Molt and slings

[rénee]

So I got my A. Avic on December 6th, (s)he is 2cm, the little one has done some webbing, seems to eat most times I drop a meal worm in(which is about 1 or 2 a week), I did feed it a meal worm on Saturday, and refused it so perhaps a molt is coming up?

I'm just curios as to how often slings and of this species tend to molt, I know it depends on feeding, and temp and all that but perhaps a rough estimate would help. I'm only wondering because I would have thought (s)he would have molted by now, and from what I have read they will molt in a burrow, but this little one has not even bothered to try making a burrow yet, (s)he just sits at the very top of the enclosure in its little web matt on the top of the stick, which I know they mainly hang in the air anyways. Is it possible that they may even molt in the open, this little one is pretty comfortable with me being in its enclosure, never seems to get startled easy or anything, and does only come to the ground to eat, drink and clean itself sometimes.

Thanks

 

[Bugmom]

Depending on how often they're fed and temps and all that, I'd expect a molt from an Avic sling every 6-10 weeks.

Refusing to eat is just about the only sign you'll get from an Avic that they are in premolt (unless they are so overfed that you can see their abdomen darken up, but you don't want them to be that fat, arboreals are meant to be leaner than terrestrials).

 

[rénee]

Depending on how often they're fed and temps and all that, I'd expect a molt from an Avic sling every 6-10 weeks.

Refusing to eat is just about the only sign you'll get from an Avic that they are in premolt (unless they are so overfed that you can see their abdomen darken up, but you don't want them to be that fat, arboreals are meant to be leaner than terrestrials).

Thank you! The little ones abdomen is a bit bigger, but (s)he also seems to be sitting around in 1 spot these past few days, (s)he is usually very active and all over the place, I'm not sure when it molted before being in my care, but if I have already had (s)he for 5.5 weeks, perhaps there is a molt coming up soon, I hope so

 

[kormath]

Is there any indication other than fasting they're going to molt? like the Brachy's abdomen gets the black patch on top and turns really dark.

My son's avic hasn't eaten since we got her. What i thought was a bolus was a piece of substrate. I found the prekilled roach i fed her yesterday filling the water dish. She moved it, or it's death spasms moved it, to the corner of the enclosure. So this one is either setting in still or doesn't like prekilled roaches I just got the order of mealworms in and today is feeding day so i'll dice up one of those and see if she's interested.

She is exploring and webbing though, so that's a good sign.

 

[Fuzzball79]

Is there any indication other than fasting they're going to molt? like the Brachy's abdomen gets the black patch on top and turns really dark.

I found with my A. Sp Amazonica sling that its legs would get really dark not long before a molt and that its usual bright red colours on its back would look duller. Unfortunately it now has darker legs anyway, so will probably be harder to see its premolt.
Other than that, not eating for weeks obviously is a sign (although some sp. eat right up to a molt... LP, I'm looking at you, lol!) and mine webbed a proper little cave on top of a leaf and stayed in it most of the day and night. It still occasionally uses that cave but makes more use of the whole of its tub now.

 

[Enn49]

Arboreal Ts will often moult in their web hammocks up in the plants/branches.

 

[rénee]

its hard to tell if this ones abdomen gets darker, all I know is it is plumper, refused food the other day, and doesn't seem as active. I will just keep offering food every few days, keep water full and wait

 

[RedCapTrio]

You can't really have expectations with Ts. Just a couple of days ago, Chacquatro molted on the side of its hide. When I checked, there were already two of them. The spot is his usual spot when he hangs about. And the time is in between feeding schedule so was not really expecting it.

By the way,this one is still really small, almost half an inch still. And I forgot to take its photo. With molts now becoming routine, you just sometimes forgot to take photos and just tends to enjoy the moment.