Is this "pre-molt" behavior?

[CoinJar]

One of my rosehairs has refused to eat for over a week now, has been drinking lots of water, and today I came home to find that she has dug holes all over her cage and partially buried her water bowl. Is this just her preparing for a molt or is something else going on?

 

[lalberts9310]

She doesn't look like she's in pre-molt, not a fat abdomen.. burying up the waterbowl is not a uncommon behaviour with tarantulas, just move it until she stops burying it.. fasting in grammostola rosea/porteri is also not uncommon, in fact they are quite notorious for fasting for months on end for no apparent reason. Doesn't seem like pre-molt behaviour to me, think it's just being a rosea.. how often do you feed it? How big is it?

 

[cold blood]

Refused to eat for a whole week? A whole week? :?

+1 on the "how often do you feed it" question.


This species has a ridiculously slow metabolism and as a result, both the lowest food requirement of any t on the planet, and the highest propensity for fasting in the t world as well....weeks or even a month aren't enough to even be considered fasting yet. Over-feeding them, which is the norm for this species in captivity, only strengthens their fasting superpowers (still using that markMd). They fast months at a time for seemingly no reason on a regular basis and prior to a molt they often fast 6 months to over a year. 2 year fasts are not unheard of with this species.

While t's do burrow often prior to a molt, and often take big drinks just prior, they also do both things when they are not pre-molt, so its not a giveaway by a long shot....in fact, judging by the fact that it ate last week, I'd say you are a minimum of 6 months from a molt...probably years considering it doesn't look overly plump.

Its just a spider being a spider, nothing to even think much about.

 

[CoinJar]

She doesn't look like she's in pre-molt, not a fat abdomen.. burying up the waterbowl is not a uncommon behaviour with tarantulas, just move it until she stops burying it.. fasting in grammastola rosea/porteri is also not uncommon, in fact they are quite notorious for fasting for months on end for no apparent reason. Doesn't seem like pre-molt behaviour to me, think it's just being a rosea.. how often do you feed it? How big is it?

Her and my other are about the same size, so roughly 3 1/2 to 4 inches I would say. I feed them both a superworm or cricket daily. The one in question has refused both crickets and superworms each day for over a week. Typically, I have to refill the water bowls every three or four days, but lately I've had to refill this one daily. Was just curious if this was a pre-molt thing or something to worry about, but since it's normal I feel relieved.

I haven't had them long but I'm getting attached. The sort of attachment I've felt in the past with dogs or cats. I've kept fish on and off, but I never really get emotionally invested with them for some reason.

 

[lalberts9310]

+1 CB, yeah they will generally conceal themselves in their hides and block up the entrance with webbing and substrate and stay there for months when they prep for a molt.. these should only be fed once a week..

---------- Post added 04-16-2015 at 07:18 AM ----------

Her and my other are about the same size, so roughly 3 1/2 to 4 inches I would say. I feed them both a superworm or cricket daily. The one in question has refused both crickets and superworms each day for over a week. Typically, I have to refill the water bowls every three or four days, but lately I've had to refill this one daily. Was just curious if this was a pre-molt thing or something to worry about, but since it's normal I feel relieved.

I haven't had them long but I'm getting attached. The sort of attachment I've felt in the past with dogs or cats. I've kept fish on and off, but I never really get emotionally invested with them for some reason.

Feeding a 4" rosea daily is quite a lot.. I'd probably fast too lol, yeah feed it once a week.. and cleaning water bowls is the norm, my aboreals poop and throw boluses in the waterbowls, I have to clean poopy waterbowls everyday

 

[CoinJar]

Refused to eat for a whole week? A whole week? :?

+1 on the "how often do you feed it" question.


This species has a ridiculously slow metabolism and as a result, both the lowest food requirement of any t on the planet, and the highest propensity for fasting in the t world as well....weeks or even a month aren't enough to even be considered fasting yet. Over-feeding them, which is the norm for this species in captivity, only strengthens their fasting superpowers (still using that markMd). They fast months at a time for seemingly no reason on a regular basis and prior to a molt they often fast 6 months to over a year. 2 year fasts are not unheard of with this species.

