Head wobble...

When I first joined this site a couple months ago it was for this very concern. I bought my first BP, a beautiful Bumblebee, and she exhibited head wobble and while crawling in her cage she did some corkscrew maneuvers. From what I have learned, it is braindamage from inbreeding. I grew to love her even more, she is kind of special. But over the last couple months she has stopped this behavior for the most part. In her cage she occasionally acts strange, but it is getting less all the time. Out of her cage she never does this, she always acts totaly normal. I am beginning to believe this neurological problem is also part of the reason she is such a good pet. My cage is totally dialed in with temps and humidity, lots of hide spots, etc... But she is always out and about and rarely uses her hide spots. She usually sits on a rock or on top of the hide. It is strange that whenever I come near the cage and make noise, she becomes alert and crawls toward the glass. I can pick her up and time and she seems confident and unstressed. So maybe she is too stupid to be scared, so in my opinion she is the perfect pet.

Gary

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

I sent a spider to GA it never did any of th extreme stuff I've seen in some others. It gets to GA gets set up and BAM! the thing starts spinning.

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can anyone link me to a video of a spider BP's head wobble? The only one I could find on youtube was removed by the user.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

can anyone link me to a video of a spider BP's head wobble? The only one I could find on youtube was removed by the user.

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NOt my videos

But this spider is a mild spinner. Spinning doesn't really seem to affect them they eat, shed, poop, they are just a little tweaked.

He flops and watch around 1:45 - 1:55 you'll see it sort of nod up and down that some of that spinning

YouTube - Mr. Wibbles Wobbles Part 1
.33 secs - 40 secs.
YouTube - Mr. Wibbles Wobbles Part 2

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Originally Posted by MDB

not true my male spider has no wobble at all. But when he does breed there is the possibility that his hatchlings will have a wobble.

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Just want to make sure I understand... I'm very new to bp's. So, what you're trying to say is that if your spider produces a bumblebee it could have a wobble? Or are you saying if your spider produces another spider it might have a wobble....

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Originally Posted by anatess

Just want to make sure I understand... I'm very new to bp's. So, what you're trying to say is that if your spider produces a bumblebee it could have a wobble? Or are you saying if your spider produces another spider it might have a wobble....

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Both. :gj:

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Originally Posted by gtlevine

. From what I have learned, it is braindamage from inbreeding.

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Actually, I talked to Kevin from NERD about this, they imported one of (if not the) first spiders and she exhibited the "wobble". It's just a genetic trait that has been passed down through all the subsequent generations! It's really not caused by inbreeding.

There's different theories on what causes spiders to "wobble" the one that holds the most weight for me (though I can't confirm or deny it's accuracy) is that the gene which causes the pattern variations is on the same allele as the gene which controls their vision. Thereby causing them to constantly see the world as spinning. No idea if that's true or not I just thought it was kind of interesting.

I've seen, personally in my spider (who I bought from NERD) that he's got some of the "wobble" and he'll do a little bit of corkscrewing when I'm holding him and gets a little shaky sometimes when I offer him food. But all in all he's a happy, healthy little pig of a snake who never refuses a meal.

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Originally Posted by anatess

Just want to make sure I understand... I'm very new to bp's. So, what you're trying to say is that if your spider produces a bumblebee it could have a wobble? Or are you saying if your spider produces another spider it might have a wobble....

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Yes, it could have a wobble (the bee).

I've even seen people who swear that theirs don't wobble, post spider pictures, and you can tell from the picture that theirs also wobbles - just in the tilt of the head that non-spiders seldom display. As Adam describes it in his blog - it's like a puppy tilting it's head when it looks at you - you see the same thing in pictures of most spiders (at least since I've started paying attention to photos).

It may be genetic, but I personally believe it's an equilibrium problem - to varying degrees that all spiders have. I do NOT believe that it's neurological. This is simply my opinion.

Here are a few pictures of mine to show you what I mean about the head tilt in photos - and all of mine "wobble" from barely noticeable to one that loops in her enclosure, but as soon as you take her out and hold her or let her cruise on the floor, shows no signs of a wobble.

Head tilted to side in photo - but no discernable "wobble" in person:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...r/IMG_4724.jpg

This is the one that Ed sent to GA that didn't wobble before he sent her, and she's the one that loops in her enclosure, but acts completely "normal" when handled and cruising around on the floor:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...r/IMG_4674.jpg

You can see a slight head tilt in this photo:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...r/IMG_4684.jpg

and even though Ed didn't notice wobbles with her - she's head tilting in this photo he sent me before she came home:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...r/DSCF5735.jpg

So while I think people genuinely believe that their spiders are wobble free, I don't think that they've looked quite hard enough - that "quirkiness" is there, whether when they are cruising, or when you take pictures you'll see it - it's just part of being a spider - and part of what makes their personality so endearing to so many people!

What I do not understand is I have heard some members in other forums complaining about people breedings spiders with a wobble. Whats the problem with this honestly, I have a spider male 08, with absolutely no problems at all. But I am fully aware that his offspring could have the wobbles, and corkscrews ridicously bad. But the same goes with a spider that has the wobbles his offspring could have no signs at all. So whats the problem?

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Actually, I talked to Kevin from NERD about this, they imported one of (if not the) first spiders and she exhibited the "wobble". It's just a genetic trait that has been passed down through all the subsequent generations! It's really not caused by inbreeding.

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There's only been ONE spider imported from Africa - Kevin's founding spider.