Balding Brachypelma albopilosum

[sourashton07]

I have a 3" Brachypelma Albopilosum and his abdomen has a large bald spot on it. Flicking hairs isn't a normal behavior for him, and he just molted about a month and a half ago so he shouldn't be molting again, especially considering I'v only been feeding him about once every two-three weeks. He seems to be behaving normally, moving around his cage. I was told to start misting his substrate a couple times a day about two weeks ago when this problem started, the breeder i used suggested that maybe there wasn't enough humidity. So i have been doing that. The temp stays between 68-75 degrees. I'm just not sure what i could be doing wrong to cause him stress.
i attached an image, he doesn't typically hangout over his water bowl like this he just so happened to be there when i took the picture

 

[Adam96]

can you take a pic of the enclosure?

 

[sourashton07]

can you take a pic of the enclosure?

yes! one sec

can you take a pic of the enclosure?

 

[cold blood]

Looks like it may be a MM....sometimes males just mature small.

As for the "humidity"...the word is irrelevant...just dampen part of the sub...like it appears you have...and keep water in the dish.

 

[PidderPeets]

A balding abdomen doesn't always mean it's flicking the hairs off in response to a threat. Tarantulas will often line their dens with the urticating hairs as a security system of sorts. I can't tell if your enclosure has an established den or not, but that's a possibility.

Also, don't mist. Pour water directly into the substrate. Misting only permeates the very top layer of substrate, and dries up too quickly to make a difference (as I'm sure you know since you said you have to mist multiple times daily). If you pour water directly into the substrate, you'll provide the T with the much needed moist substrate (when people use the term "humidity" with tarantulas, what really matters is substrate moisture), you won't have to bother the T as much with frequent daily misting, and your T should stop hovering over the water bowl

 

[boina]

I second the mature male - guess... can you post a pic of the pedipalps?

 

[darkness975]

I agree it does look like a mature male specimen.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Calling "Mature male" as well.

 

[sourashton07]

I second the mature male - guess... can you post a pic of the pedipalps?

I was told he was a MM when i bought him, but does that have something to do with the bald spot?

A balding abdomen doesn't always mean it's flicking the hairs off in response to a threat. Tarantulas will often line their dens with the urticating hairs as a security system of sorts. I can't tell if your enclosure has an established den or not, but that's a possibility.

Also, don't mist. Pour water directly into the substrate. Misting only permeates the very top layer of substrate, and dries up too quickly to make a difference (as I'm sure you know since you said you have to mist multiple times daily). If you pour water directly into the substrate, you'll provide the T with the much needed moist substrate (when people use the term "humidity" with tarantulas, what really matters is substrate moisture), you won't have to bother the T as much with frequent daily misting, and your T should stop hovering over the water bowl

how long does it take for the hairs to grow back, we're going on 3 weeks of him looking this way

 

[Vanessa]

how long does it take for the hairs to grow back, we're going on 3 weeks of him looking this way

His hairs won't grow back, setae don't grow like that - they don't have a follicle. They are part of their exoskeleton and they are replaced when they moult with the new exoskeleton underneath. Since he is a mature male, he probably won't moult again. That is the way he will look until the end of his life.

 

[cold blood]

I was told he was a MM when i bought him, but does that have something to do with the bald spot?

Yes...MMs tend to get bald, its normal...they also eat sparsely and most importantly, are at the end of their lives. It really looks like a Nicaraguan, too...which means its more valuable than a typical MM albo...find that MM a female asap.

 

[PidderPeets]

how long does it take for the hairs to grow back, we're going on 3 weeks of him looking this way

As already stated, the hairs won't grow back like human or animal hair would. We use the term "hair", but it's actually called setae, which is just a part of its exoskeleton. The setae regenerates after a molt, but a mature male is unlikely to molt again.

I was told he was a MM when i bought him, but does that have something to do with the bald spot?

People usually only buy mature males with the intent to breed them. Once mature, their time is numbered and most only live about a year at most after their ultimate molt. And that year or so it spent wandering the enclosure looking for a mate. Like @cold blood said, your best move would be finding him a female to breed with. You could ship him out on a breeding loan or sell him if you don't want to tackle breeding yourself. Then you could raise up some slings for yourself and watch them grow