A few concerns about my tarantula

[jabspeach]

Hello everyone
I have a few questions about my tarantula that are concerning me.
So first of all, my tarantula is moulting and in order to move a cricket from her enclosure, so it couldn't harm her while vulnerable, I had to move her hide slightly, however she wasn't touched at all. I was worried that maybe the slight turbulence may cause a bad moult? Please let me know if this is the case.

Second question is, do tarantulas moult with help from external moisture/ humidity, or internal hydration? I've seen several people either say that outer humidity isn't important while a tarantula sheds because as long as the Tarantula is hydrated, it is able to moult fine with a dry environment. But I've also heard that outwr humidity is vital for a tarantula to shed. I've dampened some soil in my tank to Try and raise the humidity levels and i do this fairly often, but it's very hot weather here at the moment, and any dampness seems to dry out quickly, so I am also worried if this will effect her having a successful shed or not. She has had a bad shed in the past and has lost a leg so I've always tried to be extra vigilant but I still can't help but worry. I'm sorry for the essay anyone willing to read all this and give me an opinion is a Saint and I thankyou very much

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Same thing I been asking for years. Wonder if I had kept my desert species on wetter or half damp substrate if they wouldn’t had had molting problems. I added a little water to my lp that close its hide off and is probably molting soon. I’m not sure if it helps to not ?
Which specific sub species it your t ? Get a pic if won’t disturb it . Glad you removed the cricket that’s a smart thing to do !

 

[viper69]

1 no
2 I used to think no, but someone replied some years ago and said yes- and I think they cited a book- so maybe hah

Either way I’ve never done anything extra for them

 

[DustyD]

I have always heard that getting enough water into them before a molt is important. I keep my Grammostola species in a dry environment and humidity around their enclosures has ranged from a low of 17 percent during the winter and a high of about 75 percent in the summer. I have not had any molting issues in the two years keeping them. I do have a water dish in their enclosures that I check on and refill as needed about 3-5 days depending on conditions.

 

[cold blood]

Internal is most critical...hydration is very important....but dry air will harden the molt quicker, which can, in some instances cause the t to become stuck....this is why we see ts molting during times of high natural humidity, like after rainy periods.

Those of us with many ts will often have many ts in pre molt in winter, then following spring rains they seem to molt altogether over just a couple days...some just recently in pre molt, others that have been there for long periods.

 

[darkness975]

Internal is most critical...hydration is very important....but dry air will harden the molt quicker, which can, in some instances cause the t to become stuck....this is why we see ts molting during times of high natural humidity, like after rainy periods.

Those of us with many ts will often have many ts in pre molt in winter, then following spring rains they seem to molt altogether over just a couple days...some just recently in pre molt, others that have been there for long periods.

My older ones (i.e. not slings) will usually molt in late spring throughout the summer when the ambient humidity skyrockets).

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

While I do not profess having done any type of real scientific study, I've noted that my versi made a web tunnel from top canopy directly down into her water dish (roughly same diameter, too) and has molted directly above it the past 2 times. I am assuming this has to do with preferred humidity, but as this is the only one of my Ts I've seen this behaviour from.

 

[MariaLewisia]

First off: no, you didn't cause a bad moult by removing the cricket. Don't worry.

Now to the humidity question. To really understand this I think we need to go back to the basics of spider anatomy and ask what happens during a moult, as well as think of some basic chemistry.

(Tl; dr: a properly hydrated tarantula is key to a good moult and if their environment is usually very dry, more humidity during the actual moult can be beneficial).

Long before the actual shedding of the old exoskeleton, the tarantula will gradually pump more and more fluid between the old and the new exo to keep them separated - this is when internal hydration is everything. If the tarantula is not properly hydrated during this entire process, the layer of fluid between the old and the new exoskeleton will be too thin and cause problems during the moult, regardless of humidity.

During the actual moulting process the tarantula will use that same fluid which separated the exos as a sort of lubricant. They're so fragile in their new exo that any friction might cause a tear so the fluid helps them slip right out - this is when external humidity plays a part and we need to consider some very basic chemistry. Dry air attracts moisture. If the air is very dry in the enclosure when the tarantula moults, this means the fluid helping it to slide out of the old exo evaporates quicker, which in turn increases the risk of the tarantula getting stuck if the process of moulting isn't quick enough. If the air is humid, then the fluid won't dry as quickly and the risk of getting stuck decreases. We could go into even further detail of relative vs absolute humidity and cool vs warm air capacity but I think that's a bit overkill in this case.

Despite these two factors both playing a part in moulting, they do not play an equal. A tarantula is destined to have a bad moult if its not properly hydrated, regardless of humidity. Contrary to popular (?) belief, a tarantula's skin is not permeable like ours. They can't absorb moisture from the air. Increasing the humidity in the enclosure long before a moult does nothing, neither does giving them water just before a moult. They need to have water available at all times to slowly build up an adequate layer of fluid.

So there you have it! Don't go overboard with thousands of water bowls and drenching the substrate when the tarantula goes into premoult. Just make sure they always have water available and wet a corner of the enclosure when they go into premoult. That's all you need to do to increase the chances of a good moult.