B. Smithi sling about to molt? But showing weird symptoms...

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
Hi!
I have a B. Smithi, and I am very confused about it, is it trying to molt?

Here are the signs it is showing:

Running from a week old cricket
after I killed the cricket, it would not eat.
Has not eaten in 5 days.
"scratching itself" - it looks like it is trying to scratch underneath itself with its legs.
Has been siting in one place for a while, sometimes scratching itself.
Turning white, a black 'patch' on its abdomen has pretty much disappeared.

I am not sure what this means, perhaps someone could help!
Thanks!
 

Motorkar

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
468
1. Post some pictures of him/her to see how it looks.
2. You should ALWAYS taker out food out of the enclosure after 24 hours becouse if spider isn't hungry, any feeder would put spider in lot of stress hopping/running around.
3. Spiders doesen't eat dead feeders.
4.Scratching his/her abdomen means that its under the stress and thats how its showing it.
5. Spider throws aways his hair in case of molting a few minutes/hours before he/she starts molting and "puts that around his/her molting mat to warn any predators.
6. If its not eating it is first indication that it is molting timer or perhaps its just not hungry. The fasting before molting for B. smithi takes from 3 weeks to few months.
7. When spiders bald patch on abdomen turns dark it means that it will molt in not late than a week.
8.Also feeders can atack your spider when it's molting becouse it can't defend itself from them.
9. Try feeding it 14 days after molting and make sure it has shallow dish of fresh water.
10. Try live it alone and just take the food out of the enclosure. Also B. smithis are known to sit lots and lots of hours or even days on one part of enclosure most of the time.
 

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
Thanks for your quick reply!
Here is a pic, probably the best one I can make with my camera.

I think it's a good represantation of my t.



I have removed the criket.
Also, I was told that small slings eat dead ones.
Is this true?
Thanks!
 

J.huff23

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 23, 2007
Messages
3,015
Its normal for Ts to go long periods of time without eating. The not moving part is normal too. They are not very active. Since you said that the black patch (urticating hair) is gone, and is now white, this means that the T is kicking those urticating hairs off. This is what you considered "scratching itself". It wasnt scratching itself, it was using its legs to brush those hairs off. If you see her brushing her legs under herself, she may just be cleaning herself up.



-Jake
 

Motorkar

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Messages
468
I would say too. Most probabbly was kicking hairs for defence(thats what they do). Try feed it with pinhead cricket(da very small ones).
 

MichiganReptiles

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
407
I wouldn't go so far as to say "pinhead" crickets, just not that big. I would get small crickets for your sling. Also, if it doesn't eat the cricket within 24 hours, take the cricket out. Wait a couple days (or a week) and try again.
 

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
I bought my my t's at Tarantulas Canada, and they told me that slings would scavenge for food (i.e. dead crickets).

I have another t. a B. Albopilosum, and that one eats dead ones (feed it every 4 days).

With regards to molting, how often do they (B. Smithi slings) molt?
Thanks!
 

Versi*JP*Color

Arachnoknight
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
203
1. Post some pictures of him/her to see how it looks.
2. You should ALWAYS taker out food out of the enclosure after 24 hours becouse if spider isn't hungry, any feeder would put spider in lot of stress hopping/running around.
3. Spiders doesen't eat dead feeders.
4.Scratching his/her abdomen means that its under the stress and thats how its showing it.
5. Spider throws aways his hair in case of molting a few minutes/hours before he/she starts molting and "puts that around his/her molting mat to warn any predators.
6. If its not eating it is first indication that it is molting timer or perhaps its just not hungry. The fasting before molting for B. smithi takes from 3 weeks to few months.
7. When spiders bald patch on abdomen turns dark it means that it will molt in not late than a week.
8.Also feeders can atack your spider when it's molting becouse it can't defend itself from them.
9. Try feeding it 14 days after molting and make sure it has shallow dish of fresh water.
10. Try live it alone and just take the food out of the enclosure. Also B. smithis are known to sit lots and lots of hours or even days on one part of enclosure most of the time.
Number #3 is off.
 

dizzylizzy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
29
This is what my b.smithi looked like in heavy premolt.



Yours doesnt look like its in premolt yet. How long have you had it?
If you just got it, it needs to get use to its surroundings before you try to feed it.
When my b.smithi was that small I waited for about 5 or 6 days to feed after molting. Look at the fangs to see if they have darkened that will clue you into if you should feed it or not.
 

Roski

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
563
Hi!
I have a B. Smithi, and I am very confused about it, is it trying to molt?

Here are the signs it is showing:

Running from a week old cricket
after I killed the cricket, it would not eat.
Has not eaten in 5 days.
"scratching itself" - it looks like it is trying to scratch underneath itself with its legs.
Has been siting in one place for a while, sometimes scratching itself.
Turning white, a black 'patch' on its abdomen has pretty much disappeared.

I am not sure what this means, perhaps someone could help!
Thanks!
Honestly when I first read this I thought they all sounded like signs of post-molt. Sometimes small slings will not fast for very long and molt in their burrow. Grooming is also common post-molt behavior. Having a dark abdomen turn light would be the biggest indicator, assuming you are referring to the surface of the abdomen itself and not the hairs.

