Molting on its belly :( stuck? Dead? :(

[Malaric]

Okay. This is my first T and my first molt. Im very worry. Its molting on the "wrong side" on its belly. Some off its legs to the left is out abit. The ones to the right is still in the old molt. I have seen it moving alittle bit. It also, looks wet im so worry. I have tired to take some pics. Hope you guys can help. And calm me down. Or mabey something is wrong
I just came home today after one week vacation. I dont know how long its been like this. It could mabey just have started! How long dos a molt take?

More pics.

More pics.

 

[darkness975]

Okay. This is my first T and my first molt. Im very worry. Its molting on the "wrong side" on its belly. Some off its legs to the left is out abit. The ones to the right is still in the old molt. I have seen it moving alittle bit. It also, looks wet im so worry. I have tired to take some pics. Hope you guys can help. And calm me down. Or mabey something is wrong
I just came home today after one week vacation. I dont know how long its been like this. It could mabey just have started! How long dos a molt take?

They can successfully molt upright, though it isnt the norm and isnt ideal. The only thing you can do is to leave it alone so as not to stress it mid molt.

 

[EtienneN]

First thing you need to do is watch it to see if it moves and is alive. Don't poke it yet! Just watch for signs of life. Dead tarantulas often (but not always!) have deflated abdomens and the one on yours still looks pretty plump. This is also weird, but try giving it the 'sniff test' to see if it smells like decaying seafood. If after all of this you still aren't sure that the tarantula is alive or not, then gently touch a leg with a soft straw or end of a paintbrush and see if the tarantula is moves at all. I hope it turns out okay!

 

[Malaric]

Since i dont know how long its been like this, i will leave it alone for 24 h. Hopefully when i wake up tomorrow, it will be done and fine

 

[Wolfram1]

i hope it turns out alright

 

[Vanessa]

Since i dont know how long its been like this, i will leave it alone for 24 h. Hopefully when i wake up tomorrow, it will be done and fine

At this point, I would gently flip him over. If he has already been like this for hours, with no further extraction, then he doesn't have the strength to pull himself out. I've had to flip over a couple and they have completed their moults with no further problems.

 

[Liquifin]

I disagree with waiting 24 hours, that's like watching it slowly die. While it is true that we can't know when it started to molt. But looking at it, to me it looks like it tried to molt for over 10 hours or more (has anyone on this thread own a B. hamorii? They ain't looking that dark if freshly molted). This molt looks bad, but it's not a wet molt. It seems like it's drying out and very stuck to get its right side of its legs out. It needs some serious help for sure, what you really need to do is to ensure the fangs come out from the old molt for starters. And seriously add some moisture with a syringe instead of a wet Q-tip to help it out much more. But a wet Q-tip is fine if that's all you have, but I prefer a syringe with water over wet Q-tips for larger T.'s because it makes such a bigger and better difference.

 

[Malaric]

Okay guys. I got up this morning, and its still the same it is very much alive. But looks tired. The head, fangs, abdomen, is all out from the old mold. Its the legs that stuck. The right side looks like all the legs still in the old mold. So, i have turn her over to her back. Gave the enclosure more moist. Hopeing for the best now i kinda feel she will not make it. First T and first molt. So sad this happen.

 

[Vanessa]

Okay guys. I got up this morning, and its still the same it is very much alive. But looks tired. The head, fangs, abdomen, is all out from the old mold. Its the legs that stuck. The right side looks like all the legs still in the old mold. So, i have turn her over to her back. Gave the enclosure more moist. Hopeing for the best now i kinda feel she will not make it. First T and first molt. So sad this happen.

That is not going to be enough. You are going to have to apply water directly to the legs, with a paint brush or the like, and see if that helps. They are not going to be able to extract themselves anymore - it's too late and they are stuck.

 

[ThorsCarapace22]

I disagree with waiting 24 hours, that's like watching it slowly die. While it is true that we can't know when it started to molt. But looking at it, to me it looks like it tried to molt for over 10 hours or more (has anyone on this thread own a B. hamorii? They ain't looking that dark if freshly molted). This molt looks bad, but it's not a wet molt. It seems like it's drying out and very stuck to get its right side of its legs out. It needs some serious help for sure, what you really need to do is to ensure the fangs come out from the old molt for starters. And seriously add some moisture with a syringe instead of a wet Q-tip to help it out much more. But a wet Q-tip is fine if that's all you have, but I prefer a syringe with water over wet Q-tips for larger T.'s because it makes such a bigger and better difference.

I should have helped my T. I left my alone for 24 hours because of the "no touch" rule. I honestly thought my T would be ok. I had an E. Murinus that molted upright. Iv had them do this before so I wasn't too awful worried. Well the next day I made no progress. I tried pouring in some water to add some moisture to the process. It didn't make it : / it wasn't until later I learned I could have actually helped. That's the worst part about it.

