday: May 1st, 2023
Current size (inches): "3
When people ask to see a tarantula up close or possibly hold/touch one, Abella is the spider I bring out
Like most tliltocatl, she's generally passive and relaxed. She often hangs out in the open, and is'nt a heavy webber so her enclosure is tidy. She's usually out for display, making her a really fine spider to show off to guests ^^
When I first acquired her as a sling, I kept her inside the same enclosure I received her in.. Experience has now taught me a valuabe lesson I'll impart here; you should always rehouse a newly received sling. Its good husbandry practise to have definite control of their enviromental quality. A few weeks later, Abella developed something called diskinetic syndome (DKS) and I almost lost her. I quickly quarantined her away from the other spiders and into a new, clean container. Since I didn't know yet at the time what was happening, whether it was contagious or not, and so on, I felt a bit freaked out.
When I first noticed something was wrong, she appeared disorientated and jerky when she walked... In the new enclosure, I laid some lightly moistened white tissue inside, and monitored her daily while researching the condition. Overall there wasn't a lot of helpful information how to care for the sick spider either. All the sources just warned that it was almost always fatal and adding to the stress I was under, and the thought that I could loose my first spider was emotionally compelling me to press on with hope of the small possibility she could survive somehow...
I fed her by prekilling her prey, some juicy blue horn worms. Easy to digest, I thought, and a soft outer body. She wouldn't take any crickets and was too lethargic to hunt them... So I gently pushed her onto the worm. I saw her fangs pierce it and felt some relief to witness her feed. I did this a few more times, while also using a very shallow small bottle cap full of water, I would also coax her towards for a drink. I saw her drink once in this way. Each time she ate or drank, I would help her carefully with a paintbrush to guide her towards it. Maybe my prayers were heard, maybe my routines or vigilence made a difference, I can't exactly say... I tried to make her comfortable. Expecting the worst but after a little-over a week, she pulled through somehow
It took some time, and several molts before she seemed to regain her coordination back enough that she could catch and kill prey on her own. She also seemed to be permanently affected by the condition she suffered. Sometimes when shes walking, she seems to loose her sense of balance, favors one side of her body, sometimes almost falling over as well. It was just over a year when I noticed she would hold herself steady now and ahes grown quite big in a short time. I'm thankful she made it, grateful for her sweet personality, her trust, and I feel ever-bonded with her~