- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
WE have a successful molt! All are legs intact.
-
Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!
T Molting Support Group for Noobs*
- Thread starter NYX
- Start date
- Messages
- 11,182
- Location
- Malton, UK
Well done that T.
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
She's on her back, moving her legs at various times. It may be a couple of hours before she's ready to flip herself back over. The legs already look a little darker than they were previously. Right now there's no way to tell what the final color will be. I did read that A. Hentzi's kept at a lower average temperature often would develop darker color morphs. She came from hot Arizona to a temperate home in southern indiana. Only time will tell!
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
Wow this is startling, the legs are turning a coffee black color, maybe that's the more mature coloration coming in. I still can't see much in that hide, but those legs look really dark. I'll need to see the T fully stretched out in the light a few days later before jumping to conclusions about color morph. I do like how those legs are contrasting against the carapace so far though.
More importantly I'll need to examine that exuvia! 
<----MM lol it better not be! There are no hooks present.
More importantly I'll need to examine that exuvia! <----MM lol it better not be! There are no hooks present.
Finally got to see Moe today, my 1/4" B. albopilosum. He has been hidden in his burrow with the opening of the hide covered for the last 3 or 4 weeks or so. Today he pushed his old exo out of his hide, then webbed it to the hide. So when i removed the molt it tipped the hide and i got to see the little guy. He's about 1/2" now, and when the hide tipped he bolted back into the burrow underneath. So i'm hoping now that he's molted and i saw his legs scrambling around a roach at feeding tonight that he will come out in the open more so i can see him for longer than a split second lol And hopefully get a pic to prove it's not just a clear box of dirt on my dresser
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
Maybe I'm worrying to much, but my T seems to be having trouble flipping itself back over. It's done what looks to be a 360 in the dirt. My better judgement tells me to just wait, because most likely it'll have the strength back soon. Could I maybe put the tongs by it so it can grip something, if it hasn't flipped back over by the end of the day? I just watched it try and fail to flip back over.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 1,092
It can sometimes take quite a while, my subadult A. Geniculata was on her back for at least an hour, probably more, because I only found her like that in the morning. She'll be resting now and as long as you can see her move occasionally, I'd wait. To disturb her in her fragile post molt state could do more harm than good.
I'm waiting for my B. Boehmei to molt. His bottom his fat, shiny and blueish black and he's less active than usual. I also think my Amazonica could be in premolt again, as it has started scooting around its tub again and although it killed the cricket I tried to feed it, it just dropped it and left it which is unlike it. It only molted a couple of weeks back, but it could still take about 2-3 weeks anyway. It seems to have quite long premolts compared to my other slings (minus the Boehmei, he takes ages). Suits me, I'll be more relaxed once it's out of the small sling stage.
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
It's been 8 hours like this, trying to flip back over, but having nothing within reach to provide leverage. I'll wait a while longer, but it is a young T and shouldn't take to much longer to make the flip. If it takes more than a day I may try GENTLY helping her back over with the tongs, at which point she'll likely freak out and probably flick hairs at me!
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
She's flipped over now and is resting. I did take the tongs and put them beside her whenever she tried to flip back over again, she gripped onto them and made the flip. In the period after molting do the T's continually pump blood through their bodies? I just never noticed this with my rose hair, because I was much younger and missed the vital hours after the molt. From watching cicadas hatch, they pump the blood through their bodies, which expands the body, making them larger when their exoskeleton hardens. Right now it looks like her front legs are thicker than her hind legs. It looks as though the blood and color is making it's way from the front of the body to the back. She has a much thicker bulky looking carapace than she did, in the previous skin! The abdomen looks like it will be the last thing to expand. After the threat of a predator has gone away she has stretched out a bit. Good. She was quite irritated when I intervened, but after seeing her do her hundredth 360 in 8 hours I had to help her on her feet. I didn't want the exoskeleton to harden while she was flipped, it would have crippled her front legs.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 1,092
I'm glad she's "back on her feet" lol. I can't say I've ever paid attention to their body fluids pumping through the body, but mine usually spend days after stretching and flexing their legs (I call it the Pokie position, because they usually sit like Poecilotheria).
