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Early molt

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
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220
Well guys I have some certainly interesting news. October, my B. Boehmei has just molted for the third time since I got him July 2015 and it's 2 months earlier than I was anticipating. Sure hope that's natural and healthy. None the less I'm very proud of him. He probably easily has a 4 inch leg-span now but I'll know for sure when he comes out he's less curled up and sluggish in a few days. He even made himself a little silk bed/hammock thing that he's been in for a few days and I only just now realized he molted because I found the exoskeleton and he's so fresh looking now. He'll be able to eat again in about a week to make sure his fangs harden. It's surprising though I have to say. There's of course no as of yet known way to predict exactly when they will molt but I kept track of his molts and thought I noticed a pattern. I got him at a 3 inch leg-span and he first molted on September 25th 2015 and a second time on March 25th 2016 exactly 6 months apart so I was predicting he would molt again probably in September or October of this year but he only did so after a little more than 4 months this time. Strange for sure but also fantastic! For those of you who haven't seen it this is my most recent picture of him when he finally let me hold him a couple weeks ago. Now he's even bigger.
 

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kormath

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molts never happen on a planned schedule ;) they molt when they're ready even if we're not. I've had some of my slings to like 80 days between molts and almost half that for the next molt.

Congrats on the molt!
 

Phil

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Congratulations. Agree with the others here, I have a spreadsheet and a graph for all my molts. You think you know when, and then they surprise you. I have got a sling at the moment (Chile flame zebra - Grammostola concepicon) that arrived 30.03.16 as a 1cm sling, never stops eating, fed twice a week and has yet to moult in my care 120+ days in and still no sign of pre-moult. And others that suddenly just flip over and catch you out even though they are supposedly slow growers like my Grammostola pulchra who surprised me last week. That reminds me. Must update my T list with the new moult dates . Point is, enjoy the new colours and just marvel in the fantastic way they surprise us all the time. ☺
 

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
molts never happen on a planned schedule ;) they molt when they're ready even if we're not. I've had some of my slings to like 80 days between molts and almost half that for the next molt.

Congrats on the molt!

Thanks Kormath! I looked his last two molts (sadly I lost the first one) and noticed a major size difference. That is so exciting :) He's doing so good. I can't wait until Habanero, my new B. Smithi has his first molt :)
 

Allthingsterrarium

Active Member
3 Year Member
Messages
220
Congratulations. Agree with the others here, I have a spreadsheet and a graph for all my molts. You think you know when, and then they surprise you. I have got a sling at the moment (Chile flame zebra - Grammostola concepicon) that arrived 30.03.16 as a 1cm sling, never stops eating, fed twice a week and has yet to moult in my care 120+ days in and still no sign of pre-moult. And others that suddenly just flip over and catch you out even though they are supposedly slow growers like my Grammostola pulchra who surprised me last week. That reminds me. Must update my T list with the new moult dates . Point is, enjoy the new colours and just marvel in the fantastic way they surprise us all the time. ☺

Thanks so much Phil! I remember the first time he molted last year. I went to bed one night after checking on him and then the next morning I see him as strong as a horse with a shed molt next to him and I'm like "look at you being sneaky and growing under my nose!" And yes I love seeing his new size and colors whenever he does it. When he molts he's always a bright orange like you see in all the pictures of b. boehmei but then after a while he becomes a softer "golden retriever" orange which I think is funny because all the firelegs I see are always the brighter orange.
 

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