Does your spider wobble?

[Serpent_Nirvana]

I think the term "wobble" is just a general umbrella term for any neurological symptom displayed by an animal with the spider gene.

Interestingly, this is not unique to snakes. In both dogs and horses, animals born with a certain type of ataxia are often called "wobblers" or said to have "wobbler syndrome."

There are better, more accurate terms for the various causative disorders in these species (ie, cervical vertebral stenosis, etc.), but the umbrella term "wobbler" persists.

I think that a better name for what we see might be "Spider ball python neurologic syndrome" (at least until we can pinpoint a more specific cause), but that isn't as easy to say as "wobbler"

... In my little group:

Bumblebee male -- Has not changed since I got him as a small adult: will occasionally spin if stressed; may miss the prey on the first strike. Eats great and breeds like a machine.

Spider female -- No clinical signs at all until approximately three years old and >1500 grams or so. Now she spins, corkscrews, head-tilts, strikes inaccurately, etc. She went from being totally asymptomatic to the most affected spider morph I own. Still eats great, and always has.

Spinner male -- Mild head tilt/"off" acting when I first got him. Now at 1000 grams has no signs whatsoever. Eats like crazy.

... Both bee and spider will stop acting "neuro" if interrupted. Sometimes it seems as if the spinning is voluntary. I don't really know what to make of it.

So, for my limited sample size, I would say that yes, the vast majority of spiders and their crosses exhibit some degree of neurologic disease, and the vast majority of spiders have an excellent appetite and, interestingly, seem to thrive in captivity.

... I could talk all day about this subject, but I'll spare you, ha!