 

[Teal]

That is not going to be enough. You are going to have to apply water directly to the legs, with a paint brush or the like, and see if that helps. They are not going to be able to extract themselves anymore - it's too late and they are stuck.

THIS. You need to directly moisten the stuck areas of old molt to see if it helps.

BUT... if it is only the legs that are stuck, that is actually good!! Ts can survive without legs easily, they just regenerate them with future molts.

If it were me, I would moisten the stuck legs and use tweezers to gently try removing the old molt from the legs as much as possible.

If you have already flipped the T over, add a drop of water to the mouth parts... molting is a very dehydrating process and giving the T a drink can help a lot!

I tried pouring in some water to add some moisture to the process.

Tarantulas are not reptiles... moisture around them does NOT help them molt. It is *internal* moisture that Ts need to molt properly and if they get stuck in a drying molt, the molt itself needs to be moistened.

 

[ThorsCarapace22]

THIS. You need to directly moisten the stuck areas of old molt to see if it helps.

BUT... if it is only the legs that are stuck, that is actually good!! Ts can survive without legs easily, they just regenerate them with future molts.

If it were me, I would moisten the stuck legs and use tweezers to gently try removing the old molt from the legs as much as possible.

If you have already flipped the T over, add a drop of water to the mouth parts... molting is a very dehydrating process and giving the T a drink can help a lot!



Tarantulas are not reptiles... moisture around them does NOT help them molt. It is *internal* moisture that Ts need to molt properly and if they get stuck in a drying molt, the molt itself needs to be moistened.

Thanks I really appreciate it. I was always so obsessed with "how to take care of my T? What's the right enclosure set up? Humidity?" All that and never thought about researching how to help a molt accident. Iv read about T. Stirmis having molting issues but that's About it. You've helped me learn more already.
I didn't even think about internal moisture at the time.... what the heck.....

 

[Malaric]

That is not going to be enough. You are going to have to apply water directly to the legs, with a paint brush or the like, and see if that helps. They are not going to be able to extract themselves anymore - it's too late and they are stuck.

Okay i will try. But im not to try to "pull it out off the old mold" ??

First T. First molt. First death... i dont understand what went wrong...

 

[Taokaka]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

First T. First molt. First death... i dont understand what went wrong...

I doubt that it was anything you did. I'm very sorry for your loss but sometimes this just happens. Even the most experienced keepers can lose a T to a bad moult.

 

[Vanessa]

Everyone is so quick to say not to touch them and to let them moult upright and I don't agree with that - especially for the larger individuals whose soft exoskeleton makes it difficult for them to push themselves off the substrate while trying to get out of their old exoskeleton. I would have lost, at least, two of mine if I hadn't flipped them on their side/back once their carapace broke off. Once I flipped them, they had no problem completing their moult and they recovered normally and are still with me today.
The moulting process is pretty easy to gauge. They lay on their backs doing nothing for hours on end, but once they start actually extracting themselves out of their exoskeleton it goes much faster. It shouldn't take that long between their carapace coming off and them being out of their exoskeleton. You shouldn't see them completely motionless for hours at that stage. Yes, they take small breaks, but they are going to pull themselves out as fast as possible. They only have a limited time to get out.
On this thread alone there are two accounts where people have had their tarantulas die moulting upright. I understand that people have had no problems with it, but it is absolutely problematic for them to moult upright.
I will gently flip them over every time, or flip them on their side at the very least.

 

[Malaric]

I belive it has been trying to molt upright for many days. I been on vacation so i couldent check it. Since i got home it dident change a thing, it was just stuck in that position with very, very little movement. 14 h i waited. I did flip it over after that. But by then, it was dead. I belive it had a slow dead and for a first time tarantula keeper with this be my first T and first molt, this is very sad to me

 

[ThorsCarapace22]

I seen a vid

Everyone is so quick to say not to touch them and to let them moult upright and I don't agree with that - especially for the larger individuals whose soft exoskeleton makes it difficult for them to push themselves off the substrate while trying to get out of their old exoskeleton. I would have lost, at least, two of mine if I hadn't flipped them on their side/back once their carapace broke off. Once I flipped them, they had no problem completing their moult and they recovered normally and are still with me today.
The moulting process is pretty easy to gauge. They lay on their backs doing nothing for hours on end, but once they start actually extracting themselves out of their exoskeleton it goes much faster. It shouldn't take that long between their carapace coming off and them being out of their exoskeleton. You shouldn't see them completely motionless for hours at that stage. Yes, they take small breaks, but they are going to pull themselves out as fast as possible. They only have a limited time to get out.
On this thread alone there are two accounts where people have had their tarantulas die moulting upright. I understand that people have had no problems with it, but it is absolutely problematic for them to moult upright.
I will gently flip them over every time, or flip them on their side at the very least.

I watched a video on YouTube where a guy surgically removed his tarantula because it molted upright. It was TarantulaGuy19.. something.. but he's got a really good channel.