# ...my tarantula is on its back



## neveragain (May 18, 2003)

but its legs are still moving around a little.  is it moulting, or dying or should i flip him back over???


----------



## Grael (May 18, 2003)

NO!!!!!!!!!leave it as it is lol

its molting, tarantulas die on thier fronts with thier legs curled over, just leave it as it is, dont worry, but keep the humitity up and try not to disturb it


----------



## That_Guy (May 18, 2003)

what species is it? Does it look like its twitching its legs? Well, that sounds like a molt to me. But I could be wrong. LOL. I dont think its dying. And fliping "Him" back over is a no, no. Check on it in a few hours, if nothing changes, wait a little longer. Then gently blow on it. If it moves with a jerk then I would think its a molt. But, watch out for the death curl. Thats the shocker!


----------



## SpiderTwin (May 18, 2003)

Leave it alone!!!!
T's don't die on their back, they only turn on their back when they are ready to molt. Don't disturb it, just sit back and watch. Good luck.


----------



## neveragain (May 18, 2003)

ok thanks and sorry for the dumb question


----------



## SpiderTwin (May 18, 2003)

Don't worry,
There is no such thing as asking a dumb question here, you did the right thing by asking the question. Before you asked you didn't know what to do. I'm sure whatever questions you have about T's, there is someone here who can answer it for you.


----------



## Mendnwngs (May 18, 2003)

Yeah.. Your T is just doing his "job"

Make sure theres no live prey items in the cage right now (Crickets, or whatever) If there is, try to remove them without disturbing the spider.

A cricket can kill a freshly molted tarantula.

Also: give your tarantula about a week to "Harden Up" (Sclerize (sp?)) before giving him food again.

Other than that, sit back, relax and enjoy what I thing is the most interesting facet of Tarantulas. The T renewing itself..

-Jason


----------



## Arachnopuppy (May 18, 2003)

Enjoy the show!


----------



## neveragain (May 18, 2003)

how long does it usually take a tarantuala too molt?  i left for work at around noon, and just got home around 9:30 and he's still like halfway in his old exo skeleton or whatever you call it.


----------



## jwb121377 (May 18, 2003)

I had a Grammostola areostriata take 48 hours one time.


----------



## neveragain (May 18, 2003)

well, i was reading the "general infomation" on this site on tarantulas, and it said it could take long if the humidity is too low, and too mist (but not mist the tarantual directly) so i did that, and as soon as i sprayed once, the tarantuala came fully out and looked a little mad, lol.

i cant post a pic of it right now becuase i left my camera at my friends house   i'll post pics tomorrow


----------



## MrT (May 18, 2003)

I wouldn't do anything except watch nature at its best. Just let it molt..  And have your camera ready for the show..

Ernie


----------



## luther (May 19, 2003)

Which site told you to mist a molting tarantula?  Not good advice at all in my opinion.  Molting is the least appropriate time to annoy your T.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Alias (May 19, 2003)

during molt, if I thought the humidity is too low, I always used syringe to inject drops of water through ventilation holes in the enclosure..much more gentle than spraying

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## spideywatcher (Jan 8, 2018)

My tarantula went through about a week of the described sequence of not eating, not moving, the bald spot but I couldn't really tell if he was on his back or stomach.  Now he is definitely on his back so I thought he might be molting but the posts all talk about a matter of hours.  He has been like that all day without moving.  Could he still be molting?  Is there any movement when they molt?


----------



## Mirandarachnid (Jan 8, 2018)

spideywatcher said:


> My tarantula went through about a week of the described sequence of not eating, not moving, the bald spot but I couldn't really tell if he was on his back or stomach.  Now he is definitely on his back so I thought he might be molting but the posts all talk about a matter of hours.  He has been like that all day without moving.  Could he still be molting?  Is there any movement when they molt?


They will sometimes rest on their back for a while (could be a long while, patience is key with these creatures) before they "pop their top" so to speak.


----------



## Andrea82 (Jan 8, 2018)

How big is your spider? The bigger they are, the longer a molt takes. Can you post pictures? 
If you can't tell if it's on its back or not you may want to refresh your anatomy:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/basic-tarantula-anatomy.5095/


----------



## spideywatcher (Jan 8, 2018)

Thanks for the link.  As I said, he is definitely on his back now.  How long can a T go without eating or drinking??


----------



## BC1579 (Jan 8, 2018)

Depending on conditions and species...months. Easily. I've heard tell of Ts not eating for upwards of one year, though I think that's probably the far end of the spectrum.


----------



## Moakmeister (Jan 8, 2018)

Do you guys not realize that this thread is literally over fourteen years old

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 4


----------



## BC1579 (Jan 8, 2018)

Admittedly, I didn't.

Also admittedly, I'm at work and browsing the internet so my care levels are phenomenally low.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


----------



## Garth Vader (Jan 8, 2018)

I really hope that the tarantula was free from bother and spray bottles in the face so it could complete its molt sometime during this 14 year period.

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 7


----------



## BC1579 (Jan 8, 2018)

Some say it's still molting...

Reactions: Funny 5 | Creative 1


----------



## Yorkshire (Jan 8, 2018)

Is this the oldest thread ever revived?
@spideywatcher you must be some kind of necromancer or something!


----------



## cold blood (Jan 8, 2018)

spideywatcher said:


> My tarantula went through about a week of the described sequence of not eating, not moving, the bald spot but I couldn't really tell if he was on his back or stomach.  Now he is definitely on his back so I thought he might be molting but the posts all talk about a matter of hours.  He has been like that all day without moving.  Could he still be molting?  Is there any movement when they molt?


Read post #10.  Your question was answered in 2003

Reactions: Funny 2


----------



## spideywatcher (Jan 8, 2018)

BC1579 said:


> Depending on conditions and species...months. Easily. I've heard tell of Ts not eating for upwards of one year, though I think that's probably the far end of the spectrum.


Thank You!  I was worried about him not eating or drinking.

Reactions: Lollipop 1


----------