The abdomen usually looks smaller after a molt and probably won't expand until she drinks and eats.
The abdomen usually looks smaller after a molt and probably won't expand until she drinks and eats.
- Messages
- 1,170
My little E.Murinus sling has moulted pics to follow
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
That's what she's doing right now, stretching out those front legs especially. I wish she'd come out of hiding so I could snap a good pic though. I can't say what the final color morph will be, but the hairs on the abdomen are red, rose bud red, not as brown as they were before, maybe it will dull in the next few days, the underlying skin color on the abdomen is black, contrasting with that red more than it will when it returns to normal.. The legs are still blackened, but look like they will be more like a dark coffee brown. I'm going by the front legs, as they look to have regained the most color. I've already examined the Exuvia and she is indeed a she. What would be cool is if the abdomen stayed pretty dark and the hairs stay bright red. I don't think the individual hairs will change color. That would be quite the color change! Even so the red hairs are a nice change from dark brown. Unless the carapace darkens any more, the legs are are really going to contrast!
Last edited:
- Messages
- 1,158
This is my first experience of premolt on a "big" T, my almost four incher B. smithi, and it is stressful to see him as if he is pining away and will be gone any minute.
He hardly moves, been refusing food for almost a month now, colors are fading and just looks gray.
Well, patience is a virtue and here's hoping that he will molt soon and be successful at it.
He hardly moves, been refusing food for almost a month now, colors are fading and just looks gray.
Well, patience is a virtue and here's hoping that he will molt soon and be successful at it.
- Messages
- 131
- Location
- Princeton, Indiana
I hope your B. Smithi goes through a successful molt. It is quite fascinating to watch the process, then see all the color changes they go through in the days after the molt. On the second day after the molt my A. Hentzi's Carapace is back to being more of a tan/blonde color, the abdomen has lightened, but is still a dark chocolate color, the abdomen hairs are red, and the legs have been the biggest change, as they are still holding at a dark coffee color, as opposed to the simple light brown they were before the molt. Right now she has herself spread out like a fan, growing as much as possible. She's being camera shy, and I don't want some freshly made barbed hairs lodged in my eyes, so I'll leave her be. lol I just check up on her with a flashlight every few hours. All of my uneaten mealworm beetles and dubia roaches that I bought at the beginning of premolt are on death row. Dead bugs crawling! This tarantula would eat the two dubia roaches and the four beetles all in one day if it could. Realistically it would eat the two large gut loaded dubia roaches within 24 hours. Very unlike the previous Rosehair I had.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 573
- Location
- Airville, PA
My GBB molted over the weekend, I am assuming on Sunday because the molt is still pliable.
It's a bit of a bitter-sweet moment really, because I bought her for $195 as a sexed female. But looking at her molt there is definitely no visible spermatheca. I'm kinda upset. :|
It's a bit of a bitter-sweet moment really, because I bought her for $195 as a sexed female. But looking at her molt there is definitely no visible spermatheca. I'm kinda upset. :|
I'd be pissed and contacting the vendor.
B. vagans and my boehmei are both in premolt. Hoping it happens soon.
- Messages
- 1,158
Please share photos as you just might have been mistaken. I prefer to have you mistaken so that it can still be a babe than to have you right and have a dude GBB.
- Messages
- 573
- Location
- Airville, PA
The molt ripped, and I couldn't get a GREAT picture, but I believe that the area of interest is still somewhat visible. Does anyone see spermatheca? I cannot see anything, not even with a microscope.
- Messages
- 573
- Location
- Airville, PA
I would also like to add that I contacted the vendor three days ago (the day that I checked the molt) and they have not responded.
- Messages
- 1,158
So sorry man, looks like male indeed. That sucks big time. But hey, still a wonderful specimen that you can still breed off from, right?
