avic molt?

[kyrga]

So I just peeked into my a. avic slings cage, and was surprised to find what looks like a completely different T. As of a few days ago, she looked very much like a sling, with the striping on the abdomen, and pinkish legs with black toes. Today, all I can really see are her legs and the very front of her carapace, as she's hiding pretty far back in her tunnel web. What I can see is completely black!

Is she about to molt? Or did she already molt, and is now starting to show adult coloration? She's about 1.75", maybe closer to 2", and I can't see a shed skin anywhere.

Also, I don't want to disturb her, but I haven't misted in a few days and I know moisture is important during molting. Should I mist?

 

[P. Novak]

It can really be either or, but I would go with she molted. Look for faint pink toes. Can you see them? You'll know for sure after a week cause then you'll be able to disturb her and feed her. If indeed it was a molt, Congrats on a successful Avicularia aviculara sling molt.

 

[Talkenlate04]

I would go with she is in premolt. Even when they gain adult colors after a molt it takes a bit of time for them to harden up and get that color. And if you are seeing all black then its more then likely premolt. Unless you never check on your T and it had time to molt and harden up for a week un noticed. But you said you checked on her a few days ago so I vote pre molt.

 

[kyrga]

Well, either way, the suspense is killing me! I haven't had much experience with molts, and I a.)want to make sure she does OK, and b.) want to see her pretty new colors or even just a brighter version of her old colors.

 

[P. Novak]

Well, either way, the suspense is killing me! I haven't had much experience with molts, and I a.)want to make sure she does OK, and b.) want to see her pretty new colors or even just a brighter version of her old colors.

Ha, even after the 100th molt, the suspense is still there. Well what ever it is, I wish you the best of luck. I would raise the humidity a bit just in case, by pouring a bit of water down the opposite side from where the T resides.

 

[kyrga]

Well, she was in pre molt! I woke up this morning to find her sitting on her freshly shed skin.

Just how delicate are they after a molt? Obviously I'm not going to take her out or start poking around her cage or anything, but is she going to be super sensitive to light and noise outside her enclosure? She seems to be doing well, but I don't want her to drop dead from stress or anything.

 

[P. Novak]

Well, she was in pre molt! I woke up this morning to find her sitting on her freshly shed skin.

Just how delicate are they after a molt? Obviously I'm not going to take her out or start poking around her cage or anything, but is she going to be super sensitive to light and noise outside her enclosure? She seems to be doing well, but I don't want her to drop dead from stress or anything.

Avics, I would say, are the most sensitive after molts, even more as slings. You can probably mist inside her enclosure a little bit just in case she gets thirsty(on the opposite side where she resides on, and try not to hit her), but basically just leave her enclosure where it is and don't bother it for a couple of days. Congrats on the successful molt.

 

[monitormonster]

Yeah, dont try to hold her or feed her for about 2 weeks- Wait until her fangs have turned black again.

My Avic ate like a ravenous beast after her moult-