# looks like my tarantula ate her molt!



## Jessicads (Feb 17, 2012)

I am new to owning a tarantula, and my pink toe tarantula just molted on valentines day. about a day after she molted it looks as if she ate her molting it is scattered all throughout her webbing. is it normal for them to eat their molting? Also is this a sign for me to start feeding her? how long should I wait to feed after molting? And should i have removed the molting from the webbing right away? i am always afraid to extract the molting right away because i do not want to hurt or disturb my tarantula. since the molting is all throughout her webbing should i try to get all the little pieces out? sorry so many questions. thank you for your answers!


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## Jared781 (Feb 17, 2012)

LOL my P. cambridgei fights his molt sometimes

Reactions: Funny 1


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## OBT1 (Feb 17, 2012)

Mine usually fights his molt too!


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## skippy (Feb 17, 2012)

you can leave it in there, it won't hurt. sometimes they try to reclaim the moisture from the molt and sometimes they just use it to decorate.

give it a couple days, spray some water in there, give it a week or 2 then feed.

have fun!

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## Jessicads (Feb 17, 2012)

a week seems like a long time she is still young. i should really wait that long?


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## Dr Acula (Feb 17, 2012)

You should really only be feeding it once a week anyways

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## InvertFix (Feb 17, 2012)

Dr Acula said:


> You should really only be feeding it once a week anyways


+1 
Tarantulas aren't people, they don't need to eat often like we do.


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## grayzone (Feb 17, 2012)

feed it as much/often AS YOU WANT... its your t... while they dont NEED it, it depends on how fast ya want it to grow... just remember "it isnt a race" so dont over do it... sounds like your avic just busted the molt apart and decorated its web. My obt does that alot.... youll know when its the right time to feed it when the slings fangs are BLACK and not white or dark red...  IME it usually takes a 3" and under t about 4 to 7 days for its fangs to fully harden

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## xhexdx (Feb 17, 2012)

Jared781 said:


> LOL my P. cambridgei fights his molt sometimes





OBT1 said:


> Mine usually fights his molt too!


They don't fight their molts.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Chris_Skeleton (Feb 17, 2012)

Also, what they leave is it called the exuvium not "molting".

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## ijmccollum (Feb 17, 2012)

My little A. versi molted about two weeks ago in its tube and I thought great, I'll never get that out.  Next morning it had taken the trash out - the exuvia had been 86'd from the webbing. Was kinda funny.


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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

Why would the behavior surprise you? Ts do things that dont make sense all the time. I had a rosie that used to fight its water dish, after it won the fight it would drag the dish across the cage and bury it. Strange behavior? Yeah it ranks right up there. If a water dish can be target for a fight to the death why not a shed exoskeleton?


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## Thobby1982 (Feb 17, 2012)

xhexdx said:


> They don't fight their molts.


How do you know?


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## Rob1985 (Feb 17, 2012)

Since it's a stresser for them, many T's will push it away. In result, the exuvium falls apart.


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## xhexdx (Feb 17, 2012)

Thobby1982 said:


> How do you know?


Lol, you're kidding, right?

Reactions: Like 2


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## Jessicads (Feb 17, 2012)

baboonfan said:


> Why would the behavior surprise you? Ts do things that dont make sense all the time. I had a rosie that used to fight its water dish, after it won the fight it would drag the dish across the cage and bury it. Strange behavior? Yeah it ranks right up there. If a water dish can be target for a fight to the death why not a shed exoskeleton?


Like I said this is my first tarantula......


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## Rob1985 (Feb 17, 2012)

Jessicads said:


> Like I said this is my first tarantula......


 you're fine, this is normal behavior. Often times you may not see the exuvium for a long while or ever on many of the burrowing species. So keep in mind that not every T will display the same behavior toward an exuvium.

Enjoy your T and their intriguing behavior!


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## Thobby1982 (Feb 17, 2012)

xhexdx said:


> Lol, you're kidding, right?


Yes I'm kidding.


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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

That reply wasnt directed at your post. It was claimed that a T would never fight its own shed exoskeleton.


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## xhexdx (Feb 17, 2012)

Your spider doesn't fight your water dish, either.


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## Rob1985 (Feb 17, 2012)

xhexdx said:


> Your spider doesn't fight your water dish, either.


 mine does Krav Maga.

