Interesting question on molting process

[JoeyCortez]

Im wondering what exactly does it look like underneath as it goes through the entire process. Has anyone seen any kind of educational video maybe computer animated that shows the process? Like does it grow from the old skin itself and then detach it from the old skin?or does it grow and encapsulate everything? I'm just thinking of videos similar to Like how babies grow inside the womband they're computer animated to show the process. I just kind of want to see the process

 

[Moakmeister]

The new exoskeleton grows underneath the current one. The two are attached, and are basically two layers, until the tarantula secretes the substance that causes them to separate. At this stage is when the abdomen turns black because you can see the new exoskeleton through the current one. Then the old skin split down the back and the tarantula shrugs out of it.

 

[JoeyCortez]

Ah ok. Hmm i wish there were some kind of video showing like the insides and stuff like that for educational purposes.

 

[Arachnophoric]

Ah ok. Hmm i wish there were some kind of video showing like the insides and stuff like that for educational purposes.

Im pretty sure there's virtually no way for that to happen. Not without killing the spider, and even then results would be dubious at best

 

[Moakmeister]

Ah ok. Hmm i wish there were some kind of video showing like the insides and stuff like that for educational purposes.

Well all it looks like is just the new skin. Have you ever seen a tarantula right after it finishes molting? If you were able to see through the old skin, you'd just see exactly that.

 

[chanda]

When I'm teaching kids about the molting process, I stuff a larger balloon inside a water balloon, then inflate the larger balloon as much as I can. I explain to the kids that the water balloon represents the outer layer of the exoskeleton. It is rigid and tight because it cannot stretch or grow, so I am unable to inflate it further. Then I carefully slit the water balloon so it peels off the other balloon, representing the molting process. (Of course, with balloons it kind of bursts off all at once rather than the inner balloon having to struggle out of it.) Finally, I show the kids how the newly-revealed layer is soft and stretchy and I inflate it so they can see how a larger spider or insect emerges from a smaller skin.

It's not quite as good as a fancy CGI demonstration of the process, but it illustrate the point.

 

[Mirandarachnid]

When I'm teaching kids about the molting process, I stuff a larger balloon inside a water balloon, then inflate the larger balloon as much as I can. I explain to the kids that the water balloon represents the outer layer of the exoskeleton. It is rigid and tight because it cannot stretch or grow, so I am unable to inflate it further. Then I carefully slit the water balloon so it peels off the other balloon, representing the molting process. (Of course, with balloons it kind of bursts off all at once rather than the inner balloon having to struggle out of it.) Finally, I show the kids how the newly-revealed layer is soft and stretchy and I inflate it so they can see how a larger spider or insect emerges from a smaller skin.

It's not quite as good as a fancy CGI demonstration of the process, but it illustrate the point.

Nice! That's an excellent way to demonstrate that!

 

[BoyFromLA]

When I'm teaching kids about the molting process, I stuff a larger balloon inside a water balloon, then inflate the larger balloon as much as I can. I explain to the kids that the water balloon represents the outer layer of the exoskeleton. It is rigid and tight because it cannot stretch or grow, so I am unable to inflate it further. Then I carefully slit the water balloon so it peels off the other balloon, representing the molting process. (Of course, with balloons it kind of bursts off all at once rather than the inner balloon having to struggle out of it.) Finally, I show the kids how the newly-revealed layer is soft and stretchy and I inflate it so they can see how a larger spider or insect emerges from a smaller skin.

It's not quite as good as a fancy CGI demonstration of the process, but it illustrate the point.

Awesome way of putting it to kids’ point of view level!