While t's do burrow often prior to a molt, and often take big drinks just prior, they also do both things when they are not pre-molt, so its not a giveaway by a long shot....in fact, judging by the fact that it ate last week, I'd say you are a minimum of 6 months from a molt...probably years considering it doesn't look overly plump.

Its just a spider being a spider, nothing to even think much about.

So, is it bad that I feed them so often? My other T eats every day and sometimes will eat multiple superworms in one sitting.

 

[lalberts9310]

So, is it bad that I feed them so often? My other T eats every day and sometimes will eat multiple superworms in one sitting.

I guess you don't mind a T fasting for months to almost a year, or perhaps more? All those feeders going to waste? Yeah guess not.. feed it once a week, they don't need to eat daily. Feeding it daily will just contribute to the T fasting, and for a very VERY long time too. Not even my adult aboreals get that much food

 

[CoinJar]

Thanks.

Well thank you both! I feel a lot better.

Sort of off topic, but I've noticed that they both like to spin very random webs on the floors of their tanks. Do rosehairs have any reason behind their webs (such as territorial claims, sticky-trap for prey, etc)? Or is it just random?

 

[cold blood]

Her and my other are about the same size, so roughly 3 1/2 to 4 inches I would say. I feed them both a superworm or cricket daily. The one in question has refused both crickets and superworms each day for over a week. Typically, I have to refill the water bowls every three or four days, but lately I've had to refill this one daily. Was just curious if this was a pre-molt thing or something to worry about, but since it's normal I feel relieved.

I haven't had them long but I'm getting attached. The sort of attachment I've felt in the past with dogs or cats. I've kept fish on and off, but I never really get emotionally invested with them for some reason.

That explains a lot. Slow the feedings WAAAAAAYYYY down for both, and it doesn't matter what species the other one is. What is the other one? For this one, 1-4 feedings a month, one cricket per, is plenty, and it WILL grow fat even on this schedule. I feed mine 1-3 times a month depending on the prey size. Something as large and fatty as a superworm, I'd wait 10-20 days, that's a massive meal.

Now onto the water dish, its NOT drinking that water, I can personally guarantee that as fact. Any time there is any substrate or webbing touching the edge of the bowl, it will cause a "wicking effect" and quickly empty the bowl...I can see both plain as day from the pic, even evidence of the missing water in the form of wet substrate spots.




Still curious if you are heating the enclosure?

 

[lalberts9310]

Well thank you both! I feel a lot better.

Sort of off topic, but I've noticed that they both like to spin very random webs on the floors of their tanks. Do rosehairs have any reason behind their webs (such as territorial claims, sticky-trap for prey, etc)? Or is it just random?

Usually they web to familiarise themselves with the environment, I think it is a territory thing, they are just being tarantulas.. all is normal, if you think that's weird get a GBB, then you'll see webbing, they web like a T on crack

---------- Post added 04-16-2015 at 07:27 AM ----------

and it doesn't matter what species the other one is. What is the other one?

LOL this was amusing! it's like saying "I don't want chocolate! What chocolate do you have?"

 

[cold blood]

Webbing is a natural way for the t to get comfortable, it allows them greater "feel" throughout their immediate range, adding to the sensitivity already afforded to them by their hairs. Aside from feel, they use the webbing when eating to hold the prey together as well as for re-enforcing burrow walls or even creating homes like many arboreal do.

 

[louise f]

I once had a G.rosea that refused to eat for a half year. No stress about that, they are just having a weird behavior. :

No harm done, like lalberts and cb says it is just being a tarantula

 

[IHeartTs]

mine went like a year without eating lol. +1 to everyone else. Webs are their dinner tables, beds, walls, triplines, and a way to get familiar and feel out the environment. No tarantula should be fed everyday. All the behaviors listed are normal. If it starts barking at you, then I'd worry .