# The abdomen is black...shouldn't it molt?



## RadioactiveDude (Apr 8, 2006)

For the past few days, my T's(G. aureostriata) abdomen is really dark. I thought that's when it's going to molt, yet my T still walks around. I sprayed the container with water every other day. Is there something wrong?


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## CedrikG (Apr 8, 2006)

I doubt theres something wrong, my geniculata took like 1 week to molt, even if its abdomen went black. this is meaning that a molt is coming, but does'nt mean that the tarantula is going to molt immediatly

Leave it alone, with those species you dont need to mist much because they,re from arid environment. This said, its not bad to mist fro mtime to time, LIGHT MIST for those species, especially before a molt that wont be bad IMO


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 8, 2006)

Thanks for the info.


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## MindUtopia (Apr 8, 2006)

Has it stopped eating?  If it's been fasting for a few weeks and the abdomen is getting dark it means it's probably going to molt soon, but "soon" could be weeks depending on the size.  And I wouldn't mist these guys, they are from a dry region.  Either use a water dish or if it's still too small, drip a little bit of water down the side once or twice a week.


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 8, 2006)

It did stop eating, and the abdomen turned dark on Thursday I think. The vial is way too small for a water dish...that's why I'm misting. But since they shouldin't be misted so often...I will stop. Thank You.


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## tima (Apr 8, 2006)

*With the others...*

But, how big is it?
Small slings turn black and moult within a few days, at most, IME.  However, my 3" G. aureostriata turned black over a week ago, and has just sealed itself up over the past couple of days (I assume that it is moulting somewhere behind that massive wall of peat and webbing).
Be patient.  (I know that's really hard).  It will moult eventually.


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## AfterTheAsylum (Apr 8, 2006)

Yeah, a dark T can molt in a week or two months...


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 9, 2006)

tima said:
			
		

> But, how big is it?
> Small slings turn black and moult within a few days, at most, IME.  However, my 3" G. aureostriata turned black over a week ago, and has just sealed itself up over the past couple of days (I assume that it is moulting somewhere behind that massive wall of peat and webbing).
> Be patient.  (I know that's really hard).  It will moult eventually.


It's 3/4''


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## tima (Apr 9, 2006)

Correst me if I'm wrong, but at that size, the abdomen is always dark, no?
My little sling has a nearly black abdomen; and the rest of it is sort of a pale pink color.  It just moulted yesterday, from 5/8" to 3/4".  Watch for the pink parts (like the legs) to become dark before anticipating a moult.


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 9, 2006)

Not really, this is the pic I took when I got it. As you can see the abdomen is light and bald. I would take a new pic, but I don't want to disturb my T...or it maight never molt.


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## Eldgengill (Apr 9, 2006)

Hiya it took my A.Geniculata sling about a week,didnt eat for about ten days prior to moult after its abdomen turned black.One night a webmat and it took the sling about 2 1/2 hours to pop out


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## BurrowDweller (Apr 9, 2006)

One of my A. chalcodes had a dark abdomen and fasted for almost 3 months before molting. Came home from out of town to find her on her back and saw a little movement. I keep them on dry substrate with a water dish and since I found her before she molted I moved the entire cage into my fish room (higher humidty). Within 30 minutes she had started and was done molting in about an hour. Some Ts just seem to like to take their time when it comes to getting around to the molt.


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## common spider (Apr 9, 2006)

Be patient.


Sometimes molts can take up to a week or longer

Reactions: Informative 1


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## tima (Apr 9, 2006)

RadioactiveDude said:
			
		

> Not really, this is the pic I took when I got it. As you can see the abdomen is light and bald. I would take a new pic, but I don't want to disturb my T...or it maight never molt.


I see.  Mine must be a moult behind yours.  So sorry. 
That looks more like the stage my Brachys are at.  If the abdomen is black, it oughta be moulting soon. 
Tim


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 10, 2006)

What is it doing? Why is it climbing...the whole time it was just walking around and now it's climbing? Is it the lock of moisture? Sorry, but I'm worried because it's my first T.

(2 new pics taken right now)


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## IguanaMama (Apr 11, 2006)

It looks fine.  It could be in premolt for a while.  A couple of days before it molts, it will most likely stop climbing, slow down.  It might even spin a mat, that would mean the molt is imminent--within hours, but it might not happen for another week yet.


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## ErikH (Apr 11, 2006)

O.K. not to hijack this thread or anything, but my g. aureostriata sling looks to be about the same size, and also has a dark abdomen.  It hasn't eaten in a week, and actually sealed itself up in a burrow.  I was watching it this morning and it was actually spinning more web in the burrow entrance above its head, making the web plug thicker.  Should I assume a molt is imminent?


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## IguanaMama (Apr 11, 2006)

Well, LOL, it so happens that I TOO have a _G. aureostriata_ sling, that's about the same size with a dark abdomen.  Shall we start a pool?  Mine has just stopped eating, hasn't really slowed down yet though, and hasn't started spinning anything yet, so I bet mine will be last to molt--I give mine at least another week.  I'd say yours will be the first to go, Eric, followed by Dude's.


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 11, 2006)

It molted this morning...I couldn't see it because I had to go to school, but now it's a little bigger, has gray/brown color and a little hair. I want to thank everyone that helped me go through this process. How will I know when I'll be able to feed it?


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## IguanaMama (Apr 11, 2006)

I'm glad I didn't bet money!  Congratulations on your first successful molt. :clap:  At this size you should wait about three or four days before feeding it.  It will either ignore the cricket or go after it immediately.  If it ignores the cricket, just gentley glide the cricket out and wait another day.  I always start their first post-molt meal off small, but that's just me.


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## Ewok (Apr 11, 2006)

I also have a G. aureostriata  that is about this size too lol. Its abdomen is dark black but it continues to eat. It molted last month I think, but hopfully it will molt soon!


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## ErikH (Apr 11, 2006)

Mine hasn't molted yet.  It's still just sitting there sealed up in its hole.  The plug it made for the hole is like a half-inch thick.  I wonder if I should put any water in the substrate as it doesn't look like it will be going to the dish anytime soon...


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## ErikH (Apr 12, 2006)

It molted sometime last night.  Looks slightly bigger but that's it.  I don't know how I'll get the molt out of the burrow though.


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## RadioactiveDude (Apr 12, 2006)

If you're afraid of the spider take it out and dig for it...I don't know, sorry.


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## ErikH (Apr 12, 2006)

Not afraid of the spider, afraid leaving the molt might be bad.  Got my answer in another thread though, thanks.


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## Potemkin (Apr 12, 2006)

RadioactiveDude said:
			
		

> What is it doing? Why is it climbing...the whole time it was just walking around and now it's climbing? Is it the lock of moisture? Sorry, but I'm worried because it's my first T.
> 
> (2 new pics taken right now)


Hey, I'll give you some good advice. "Don't panic!" Your tarantula knows what to do, and knows better than you. Take it from someone who made some big mistakes the first time he had a molting tarantula: the best thing to do is not bother the tarantula, get a beer, relax and wait. In a couple of days she'll be fine. 

In fact, the reason that she's off the ground might be because you are spraying her TOO much.

She knows how to handle herself, so chill out. You'll do fine.


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