Reactions: Like 1


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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

You are still at it huh? At what point have you been breaking into my home and observing my Ts? 

jon3800 on youtube recorded the very same behavior with the very same T, explain that. Unless he is involved with a super secret CIA/KGB conspiracy to make you look bad I would say the recording is proof that Ts sometimes exhibit strange behavior. I admit that the KGB could have photo shopped it all (in theory) but its not likely. Stay with the hobby a bit longer and you will observe a few things you wont be able to explain. Based on your posts you are still in the "I read a book..." phase.


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## Rob1985 (Feb 17, 2012)

baboonfan said:


> You are still at it huh? At what point have you been breaking into my home and observing my Ts?
> 
> jon3800 on youtube recorded the very same behavior with the very same T, explain that. Unless he is involved with a super secret CIA/KGB conspiracy to make you look bad I would say the recording is proof that Ts sometimes exhibit strange behavior. I admit that the KGB could have photo shopped it all (in theory) but its not likely. Stay with the hobby a bit longer and you will observe a few things you wont be able to explain. Based on your posts you are still in the "I read a book..." phase.


 who are you talking to? lol


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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

xhex of course. He likes to tell people that they only thought they witnessed a behavior he cant explain. If he didnt read about it in someone elses book it couldnt have happened.

I have seen Ts do all kinds of things they never do according to a book he read once. My rosie reared up, bit its water dish several times, then dragged it across the cage to bury it. Why? Nobody can know. There arent any books on the behavior but I still observed it. Jon 3800s managed to drag its water dish to the top of the cage. 

As far as Ts breaking up shed exo skeletons, thats a common behavior. They moult inside of their lairs, being good housekeepers they then attempt to remove the trash. The dried refuse breaks up easily and leaves a mess. This is probably a behavioral holdover from the wild intended to prevent confrontations with ants.


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## xhexdx (Feb 17, 2012)

Let me make this easy for you:

Did your tarantula, through no provocation from you, randomly just *attack* the water dish?  *Through no provocation from you*?

I highly *highly* doubt it.

It's funny how you are attempting to mock me by telling me what I do and don't think, when you're essentially doing the same thing to me.

I tell you that your spider can't attack your water dish, even though I haven't seen it.  You're telling me what I'm thinking, even though you can't read my mind.

So I'll say again, Mr. Can't Spell My Username Correctly:  Your spider *is not* attacking the water dish, and it *is not* attacking its molt, *unless you are provoking it to do so*.

Now, to pick apart one of your other posts:



baboonfan said:


> jon3800 on youtube recorded the very same behavior with the very same T, explain that.


Like, the *very same* spider?  As in, he recorded it, then you acquired it from him?  Or are you just meaning he recorded it with the same species?  Not sure how it's relevant either way, honestly.

Do you have the video recording of this?  Care to share it with us?



baboonfan said:


> Unless he is involved with a super secret CIA/KGB conspiracy to make you look bad I would say the recording is proof that Ts sometimes exhibit strange behavior. I admit that the KGB could have photo shopped it all (in theory) but its not likely.


If he was, that conspiracy would be failing miserably.  Again, have you got this video or whatever 'documented evidence' you are referencing?



baboonfan said:


> ...that Ts sometimes exhibit strange behavior.


I didn't realize we were debating whether or not tarantulas sometimes exhibit strange behavior.  I thought we were debating a *specific behavior*.



baboonfan said:


> I admit that the KGB could have photo shopped it all (in theory) but its not likely.


It's not likely that the KGB would engage in shady behavior to get their way?  Ha.



baboonfan said:


> Stay with the hobby a bit longer and you will observe a few things you wont be able to explain. Based on your posts you are still in the "I read a book..." phase.


Seems you're quite confused and misinformed.  Stick with the hobby a bit longer and you'll understand.  Stick with the site a bit longer and maybe you'll be able to understand my posts.  Understand my posts a bit longer and maybe you'll realize that there's nothing you could possibly pull up where I, at any time, have parroted information citing a book as my sole source.

Next.


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## Hobo (Feb 17, 2012)

They don't spontaneosly fight inanimate objects, I'm pretty sure. It's just not how they work.
I'm guessing you (and Jon, I guess, if he said his tarantula spontaneously fought a dish) might have just misinterpreted some other behavior.

