Tarantulas can not only repair themselves if they are injured, but can also re-grow lost limbs, whether that be fangs or legs. Unfortunately due to a bad moult one of my spiders was forced to do such a task and re-grow a back leg.
I was forced with a decision of whether to remove the leg or just leave it be. After asking fellow spiders keepers opinions one guy said "leave it be, they do just fine in the wild without 'interfering' humans". This I thought was the best decision to take, and the spider took care of itself just nicely.
Below shows the spider in question before, during and after the ordeal, I will be posting more pictures as soon as she moults again.
Click on the pictures for a larger image
| Here she is a happy chubby spider, everything was just fine at this stage until she moulted. |  |
| As can be seen by this picture the back leg
didn't shed, at this stage i wondered what would happen to the leg. As it happens after
about two weeks most of the leg just snapped off, as though the old leg was acting like a
tourniquet and constricting the leg till it was dead.
|
 |
| This is the first regrowth of the leg, as can be seen it doesn't look much like your average fuzzy spider limb at this initial stage. |  |
| This shows the second growth of the leg and how it is in it's present state, already the limb is beginning to take shape. |  |
Click here to back to the main
Tarantula page