Apologising advance for molt question

[Tarantino andTs]

As a lurker I grow tired of molt questions always popping up, but just to be a hypocrite I have developed one of my own. I have a 3.5-4" female B. Emilia who has been the un-skittish bordering on stubbornly holding her ground when brushed to check temperament. However in the last week or so she has been incredibly skittish and spends all her time in her hide. Just under a week ago I noticed her abdomen had darkened, so I am expecting that this is pre-molt behavior, but could any one estimate how long it will be before she molts? the search function yielded little since the time is dependent on specific species and size. Thanks for the expertise!:

 

[jakykong]

Brachypelma are slow-growers; she could be in premolt for quite a while. I've heard a variety of numbers, ranging from a few weeks to months for other brachys, it probably depends a lot on the temperature and feeding.

Patience is the hardest part! She'll molt when she molts, really nothing else you can do about it.

 

[Curious jay]

If I'm not wrong B. emilia are the slowest growers in the genus. At that size is expect premolt to last a few months, my B. boehmei of a similar size has been in premolt for 2 months now and doesn't look like she's going to be molting soon.

 

[Tarantino andTs]

Oh wow, I suppose I was afraid it would be something like that. I have her set up in a room at 80deg F with a humidifier so hopefully that will hasten the process! Until then I suppose I'll just be seeing a lot less of her while she hangs out in her hide.

 

[jakykong]

Oh wow, I suppose I was afraid it would be something like that. I have her set up in a room at 80deg F with a humidifier so hopefully that will hasten the process! Until then I suppose I'll just be seeing a lot less of her while she hangs out in her hide.

There's no way to hasten the process, sorry! There are ways to slow it down (cold), and ways to make it riskier (ridiculously low humidity), but you really can't speed it up.

... Honestly, though, other than not being able to feed it, what's the rush?

 

[Spiderkid]

If I'm not wrong B. emilia are the slowest growers in the genus.

That's pretty interesting- where did you hear this?
Anyway, @ the OP, premolt could last for months, or for as little as a week- it's impossible to tell. One of my Aphonopelmas (which grow even slower than Brachys), showed signs of premolt, then molted a couple of days later. Just goes to show that T's don't plan their lives around our little idiosyncrasies

 

[SuzukiSwift]

Impossible to tell lol We've all got to play the waiting game, and Brachypelma s certainly a genus we've got to wait a LONG time for

 

[Curious jay]

@ spider kid I think I saw Stan Shultz say something along those lines in a response I read a while back, so I maybe incorrect as I have a poor memory lol.

@ Suzuki swift not all Brachys are slow growers I find my B. vagans and B. albopilosum that I've owned have grown faster than my B. boehmei (not the best evidence to go off being I don't keep all of the species in the genus, but they are all fed and kept the same).

My B. albo I brought as a 1.5cm sling 2 months ago roughly its now at 2".
B. vagans I brought Jan 2012 @ 2" he matured out at 6.5" January 5th 2013, also have a grown on sling I've had for 2 weeks (ventrally looks male) so ill see how this one grows as it isn't far off the size of the original one I owned.
My B. boehmei I purchased at 2.5-3" April 2012 it has molted once in my care and is now around 4" I'm suspecting this is a male also ventrally but its definatley slower going through premolt in comparison to my vagans at that size but that doesn't really count for much.

 

[poisoned]

There's no way to hasten the process, sorry! There are ways to slow it down (cold), and ways to make it riskier (ridiculously low humidity), but you really can't speed it up.

... Honestly, though, other than not being able to feed it, what's the rush?

Actually, higher temperature means faster metabolism, hence fastening all processes tarantula goes through.

 

[Marijan2]

Actually, higher temperature means faster metabolism, hence fastening all processes tarantula goes through.

yeah, but side effect is it also shortens its lifespan :/ imo the best way is to keep everything in the middle, though it can sometimes be hard and tempting to powerfeed your T

 

[jakykong]

Actually, higher temperature means faster metabolism, hence fastening all processes tarantula goes through.

Right; my point is that only works up to a certain point. You can also cook the tarantula.

 

[ucsteve667]

it'll molt when it molts...carry on a usual.

 

[McGuiverstein]

As said, don't worry about it and proceed as normal. She's just doing it to annoy you . Don't give her the satisfaction.