Brent wrote: ... 1.We have had some really weird weather down in Welkom-insane thunderstorms and then days of extreme heat-How much effect does this have on t's? Has it got more effect on slings than on mature t's? ...
Stop and think for a moment. Tarantulas' ancestors and tarantulas themselves have been around for nearly a half
BILLION years. They've seen it all! They've survived the full gamut of natural disasters from continental breakups and collisions, comet strikes, ice ages, and being peed on by wooly mammoths right down to surviving the horrendous care given them in your friendly, neighborhood, pet shop! What would possibly make you think that something like a thunderstorm would have any effect whatsoever?
And somehow, someway, enthusiasts have gotten the idea into their heads that because tarantulas are cold blooded they need a lot of extra temperature support and pampering to survive in a cage.
NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Tarantulas do not shiver and run for a winter coat as soon as the air temperature drops below 22 C! Neither do they cower in front of their air conditioners when it goes over 26 or 27 C!
The basic rule still holds true:
IF YOU DON'T NEED A WOOL SWEATER OR A PARKA BECAUSE IT'S SO COLD...
OR, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN NAKED BECAUSE IT'S SO HOT...
ANY TEMPERATURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AT WILL SUIT YOUR TARANTULA JUST FINE!
LISTEN UP EVERYBODY! PAY ATTENTION!
WE'RE THE FRAGILE SPECIES, NOT THE TARANTULAS!
Brent wrote: ... 2. I lost 2 slings in this time,Can it because of this rapid weather changing?If so how can the loss of slings be prevented in constant changing weather? ...
Almost surely coincidental. There are an almost uncountable number of reasons why a baby or spiderling tarantula would die; or why the death rate for them is higher than for adults. In a nut shell, the weak, defective,
UNLUCKY ones are least likely to survive to adulthood. They have the higher mortality rate. See the essay at the end.
Brent wrote: ... 3. Most slings molt on there backs but I have heard of cases where slings molt lying on there abdomen- ...
This state is relatively rare. Don't worry about it. But, if your tarantula begins to display the "death curl" you need to act fast. But, that's a different story. If it happens get back to us by resurrecting this thread so we have some background on your history.
Brent wrote: ... if I ever come across this how would I differentiate between a dead t and a molting t- ...
After about three days (maybe two in S. Africa's heat) the dead tarantula will begin to stink.
Brent wrote: ... as touching a molting t could be fatal? ...
No, touching it isn't fatal. Moving it, as in changing its posture or position could be. Unless you know what you're doing leave it alone. Remember, these things have been doing this successfully for so long that ... Well, you get the idea.
On the subject of survival, here's something that should make you think:
AN IDYLLIC NIGHTMARE
It is difficult to fully appreciate the magnitude of mortality rates in nature. Let's consider a generic tarantula: The female matures at age five years and dies at age twenty. Her reproductive career is fifteen years long. During that time she mates with one male per year and produces one eggsac of 200 babies per year. Thus, during her life she produces 15 X 200 = 3,000 babies.
If the population of her species is to remain stable over the long run, she must replace herself and fifteen males, a total of sixteen offspring. All the rest of those 3,000 babies (3000-16 = 2984) must die. The mortality rate is a brutal 2984/3000 X 100 = 99.47%!
In order to survive long enough to reproduce, any baby tarantula must have both ABSOLUTELY NO DEFECTS,
and MUST BE INCREDIBLY LUCKY!
Neat creatures, no?