I've had this happen a couple of times. I have a picture of it that I'll post here when I get home. IME, especially after the filling of the dish or moving of an object/enclosure, the tarantula seems to perceive some kind of threat, or a potential meal (sometimes in a completely random area). Sometimes they will adopt a threat pose or strike out at the general direction of the perceived movement or disturbance and will briefly bite/slap/threaten anything that may be there. In my case that usually means the waterdish, if I am filling it up without moving it, or making a lot of movement placing it back. So, not really "fighting" but more misplaced food aggression or defensiveness. I do not believe they will spontaneously attack or bite something  inanimate with the intent of harming it, other that to move/manipulate things to their liking (like digging, moving clumps of dirt/rocks/plants around, etc.).


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## Jared781 (Feb 17, 2012)

skippy said:


> you can leave it in there, it won't hurt. sometimes they try to reclaim the moisture from the molt and sometimes they just use it to decorate.
> 
> give it a couple days, spray some water in there, give it a week or 2 then feed.
> 
> have fun!


yes very good point.. and if they lose a leg, they will somtimes also eat the limb to gain extra "nutrition"

---------- Post added 02-17-2012 at 08:33 PM ----------

This L. parahybana is also enjoying a nice fresh molt...


<EDIT - video removed>


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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

xhexdx said:


> Let me make this easy for you:
> 
> Did your tarantula, through no provocation from you, randomly just *attack* the water dish?  *Through no provocation from you*?
> 
> ...


I understand all of your posts, I understand your youthful anger. I find it obnoxious but I understand it perfectly.

You are claiming that I incited hatred of the water bowl? How did i do that? Water bowls may have had their civil rights abused in my home from time to time but last I checked they werent covered under the hate crimes provisions. I want to make sure I read you right. I fostered a hatred of a specific water bowl upon a common rosie through what means exactly? The T simply attacked the bowl and dragged it across the cage to bury it. I really had no way of convincing the spider that the water bowl had brought ill omen to the world.

Jon3800s same species did indeed demonstrate a similar behavior on film. His dragged the water bowl toward the top of the cage instead of giving it a burial. Just like mine, his did not require any sort of hateful or racist inspiration toward water bowls. If you want to see it you can watch it on his channel. JON3800 is a well known Canadian T keeper with many times your experience. You would probably learn something from his many educational videos. Please tell me that you dont need me to explain to you how to load a youtube page. I can help you learn but you wont like my temper and my total inability to be patient with people who dont follow instructions the first time. Your tax payer dollars paid me to be the total opposite of understanding and patient.

I do not know why water bowls are worthy of a fight or even a burial, I do know that I observed the behavior in early 1994. JON3800s video proves that my T wasnt the worlds only T to demonstrate the behavior. 

If you feel offended by the video I suggest that you not watch it in advance. If you have a problem with him for recording something that makes you look bad you can hire a lawyer and sue.


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## xhexdx (Feb 17, 2012)

I'm still waiting for a link to this video.  You're the one trying to prove something here, I shouldn't have to go digging to find your evidence for you.


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## Anonymity82 (Feb 17, 2012)

Chris_Skeleton said:


> Also, what they leave is it called the exuvium not "molting".


Or exuvia

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## baboonfan (Feb 17, 2012)

Jared781 said:


> yes very good point.. and if they lose a leg, they will somtimes also eat the limb to gain extra "nutrition"
> 
> ---------- Post added 02-17-2012 at 08:33 PM ----------
> 
> ...



You just started a war with a few individuals here. That video proves that a T can demonstrate a behavior that they didnt read about in some book. 

I like the video, just get ready for the angry debates it stirs. I think your T may have been reclaiming a bit of moisture, just my theory of course.

---------- Post added 02-18-2012 at 12:01 AM ----------




xhexdx said:


> I'm still waiting for a link to this video.  You're the one trying to prove something here, I shouldn't have to go digging to find your evidence for you.


Type "Youtube" into your internet browser. Press "enter". Click on the youtube home page. Search Youtube for "JON3800". Select his account from your result and freely choose which of his many videos you want to watch on his channel. If you mess this up let me know and I will instruct you again in a more private area. I just hope you can suddenly become more thick skinned than most metropolitan civilian Americans because my next set of instructions will belong more in Paris Island than here based upon the way in which they will be worded.


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## xhexdx (Feb 18, 2012)

baboonfan said:


> You just started a war with a few individuals here. That video proves that a T can demonstrate a behavior that they didnt read about in some book.