However, when I saw the picture you posted, I would have to say that it probably was not post-molt due to how large the abdomen looks. Unless it was ridiculously fat until recently, I retract my first suggestion. The abdomen is not nearly dark enough for premolt.

I have removed the criket.
Also, I was told that small slings eat dead ones.
Is this true?
Slings that size will scavenge, so if your T is not eating pre-killed feeders, it is probably approaching premolt or just stressed (as indicated by a peach bald butt with most of the urticating hairs missing).

I bought my my t's at Tarantulas Canada, <snip>

With regards to molting, how often do they (B. Smithi slings) molt?
Thanks!
Great people to deal with. :)

They will molt every month or two at that size, but it largely depends on how often they are fed and what temperatures you keep them at. More food + warmer temperatures are variables that promote faster relative growth. Hope this helps!

With regards to your smithi, it looks plump enough without that cricket in its belly. Wait a week or so and watch for changes in color of its abdomen. Feed another pre-killed prey if all seems well. Let it settle in. Is this its first meal?
 

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
Thanks again for the help!
No, it's not the first meal it had. The first meal was a dead feeder cricket, the b. smithi got on top of it and started sucking out the juices.

It's been settling in for exactly one week today.

And about he feeding part, I will wait a week and feed it later.

Also, how long can they go without food? Are there signs of starvation?
I don't want it to starve to death :p
 

Roski

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
563
Tarantulas have very slow metabolisms. Adult female G. rosea specimens, for example, have been known to fast for up to 2 years. A brachy sling such as yours can definitely make it to its next molt with no further feeding, judging by the size of its abdomen (dehydration is a bigger issue than starvation in T husbandry, and in the former's case will clearly be indicated by a wrinkled abdomen and a death curl).

As for the "how often to feed" line of thought, many will adjust a T's feeding schedule according to the size of their abdomen. If it is plump and beyond the size of the prosoma, it is often enough for the specimen to be considered healthy.
 

SentinelPokie

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
43
Nope

To be honest it is not in pre molt because the abdomen needs to stay dark or else it is not in pre molt. Also Brachys and Grammys have been noted to fast but for brachys it is not that rare the only brachy i have is a boehmei and they eat 1-2 times in a week. So good luck:rolleyes:
 

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
=(

I have just noticed something tragic!
My poor tarantula only has 9 legs.

One of th front legs is non existent

What do I do!
Will it grow back?
 

dRrosenber

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
32
Can they grow back any part (well almost) ?
Like for example if it loses a pedipalp a leg or a spinneret?

I have also read about T. Regeneration. The sling looks pretty active, it crawls around, has no problems crawling up the vial, etc. Will this impede it in any way for the time being?

Thanks!
 

Midknight xrs

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
132
To be honest it is not in pre molt because the abdomen needs to stay dark or else it is not in pre molt. Also Brachys and Grammys have been noted to fast but for brachys it is not that rare the only brachy i have is a boehmei and they eat 1-2 times in a week. So good luck:rolleyes:
Had you have read the TKG, you'd know that they are always in one form of molt or another. Premolt, before it molts, consists of inactivity such as a lack of eating, enclosing its self off, minimizing movements. the black skin underneath is a sign that the wrinkled new body is right against the old skin meaning it is about to molt it's old exo. When a sling, such as a Brachypelma Smithi does exactly what i stated, it's in premolt. Mine is currently doing just that right now. and it just molted on the 4th of july.


Can they grow back any part (well almost) ?
Like for example if it loses a pedipalp a leg or a spinneret?

I have also read about T. Regeneration. The sling looks pretty active, it crawls around, has no problems crawling up the vial, etc. Will this impede it in any way for the time being?

Thanks!
From readings and research, they can regenerate their legs and pedipalps, however their spinnerets however are not known to regenerate. I've come across spiders in the wild that have lost legs and pedipalps that function normally. It should be fine however it may be smaller.
 

ikarus_black

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
18
Here are the signs it is showing:

Running from a week old cricket
after I killed the cricket, it would not eat.
Has not eaten in 5 days.
"scratching itself" - it looks like it is trying to scratch underneath itself with its legs.
Has been siting in one place for a while, sometimes scratching itself.
Turning white, a black 'patch' on its abdomen has pretty much disappeared.

I am not sure what this means, perhaps someone could help!
Thanks!
Sit, relax and enjoy.....

congrats man, ur lil' T its just about to molt.....
why?... u just say it, all those "weird syntoms" u describe, arent anything else that a Slig about to turn itself!

My slings go off feeding for over 7 -9 days b4 moltin
The scratching, to me its just simply and plain groomin
When a T doesnt move its the sign that its about to pop out from the old skin,
and the bold patch turning black, its the clearly sign that a new skin its ready for show off!!!

So, dont stress, take out any food item, try raising the humidity in the cage and if u have a water dish, keep it full at all times!!!!


.... if am wrong, will someone correct me please!?!!;P
 
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