Tarantula Eyes

Elliott

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
22
I currently have a b. albo with a leg missing and I know she will grow it back but it got me thinking...do tarantulas have the ability to repair or replace their eyes during a molt? Say their eyes got injured or something happened to them, do they get new eyes in a molt?

I know this seems like a strange question or a newbie question, I just never thought about it before.
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
2,533
No they can not! The eyes are not moulting to new ones, if you look clisly at a moult youll see the "holes" where eyes is! They regenerate lost limbs, but not the eyes
 

Rigor Mortis

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
Messages
498
No they can not! The eyes are not moulting to new ones, if you look clisly at a moult youll see the "holes" where eyes is! They regenerate lost limbs, but not the eyes
But eyes are pretty inconsequential anyway, right?
 

spookyvibes

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
366
No they can not! The eyes are not moulting to new ones, if you look clisly at a moult youll see the "holes" where eyes is! They regenerate lost limbs, but not the eyes
I thought tarantulas shed off eye caps, much like snakes do? Just something I thought I've seen on molts, can't be 100% though. I'm not sure if eye caps would be the right term either, so somebody please correct me if I'm wrong
 

Vanisher

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
2,533
They shed the lining of the sucking stomach and female shed the lining of spermatheca. I thought there was just holes on the shed carapace where eyes are located, i havnt thought about eye caps, i thought not, but i am no expert! Let see what other say!
 

Elliott

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
22
This is also super interesting. Thank you to everyone who responded.

I have nano shrimp in terms of inverts and because of how they mount, I could never tell if they can regrow their eyes or anything like that so it’s something I’ve been thinking about with tarantulas.
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
1,038
I've seen the "eyecap" thing on moults. But then I saw a photo of a T that moulted with no eyes which was super weird. So maybe they moult them normally but if they are injured they just heal and get "scarred" over???
 

CommanderBacon

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 21, 2018
Messages
498
I have a larger molt at home. Should I try to pierce the eye hole sections with a pin and see if there's any resistance? For science?
 

EtienneN

Arachno-enigma
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
1,038
I have a larger molt at home. Should I try to pierce the eye hole sections with a pin and see if there's any resistance? For science?
The "membranes" or whatever will be super thin. But I believe you'll see some sort of "film" over the eyes and it won't just be holes.
 
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