B. smithi

[Heartfang]

Hello again! How big is a B. smithi after 3 years of hatching? What is their usual full grown size? I need to know because I recently bought one and it has been really sluggish since I bought it. I called the store where I bought it and they said it was about 3 years old tops. The B. smithi is about 4.5-5 Inches so I find that highly unlikely. The store also said that she had not molted while in the care of the store, and they had her for a couple months. I am starting to think that she may be in premolt. She is barely moving and not eating. Yet, her abdomen has not turned any darker and looks pretty pink and plump to me. She has also been losing her urticating hairs even though she has not kicked any. Do T's lose their U hairs before molting? As you can tell, I've never had an adult T molt in my care before. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Keith Richard]

Suggest that you try and post a pic. Doubtful the petstore will know what they're talking about. Number of molts (and subsequent size) is a function of temps and feeding regime, as well as the individual spider's metabolism. At three years old, I'd expect it to be somewhere between 2.5" and 3.5"....Brachypelma's are not the quickest of growers. They do tend get relatively sluggish towards a molt, but keep on watching for the darkening of the skin on top of the abdomin...if it's visible through hair loss that is.

 

[Thoth]

Full grown they can be 5.5 to 6 inches leg tip to leg tip. Sounds like your t is entering premolt which can last from a few weeks to a few months ( I had one rosie that took 5 months) before the actual molt. Or it could be that it just needs to adjust to the new enviroment, my b. smithi sling didn't move or leave her hide for two weeks (she basically would wait till the cricks wandered in the hide to feed.)

 

[BlkCat]

I ordered my Smithi at 2.5 inches. She was 3 years old. I got her from e-spiderworld.com. So I trust thier records. She wasnt a hair kicker. She didnt loose her abdomen hair in premolt. She would go into premolt for 1-2 weeks before her abdomen would turn blk. It wasnt very often she would chase down the crix, but when she did....