The only one here talking about books is you.  Your posts proves that you can demonstrate a complete inability to read, comprehend, and compose a legitimate response to posts in this thread.



baboonfan said:


> Type "Youtube" into your internet browser. Press "enter". Click on the youtube home page. Search Youtube for "JON3800". Select his account from your result and freely choose which of his many videos you want to watch on his channel. If you mess this up let me know and I will instruct you again in a more private area. I just hope you can suddenly become more thick skinned than most metropolitan civilian Americans because my next set of instructions will belong more in Paris Island than here based upon the way in which they will be worded.


Maybe if I bold my text, you will comprehend?  I'll try, but I doubt it will work:



xhexdx said:


> I'm still waiting for a link to this video.  *You're the one trying to prove something here, I shouldn't have to go digging to find your evidence for you*.


Additionally, your instructions here:



baboonfan said:


> Type "Youtube" into your internet browser. Press "enter". Click on the youtube home page. Search Youtube for "JON3800". Select his account from your result and freely choose which of his many videos you want to watch on his channel.


Don't actually direct me to a *specific video* that provides this evidence of yours.  All it does is direct me to his channel.    I'm pretty sure you insinuated that there was a *specific video* you had watched regarding this *specific behavior*, correct?



baboonfan said:


> jon3800 on youtube recorded the very same behavior with the very same T, explain that.


Yep.  If I misquoted you here, feel free to clarify.  If I didn't misquote you, then I'd think if you've actually seen this video, you would have it in your Internet history and should have no problem pulling it up.  If you can't seem to figure it out, let me know and I can give you some detailed instructions on how to do this.

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## GregorSamsa (Feb 18, 2012)

Just a couple of things...



baboonfan said:


> Stay with the hobby a bit longer and you will observe a few things you wont be able to explain. Based on your posts you are still in the "I read a book..." phase.


You must be confused. Do you know how to view user profiles?



Hobo said:


> They don't spontaneosly fight inanimate objects, I'm pretty sure. It's just not how they work.
> I'm guessing you (and Jon, I guess, if he said his tarantula spontaneously fought a dish) might have just misinterpreted some other behavior.
> 
> I've had this happen a couple of times. I have a picture of it that I'll post here when I get home. IME, especially after the filling of the dish or moving of an object/enclosure, the tarantula seems to perceive some kind of threat, or a potential meal (sometimes in a completely random area). Sometimes they will adopt a threat pose or strike out at the general direction of the perceived movement or disturbance and will briefly bite/slap/threaten anything that may be there. In my case that usually means the waterdish, if I am filling it up without moving it, or making a lot of movement placing it back. So, not really "fighting" but more misplaced food aggression or defensiveness. I do not believe they will spontaneously attack or bite something  inanimate with the intent of harming it, other that to move/manipulate things to their liking (like digging, moving clumps of dirt/rocks/plants around, etc.).


^THIS. 

To the OP, your T is normal. Welcome to the boards


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## Rob1985 (Feb 18, 2012)

Look, "xhexdx" makes very valid points, he is far from a "n00b"? Some have called me a "n00b", but I have been a member of this site for a quite a while now. I usually lurk, but recently I have felt the need to be more "verbal" if ya will.

and now this...


*Arguing if a T will fight a water dish.. you're argument is invalid!*


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## jayefbe (Feb 18, 2012)

Baboonfan - there's only one person coming across as a noob. You're also incredibly argumentative for someone that hasn't been around very long. And seriously, you keep bringing up this books argument (which NOBODY else cares about, and is a complete non sequitur) and yet your only source is a YouTube user. Come on, buddy. Don't you see some kind of irony there? Most of us that have actually been in the hobby for a while realize that the usefulness of YouTube videos ends pretty fast. 

Also, you fail to understand the very basis of xhexdx's argument. Tarantulas do weird stuff. He's not denying that. He's saying that your tarantula is not FIGHTING its water bowl. I agree. It is not doing battle with the water bowl. You've noticed some bizarre behavior and have misattributed it to fighting. Just because the word hasn't been posted in a while, anthropomorphism.

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## Quazgar (Feb 18, 2012)

is this video the one you're referring to?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY3AA65Y47E&feature=youtube_gdata_player
if so, the tarantula is not trying to fight its water dish (nor does Jon ever say otherwise). It is trying to remove it from its territory.


