Burrowing T's and their molts

[Grimsin]

So everything I have read suggests its perfectly normal for my Nhandu Chromatus sling to burrow. He is a busy bee too. Elaborate tunnel system he had going. I also read its not uncommon for them to bury themselves in these tunnels when they molt. Pretty sure that is what mine is up to. He normally keeps his tunnels open and clear but he has buried all the entrances and if you look up through the bottom of his enclosure you can see him in this cavern he has made in the center at the bottom. Normally he hangs out in his cave during the day and sits patient at his door in the evening waiting for me to drop things in. Occasionally even sits on top of the original wood that was his hide.

My big question is... what will happen to his molt? Will he kick it out? Do i need to go fishing for it eventually to prevent rot? Also how long is average molt time? My Avicularia molts so fast I never have time to catch it. One moment shes just hanging out and the next there is a molt sitting there. I'm pretty sure the Nhandu is in the middle of molt right now, normally he moves at the slightest movement of his cage. He's motionless in his cavern right now. Trying to gauge at what point i should worry about him.

 

[WeightedAbyss75]

I wouldn't go in there. They regard a molt as trash (like a bolus) and will eventually throw it out. It may take a few weeks after molting, but to me it isn't worth destroying the burrow. I did that once and it did not turn out well (my OBT was seething ) Don't worry, it will discard it or just leave it in there. It won't harm them really

 

[dopamine]

Some people choose to remove it, some just leave it to become part of the scenery, and sometimes the spider will chew on it for a while. There are many differing opinions on this. I don't see any problem with just leaving it in there, especially if it's a species with dryer conditions.

 

[Grimsin]

Lol... Ya i would prefer not to go in there. I just got him though and his substrate is still fairly damp. Still airing out just from its packaged moisture. I am not tooooo worried as I plan to rehouse him sooner then later into a forever home because the sling habitat he came with is clearly not going to house him for long. On average how long does molting take? Like i said i can literally drive to the store and back and my pinktoe will have molted. I feel like shes not a good example though haha. Most places i was reading about burrowing T's and their molting processes made it sound like he may not emerge from this for weeks?

 

[hennibbale]

Like i said i can literally drive to the store and back and my pinktoe will have molted.

Well, how long does it take to drive to the store?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Eventually obligate burrowers will take the exuvia out. But it's not written, mostly that remain as a part of their home decor property, still today I have yet to "Sherlock I.D" one of my 0.1 E.murinus.

It's normal... pure instinct: they don't want that other predators pinpoint where they live, putting a molt just outside the burrow.

 

[AfrooDah]

my b.albopilosum is buried himself under his cave but there is a little hole that i can peek on it and he was not trying to molt or anything and just standing there like nothing to do... is it normal? or its bcs of the premolt behavior? he is my first T and im really worried about him

 

[Chris LXXIX]

my b.albopilosum is buried himself under his cave but there is a little hole that i can peek on it and he was not trying to molt or anything and just standing there like nothing to do... is it normal? or its bcs of the premolt behavior? he is my first T and im really worried about him

Without pic, video... nothing, I say: "yes, don't worry" ;-)

could be a pre molt, or just that normal Theraphosidae stuff. They know better.

 

[Grimsin]

All tarantulas have a similar molting time? and i mean literally how long are they on their back for? Takes about 45 minutes to go to the store. I live miles down a dirt road... lol. So the Nhandu will only take an hour or less to flop on his back and shed? I realize pre-molt and post-molt behavior can last for days.... but the actual act. Whats the time frame on that?

 

[cold blood]

An old molt won't "rot" or break down, therefore it causes zero problems. The reason people are so intent on getting molts is because they want to sex the t, and the molt is the best way to definitively do this.

 

[Andrea82]

At OP, molting time will take longer when the spider grows. A sling (generally) molts faster than an adult. How big is the N.chromatus? Pics of setup would help.

@AfrooDah
Pictures help, advice given above applies to your situation as well.

T's molt on their own schedule. I understand it is a bit worrying as it is your first, but usually, T's know how to be T's better than us

 

[cold blood]

All tarantulas have a similar molting time? and i mean literally how long are they on their back for? Takes about 45 minutes to go to the store. I live miles down a dirt road... lol. So the Nhandu will only take an hour or less to flop on his back and shed? I realize pre-molt and post-molt behavior can last for days.... but the actual act. Whats the time frame on that?

Like the trip to the store, its HUGELY variable and not something anyone can answer...could take 5 min, could take 24 hours.

And the trip to the store comment was not literal...it meant that it is variable...for instance, if you went to a different store in another town, it may take you 4 hours, if you go to the gas station down the block, it may take you 3 min....it had nothing to do with your store.

 

[Marijan2]

All tarantulas have a similar molting time? and i mean literally how long are they on their back for? Takes about 45 minutes to go to the store. I live miles down a dirt road... lol. So the Nhandu will only take an hour or less to flop on his back and shed? I realize pre-molt and post-molt behavior can last for days.... but the actual act. Whats the time frame on that?

slings can take as low as 10 minutes to actually moult, as they get bigger the sole act can take up to a day

 

[AfrooDah]

Without pic, video... nothing, I say: "yes, don't worry" ;-)

could be a pre molt, or just that normal Theraphosidae stuff. They know better.

well bcs he's buried himself and i cant take a good pict of it but there is a hole and i can only see his legs lol and its like he is not doing anything

Without pic, video... nothing, I say: "yes, don't worry" ;-)

could be a pre molt, or just that normal Theraphosidae stuff. They know better.

well bcs he's buried himself and i cant take a good pict of it but there is a hole and i can only see his legs lol and its like he is not doing anything

 

[AfrooDah]

At OP, molting time will take longer when the spider grows. A sling (generally) molts faster than an adult. How big is the N.chromatus? Pics of setup would help.

@AfrooDah
Pictures help, advice given above applies to your situation as well.

T's molt on their own schedule. I understand it is a bit worrying as it is your first, but usually, T's know how to be T's better than us

umm bcs he is buried himself under his cave i cant even take a good look or pict but all i can see was his legs and its like he is doing nothing

 

[cold blood]

I will add, that when housing is too large, many ts (slings especially) hide A TON more, sometimes never emerging entirely from their burrows. Smaller enclosures clear this right up.

 

[Grimsin]

An old molt won't "rot" or break down, therefore it causes zero problems. The reason people are so intent on getting molts is because they want to sex the t, and the molt is the best way to definitively do this.

How early on can one be sexed?

 

[Grimsin]

umm bcs he is buried himself under his cave i cant even take a good look or pict but all i can see was his legs and its like he is doing nothing

I am new to the burrowing T's but i would say this is not actually buried. Mine hung out like this most of the time. Mine has literally back filled large sections of tunnel and is deep inside. Other then peaking through sections of his tunnels and cave that come to the side or bottom I wouldn't see him at all right now. Deep of course being a mater of perspective. Hahaha hes really only got 2 and half inches or so deep by 4 square lol!! but in his tiny world Im sure its fairly deep.

 

[Grimsin]

Update on mine... he has not molted yet and i think he was not happy about the fact i could pick up the enclosure and see right into his cave. In the middle of the night he rearranged and now there is just a super tiny hole up against the side i can see his rump through and EVERYTHING else is back-filled. I imagine in a day or two he will molt and hill emerge once again. Ill snap some pictures of how he has back-filled the entrances and get em up later.

 

[Marijan2]

How early on can one be sexed?

if you have really good microscope, as small as 1,5" can be sexed, this also depends on species. if you don't use microscope, spider obviously need to be much bigger