Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A week ago my spider starting acting weird. He tries to move upside down. Then he will sit there with his head back just looking back. He does it a lot but not all day. I have only had him for 3 or 4 months now. I was told it could be star gazing and I dont know what that is or what to do for him. Can you help me? I need to know if i should take him to a vet? Can any of you tell me what may be wrong and what I should do. He is a 2004. This has been going on for about a week now. Thanks so much.

Rach

Spiders are notorious for "head wobble." This may be linked to that. I assume it is in the genetics. Your "star gazing" is most likely nothing to be worried about. If it gets worse or he starts showing other symptoms, then you could take him to the vet. Hope this helps.

Spiders can develop the 'head wobble' or act in a 'stargazing' manner but i was under the impression this shows up at birth and often fades away as the snake matures, sometimes to the point it is barely noticeable.

I can't see it developing 3 years later, unless you just bought the snake and noticed it quite soon after it settled into its new home. If this is the case, than most likely it is the typical spider wobble/stargazing defect.

If you owned the snake for most of its life and this is the first time you noticed this behavior in it...it could be a neurological disease or disorder. Heat stroke can cause it...so check temperatures, check for chances of any exposure to toxic chemicals or other toxins (house or outside, neighbor spraying for insects or infestations of pests etc) Heck, check carbon monoxide levels in the area the snake is housed...
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PHLdyPayne

spiders are known to exhibit behavior similar to symptoms of "IBD". if you got it from a reputable dealer then most likely that is all it is. if you don't already have it quarantined then do so immediately. contact the breeder you got it from to see if they have any sick animals and if you have a good reptile vet close by it couldn't hurt to have it looked at.

my spider has "head wobble" but it isnt too severe, apparently some can have it so bad they "roll over" but I have never witnessed that. He is also absolutely useless at hitting his target when grabbing a rat and they are already dead. Lol
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You all talk Balls,I talk Royals ;0)
www.alpharoyals.co.uk

my spider cant hit the broad side of a barn when striking for food, had some wobble when i first got him, been a couple months now and it is slowly getting better.

He does spin here and there. Since we got him every time you hold him he tries to turn his first half of his body upside down for some reason. He just sits the with about the first 3 or 4 inches of his body up in the air backwards. Or just puts his head back and sits there. We have him isolated from our other snakes just in case to watch him for a few more days to see if I should take him to a vet or not. Thanks to ever for responding. He does good with catching his food. He takes a little while eating it but hits it every time. He ate for me last night. He killed it then just looked at it for awhile before he finished eating it. I am just hoping I have noting to worry about. Thanks again

you have nothing to worry about if he has been doing this all along. It is the normal and expected movement of a spider. They all do it, it's a matter of us seeing it or admitting to it, lol. I have always said I wouldn't get into the spider morph or combos because of the wobble but they make the most awesome combos and they are captive pets, it's ok for them to have a minor tweak or two.
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Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons:::

1.0 striped vanilla
1.0 spider
1.2 Citrus Ghost and hets
1.2 Albino and hets
2.3 het Pied
0.6 50% poss het pied
1.1 Pastel (male has additional gene going on with him)
a bunch of normal female breeders
a bunch of normal female holdbacks and several rescued normal males

0.1 columbian boa, she's a feeding monster, controls my
over production of rats, lol
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa, another rat eating monster
1.1 corns

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

"they are captive pets, it's ok for them to have a minor tweak or two.

Sorry I just about rolled out of my chair when I read that....I wouldn't own a spider if one was GIVEN to me for free...I can't believe people still work with them, and breed them, even worse people are still paying money for them...that also amazes me..
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Executive Reptiles
Amanda Kingsbury & David Kendrick
www.executivereptiles.com

I have no problem with morphs that exhibit problems, ones that come from inbreeding, but can be corrected with outcrossing, but morphs that exhibit problems like Nuero problems and its been proven to be passed on generation after generation, It boggles my mind that people still work with them....Why? With so many more morphs to work with nowdays, people are still googoogaagaa over spiders...

I know many morphs have "problems" but things that cannot be corrected by outcrossing...I choose not to work with, no matter how cool of things can be done with them, or how much money can be made from mixing a Pastel with a Spider...Ooooohhh Bumblebee...I personally like the PinstripexPastel better anyway...

Just my opinion...
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Executive Reptiles
Amanda Kingsbury & David Kendrick
www.executivereptiles.com

I own a spider, and when I got him, as a baby, I noticed a tiny head wobble. After about 2-3 weeks, perfectly normal. No more wobble, and he hits target every time. This goes to show that not every spider has problems. I would suggest to anyone wanting to get one, to check them out first. Or buy from a reptuable breeder, and ask questions. Just my opinion.

eccept you ExecutiveReptiles Lol

Not really but I bet a lot of you would jump to the chance!
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You all talk Balls,I talk Royals ;0)
www.alpharoyals.co.uk