# Twice molted



## Andras (Jan 21, 2009)

I recently got a B. Smithi from a friend, and he said it had just molted.  After having it for about three days, it molted again.  He had said expect two or three months before the next molt.  It grew nearly 1/2 an inch to roughly 2 1/2 inches after the molt.  I hear that it is very rare for a tarantula to molt two times in a row, so I thought I'd share with the community.  The Smithi is doing great now, eating well and kept in ideal conditions.  Anyone else have a T do this double molt?

Reactions: Informative 1


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## J.huff23 (Jan 21, 2009)

Wait....so it molted once, was 1/2 inch big....and then a few days later it molted again? And is now 2 1/2 inches? Reeeaaallly.....personally, I would say that thats impossible. I have NEVER heard of this hapening. 

Other members, have you guys EVER heard of this happening?


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## Atreyuhero4 (Jan 21, 2009)

I have had my B. smithi sling sence mid september. I got it around .5" its molted twice sence I got it and its grown about .25"


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## halfwaynowhere (Jan 21, 2009)

j.everson23 said:


> Wait....so it molted once, was 1/2 inch big....and then a few days later it molted again? And is now 2 1/2 inches? Reeeaaallly.....personally, I would say that thats impossible. I have NEVER heard of this hapening.
> 
> Other members, have you guys EVER heard of this happening?


I think he's saying it was 2" when he got it, his friend said it had just molted a few days ago, and then it molted again to be 2 1/2", so it grew 1/2".

Brachypelma are slow growers. I have one sling that has molted two or three times in the past year. I think that what happened here is that the friend may have gotten it mixed up with another T, or something. There isn't enough time in three days for a new exoskeleton to fully develop under the current one...


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## Endagr8 (Jan 21, 2009)

I've had my smithi since september and it has only molted once in my care. I t is in premolt right now though. I got it at .75" and now it's about an inch in legspan


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## J.huff23 (Jan 21, 2009)

halfwaynowhere said:


> I think he's saying it was 2" when he got it, his friend said it had just molted a few days ago, and then it molted again to be 2 1/2", so it grew 1/2".
> 
> Brachypelma are slow growers. I have one sling that has molted two or three times in the past year. I think that what happened here is that the friend may have gotten it mixed up with another T, or something. There isn't enough time in three days for a new exoskeleton to fully develop under the current one...


That makes more sense, but still. Molted twice in the same week/two week period? Nah. I have never heard of that happening before. If anybody else has had that happen, please step forward, this is interesting to me.


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## Boanerges (Jan 21, 2009)

j.everson23 said:


> That makes more sense, but still. Molted twice in the same week/two week period? Nah. I have never heard of that happening before. If anybody else has had that happen, please step forward, this is interesting to me.


Never heard of one molting twice in the same week or a two week period either :?


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## Euronymous (Jan 22, 2009)

No mix up. I only Had one Smithi, and not that many T's he/she molted about a month before I gave him/her to my buddy and molted again. I told him it kind of looked like it was in pre-molt, but that is kind of impossible; it was just the dark patch for the uradicating hairs. Sure enough. And yes, when he got it it was about 2". I wish my Boehmei would do that.


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## Euronymous (Jan 22, 2009)

And it was more like a month/month and a half not a week or two. Not that it makes a difference. Especially with a brachy!
I'm glad you posted this Matt


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## kean (Jan 23, 2009)

ok case closed.. a month or a month and a half is sufficient for a Small Brachy to molt..


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## Andras (Jan 23, 2009)

thanks guys, euronymous is who i got the T from and when i told him it had molted again i think he nearly wet himself.  the growth was just under half an inch from when i got it until now.  i think i may have confused a date when i originally posted, but nonetheless it technically shouldn't have been ready to molt again.


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## LadyArachni (Apr 7, 2018)

Andras said:


> I recently got a B. Smithi from a friend, and he said it had just molted.  After having it for about three days, it molted again.  He had said expect two or three months before the next molt.  It grew nearly 1/2 an inch to roughly 2 1/2 inches after the molt.  I hear that it is very rare for a tarantula to molt two times in a row, so I thought I'd share with the community.  The Smithi is doing great now, eating well and kept in ideal conditions.  Anyone else have a T do this double molt?


My Salmon pink bird eater molted on March 6th and again two weeks later? I am confused also. I removed the first molt 100% and two weeks later a leg was found on the web, and we thought maybe I had missed one. Then we discovered a full new molt inside her web.


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## Mirandarachnid (Apr 7, 2018)

LadyArachni said:


> My Salmon pink bird eater molted on March 6th and again two weeks later? I am confused also. I removed the first molt 100% and two weeks later a leg was found on the web, and we thought maybe I had missed one. Then we discovered a full new molt inside her web.


Small specimens that are fed well and kept in higher temps grow faster, but two weeks between molts would be a really short amount of time unless it's a tiny sling.

More likely, is that it molted another time previously, and you didn't notice. She may have stuffed it in her hide and then later decided it was trash and pushed it out.

(p.s. We mostly use scientific names to avoid confusion. Salmon pink bird eater normally refers to Lasiodora parahybana, commonly abbreviated LP.)

Also, the person you quoted hasn't been on here in 9 years


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## Fleshless1 (Sep 19, 2019)

I have a C. Lividum that molted about 3 weeks ago. She is barely over 2 inches and molting again. She didn't eat after her last molt either.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kitara (Sep 20, 2019)

Mirandarachnid said:


> Also, the person you quoted hasn't been on here in 9 years


  It does make me laugh when this happens! LOL


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## Nickzphone (Jan 19, 2021)

I don't know if anyone's still following this thread but I 100% just had my Selenotholus Foelschei molt twice in 7 days. I have documented it both occasions on video and pictures. Obviously I came across this thread googling what the hell was going on but it happened. Two molts in 7 days. Enclosures are labelled and records taken of every molt so I know for sure I didn't mix this one up... Any ideas? I'm happy to email the videos and pictures which are all time stamped. I'm very confused right now.

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## coolnweird (Jan 19, 2021)

I've had a double molt with a small sling before! My P. sazimai molted, wouldn't eat when I offered food after a week, and then roughly a week after that molted again. Looking at the molts, it seems it failed to molt out its sucking stomach, and was able to molt again more successfully just a few weeks later. I'd heard that tarantulas can expedite molts if they need to repair themselves, but this is the only time I've observed it in my spiders.

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## MrGhostMantis (Jan 19, 2021)

Nickzphone said:


> I don't know if anyone's still following this thread but I 100% just had my Selenotholus Foelschei molt twice in 7 days. I have documented it both occasions on video and pictures. Obviously I came across this thread googling what the hell was going on but it happened. Two molts in 7 days. Enclosures are labelled and records taken of every molt so I know for sure I didn't mix this one up... Any ideas? I'm happy to email the videos and pictures which are all time stamped. I'm very confused right now.


Fascinating!

Reactions: Like 1


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