Molting preferences of arboreals?

[Venom1080]

Sorry to hear about your C. Versicolour, moulting time for avics especially is a precarious time for them, hope your other arboreal sp. (if you have any) moult better than the one you lost, I lost my C. Versicolour in a moult a few years ago, I haven't gotten another due to this, not sure what the problem was as it had moulted 3 times before its untimely demise, I can understand why you disagreed with my post, my condolences.[Edit] I'm going to get another sometime this year, but would prefer to start with a juvenile.

Thanks. Most of my collection is arboreal.

 

[mconnachan]

Thanks. Most of my collection is arboreal.

I thought you would have a few arboreal sp. What is your favourite, I have a P. Metallica and an O. Schioedtei, the Pokie is about a year old and the Schioedtei is a sling with a very shiny butt, darkening quickly.

 

[viper69]

You can't control where they molt. My Avics all above ground. My irminia wedged herself above ground in the tightest place possible and lost limbs for it, twice.

 

[Leila]

You can't control where they molt. My Avics all above ground. My irminia wedged herself above ground in the tightest place possible and lost limbs for it, twice.

Oh, I know I cannot control that. In the OP, I just asked about the molting habits of our beloved arboreal tarantulas. Yeva is my first and only arboreal, and she has yet to molt while in my care. I was just curious.

 

[Venom1080]

I thought you would have a few arboreal sp. What is your favourite, I have a P. Metallica and an O. Schioedtei, the Pokie is about a year old and the Schioedtei is a sling with a very shiny butt, darkening quickly.

Very nice, two of my favorites. All mine are in my bio.
Too hard for me to choose one.

 

[mconnachan]

Very nice, two of my favorites. All mine are in my bio.
Too hard for me to choose one.

I'll have to up -date mines and have a look at yours, arboreals are just more interesting IMO

 

[viper69]

Oh, I know I cannot control that. In the OP, I just asked about the molting habits of our beloved arboreal tarantulas. Yeva is my first and only arboreal, and she has yet to molt while in my care. I was just curious.

I read your post.
I knew you knew that too, my point was regardless of what mine do, yours may do differently once or maybe forever hah. Generally above ground for Avics.

For example, I have an Avic that made a funnel tube on the substrate, and she remained there for 5 months or so...Rehoused her into the same container after cleaning, she went back to the top as usual.

 

[Anoplogaster]

No Penelope. You can't fit in there anymore

 

[Leila]

View attachment 241758
No Penelope. You can't fit in there anymore

I love it!!!! The hind legs hanging out! Ha!!!

 

[CWilson1351]

Well, both of my A. geroldi molted up high in the web. One made it successfully, the other sadly did not. My P. fasciata has molted both above and on the ground however. The last molt was in a web hammock it made about halfway up the back of the cork bark.
It seems a little more typical for arboreal to molt high, but tarantulas are individuals so who knows what they will do

 

[mconnachan]

Going through all the posts I can safely say it comes down to the individual spider, they obviously make a conscious decision whether they moult up high or they moult on the sub, it's something that we can't really determine, as they are all individuals, same as slings, some like to burrow others don't bother.

 

[Trenor]

Both my avics molt up high in hammocks like everyone else mentioned, but my P. irminia and Poecs all molt either on the ground or in a burrow.

I've only had one poec molt in it's webbing up high. My P.metallica made a web spot for her last molt just like the Avics do. It was pretty neat. All the others have always made dirt hides to molt in.

 

[CWilson1351]

Not the greatest photo, but an example of my Pokie and the web hammock it makes for molting. Caught the molt in time to observe some of the process too

 

[Anoplogaster]

Not the greatest photo, but an example of my Pokie and the web hammock it makes for molting. Caught the molt in time to observe some of the process too
View attachment 242443

Oh that's pretty cool! I've never caught any of my pokies mid-molt.

 

[Leila]

UPDATE: The A. avicularia I'd been concerned about in this thread actually molted this evening! Yes, she took care of business in her little webbed cocoon. As far as I can tell, all went well! I am head over heels, and I cannot wait to see her new outfit!! (I honestly have no idea about my avic's sex.)

 

[CEC]

Almost all Avicularia molt in their tube web or make webbing to molt wherever that may be... Only once have I observed an Avicularia molting without some sorta web... Very odd to say the least, because it was one I sold to a friend, none of the 100+ specimens I have raised have ever had a webless molt. It wasn't his enclosure set-up either, as I had told him how to set it up. It never webbed at all that molt cycle, she was also rehoused to her final enclosure during that molt cycle. Theories like damaged spinnerettes were tossed around but who knows? It was cool to get a good look at her molting process, I must say...

She wiggled out of her exo-skeleton and then fell about 6" to the substrate and hardened up on the enclosure floor. No more than a week later she started webbing. Now, four years later she's molted traditionally a few times since. I still haven't witnessed a webless molt since with any of mine. She is still doing great and has webbed up pretty much the whole topside if her enclosure.

You can never be %100 on what they'll do. Most will molt traditionally but there is always the exception to the rule. Their known behavior tendencies are never certain.

 

[jsivertson]

My juvenile avic crawled out of her web and down to the substrate last night and is laying sideways in this weird position behind the cork bark. She's not moving at all right now. Is this moulting behavior or am I losing my little buddy??
I am pretty new to this and she has never moulted in my care before (had her since February).

 

[Trenor]

View attachment 242710 View attachment 242711
My juvenile avic crawled out of her web and down to the substrate last night and is laying sideways in this weird position behind the cork bark. She's not moving at all right now. Is this moulting behavior or am I losing my little buddy??
I am pretty new to this and she has never moulted in my care before (had her since February).

That looks like she is hiding more than molting. Have you moved the enclosure or changed lighting in the room? I've seen some of my Ts do this when I move them around. Especially, if the lighting is coming in at a different angle.

Make sure she has fresh water and keep an eye on her. Has she eaten recently?

 

[jsivertson]

That looks like she is hiding more than molting. Have you moved the enclosure or changed lighting in the room? I've seen some of my Ts do this when I move them around. Especially, if the lighting is coming in at a different angle.

Make sure she has fresh water and keep an eye on her. Has she eaten recently?

Ignored the last cricket I put in there, but ate two weeks ago. I haven't changed the lighting or moved the enclosure, but those are good things to bring up for sure. She has fresh water, I will wait a while. Thank you!