Avic Metallica a.k.a. Pet Rock

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
My Avic has been hiding in its hideout for quite some time now and has not left that spot in probably a week or so. It hasn't eaten either in over two months possibly more and refuses food everytime I offer it. If it was premolt I'm sure it would have molted by now. I tried keeping the house extra warm plus misting more often and nothing seems to help. Any suggestions?
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
My adult A. metallica would pre-molt for about a month, if not longer.
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
This has been way more than a month more like two and a half months.
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
All you can do is watch and wait. Try offering food, spritz the walls really well and make sure she has water and moist sub. She could just be taking forever to get her molt on.

On the flip side, my big female (mentioned above) did exhibit similar behavior -rediculously long premolt behavior- before she actually died in a molt. I think this may have been age related as I bought her as a small adult nearly four years before, making her somewhere in the general vicinity of 5-7 years old. Here's hoping that doesn't happen with yours.

Question, has she actually sealed herself inside her tube web or does she just sit in there a lot?
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
she hasn't made a web yet but she just sits in the log I have up there.
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
I believe its a 14x14x16 or a 14x14x18 not sure which. I usually throw the crickets in as I don't have a steady enough hand for tong feeding ( not to mention big enough tongs).
 

NatalieMK

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Messages
12
I just experienced the same mood with my avic. versicolor, she hid away for over a month and now she is out n about and still didn't molt.. They are tricky to tell what exactly they are doing. Sometimes they just like to be alone and "fast" for no apparent reason. avics tend to usually be very secretive.
 

Glory

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
18
My G. Rosea didn't eat for a good three-four months pre-molt. I'm not one to panic, so I just continued offering food until one day she finally laid down a web and molted. A few weeks later, she was eating like a champ and still is :) From what I've heard, unless they are literally shrinking in size, there isn't anything to be worried about.
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
My G. Rosea didn't eat for a good three-four months pre-molt. I'm not one to panic, so I just continued offering food until one day she finally laid down a web and molted. A few weeks later, she was eating like a champ and still is :) From what I've heard, unless they are literally shrinking in size, there isn't anything to be worried about.
Yeah but that's a Rosie and it's not unusual for them to fast. On the other hand I've never heard of an Avic fasting for extended periods of time.
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
1,309
I believe its a 14x14x16 or a 14x14x18 not sure which. I usually throw the crickets in as I don't have a steady enough hand for tong feeding ( not to mention big enough tongs).
Try tong feeding it or dropping the cricket right in front of it. I have an A. avic and whenever I toss crickets in, I come back a day or two later and they are still there, but when I tong feed or drop it in front of her, she eats.
 

web eviction

Arachnolord
Joined
Dec 23, 2010
Messages
639
My versi just finally molted after a 2 month fast, crazy lil creatures lol now my other 11 T's are all in pre-molt which sucks cuz I need to feed off some roaches lol
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
Try tong feeding it or dropping the cricket right in front of it. I have an A. avic and whenever I toss crickets in, I come back a day or two later and they are still there, but when I tong feed or drop it in front of her, she eats.
I've tried dropping it in front of the T and it just flicks it away with its front legs.
 

NatalieMK

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Messages
12
My versi just finally molted after a 2 month fast, crazy lil creatures lol now my other 11 T's are all in pre-molt which sucks cuz I need to feed off some roaches lol




you see our versi didnt eat for a month and a half but it wasnt because she molted beacuse now she is eating... it was a weird fast type thing
 

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
It's probably nothing but why don't you post a pic of the spider in its enclosure. That way we can advise on any possible tweaks you can make to her environment to help her settle in.
 

BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
I'll see if I can get a good pic to post though that may be a little difficult at the moment due to some technical difficulties.
 
Top