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## Chris_Skeleton (Feb 18, 2012)

But I've seen my G. rosea FIGHT the water dish. For realz 

My G. rosea will frequently roll its water dish around its cage and tilt it up on its side against the glass and whatever else it wants to do with it. Not once did I ever think "Omg, my spider is fighting the water bowl". They aren't going to attack without provocation such as filling its dish, or moving it.


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## Stan Schultz (Feb 18, 2012)

Chris_Skeleton said:


> Also, what they leave is it called the exuvium not "molting".


A small point, but the term is "exuvia" for singular and "exuviae" for plural. It's a term derived from Latin and of the feminine gender, not masculine. But, don't feel bad, even the experts on their ivory towers are confused. I haven't made a concerted search, but I probably got it wrong in places in TKG3!

Just what you needed today! One more smart@$$ and you'll go home and get drunk, right! :biggrin:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jon3800 (Feb 18, 2012)

As I was reading through this entire thread, there's been a lot made of FALSE assumptions being made on my behalf.  Even though I'm well known on youtube, that is not to say that I can still be contacted.  You can and will expect replies.  I just wish this was brought to my attention a lot sooner to clarify this mess.  

Please allow me to do so.

1) The speculation that it is the same spider isn't true.  This wasn't a G.rosea but a female G. pulchripes that has a mildly defensive temperament when provoked. As we all know, individual specimens within the same species vary in both personality and in temperament.  I have relatively docile pokies but defensive Grammys.

2) Being the interior decorators that tarantulas are...people often get the impression that tarantulas attack inanimate objects (water dish, substrate, hides), when all they're really doing is moving them because they don't want it in that specific spot Since Ts use their fangs to grab stuff, the  misconception would say that they attack or fight with it, which is obviously not the case at all.  The water dish is in this video no exception.   I have others that do this as well.. my A.seemani moves the water dish and my G.pulchra moves his cup hide.  However, I do see my few of mine trying to bite their deli cups but that is their way of trying to get out. Attacks are almost always triggered by provocation.

3) My pulchripes was unprovoked and she did this on her own will.  I just happen to catch this as pure chance, and I filmed it for the interesting behavior that's not all the time seen.  As Quazgar said, I never said anything in the video about her fighting it.

So to those who are concerned about my infamous video in question, here it is.  Again I repeat, it's just moving the dish not attacking it.

[YOUTUBE]BY3AA65Y47E[/YOUTUBE]

Hope it helps
Jon

P.S:  This video and all my other tarantula related videos serve to educate and document my current Ts (feeding, molt records, breeding etc.) and about their behavior.  I DO NOT post videos with the intention of offending anyone or to making people look bad.  That is not my nature. With that said, please enjoy it.

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## Zoltan (Feb 18, 2012)

Pikaia said:


> A small point, but the term is "exuvia" for singular and "exuviae" for plural. It's a term derived from Latin and of the feminine gender, not masculine. But, don't feel bad, even the experts on their ivory towers are confused. I haven't made a concerted search, but I probably got it wrong in places in TKG3!
> 
> Just what you needed today! One more smart@$$ and you'll go home and get drunk, right! :biggrin:


Depending on which source you look at, some say that the term only exists as a plural (_exuviae_) and doesn't have a singular form. These days the usage of _exuvia_ as singular and _exuviae_ as plural seems to be accepted, personally, I prefer to use just _exuviae_. I seem to remember (but don't hold me to it, I can't find it at the moment to verify) an article in the ATS magazin which states _exuvium _as the singular and _exuvia _as the plural, which seems to be incorrect. There was an interesting discussion about this term in 2008 on the Taxacom maillist: http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom/2008-June/063146.html (click the text after Next message near to top to turn the page).


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## jakykong (Feb 19, 2012)

I had never considered the possibility of a word without a singular form. (at least, as an English speaker. All Japanese words lack a plural/singular distinction. I have no formal training in Latin.) It would seem to pose a problem when one is referring to a specific exuvia(e?), from one particular molting of a specimen. 

Browsing your Taxacom link a bit, it makes sense in the etymology; a single piece of armor is rarely removed. But my immediate reaction is that there would have to be a singular form agreed upon for the modern, scientific use of the term.

In any case, it is intriguing food for thought.


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