Can wolf spiders eat during premolt?

[Occisor]

So basically have a female Hogna carolinensis which showed signs of premolt (increase in size without and feedings and refusal to eat, and that she has begun to be a little but more skittish) and then out of a sudden, I gave her a cricket to see if she was really in premolt and then she took the cricket which really confuses me. She is also missing a leg and a misshapen foot so maybe that could have played into why she decided to take the cricket???

 

[jbooth]

Yeah they don't need a long premolt but they can also refuse food if they are full whether they are soon to molt or not. If the injury is long enough before a molt, the leg will grow back full size too. If it's not in a burrow, it will web up a molting mat on the side of the enclosure too, then it's usually that night or the next.

 

[Occisor]

Yeah they don't need a long premolt but they can also refuse food if they are full whether they are soon to molt or not. If the injury is long enough before a molt, the leg will grow back full size too. If it's not in a burrow, it will web up a molting mat on the side of the enclosure too, then it's usually that night or the next.

Did you have one that regrew a full leg? What instar was yours in? Also, she's barely touching her food.

 

[jbooth]

Yeah my male regrew a full leg like 3 molts before maturity, it was indistinguishable from the others. Is she plump? If so I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure she has water too. Sometimes they will refuse food for water, but that's usually when they look dehydrated, like a sling after a molt or something.

 

[Occisor]

Yeah my male regrew a full leg like 3 molts before maturity, it was indistinguishable from the others. Is she plump? If so I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure she has water too. Sometimes they will refuse food for water, but that's usually when they look dehydrated, like a sling after a molt or something.

He was missing a leg when you got him? Was it like just the length and width of the leg and missing some hairs?

 

[jbooth]

He was missing a leg when you got him? Was it like just the length and width of the leg and missing some hairs?

Nah it had all 8 when I found it, 7 next time I looked, must have been my fault or a pinch point or something. Looked the same to me.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

So basically have a female Hogna carolinensis which showed signs of premolt (increase in size without and feedings and refusal to eat, and that she has begun to be a little but more skittish) and then out of a sudden, I gave her a cricket to see if she was really in premolt and then she took the cricket which really confuses me. She is also missing a leg and a misshapen foot so maybe that could have played into why she decided to take the cricket???

Some spiders eat up until a day or two before the molt .. never know 🪄🫠

 

[viper69]

So basically have a female Hogna carolinensis which showed signs of premolt (increase in size without and feedings and refusal to eat, and that she has begun to be a little but more skittish) and then out of a sudden, I gave her a cricket to see if she was really in premolt and then she took the cricket which really confuses me. She is also missing a leg and a misshapen foot so maybe that could have played into why she decided to take the cricket???

Any T or spider can eat right to molting, but it’s rare IME. I’ve only had one T eat a day before a molt.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Any T or spider can eat right to molting, but it’s rare IME. I’ve only had one T eat a day before a molt.

interesting !!! Yes I’ve heard not actually Seen this behavior .
Was it a small sling? Or something with huge appetites none of mine eat a week or month before a molt often they go refusing food mine are all sub adults except one sling 2” or so , and it quit eating 3 weeks ago. I think I’ve only had small slings eat a few days prior to a Molt I feed once or twice a month up to 4x depending on abdomen size but ,,70-76 degrees. I’m In the slow growth camp .. 3 days fasting is closet I’ve seen to molting . I don’t power feed I just usually feed bigger meals less frequently .

 

[viper69]

interesting !!! Yes I’ve heard not actually Seen this behavior .
Was it a small sling? Or something with huge appetites none of mine eat a week or month before a molt often they go refusing food mine are all sub adults except one sling 2” or so , and it quit eating 3 weeks ago. I think I’ve only had small slings eat a few days prior to a Molt I feed once or twice a month up to 4x depending on abdomen size but ,,70-76 degrees. I’m In the slow growth camp .. 3 days fasting is closet I’ve seen to molting . I don’t power feed I just usually feed bigger meals less frequently .

It was a bright blue A. versi back then, not that small, but still blue

 

[Occisor]

Yeah my male regrew a full leg like 3 molts before maturity, it was indistinguishable from the others. Is she plump? If so I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure she has water too. Sometimes they will refuse food for water, but that's usually when they look dehydrated, like a sling after a molt or something.

Do you have any pictures?

 

[Occisor]

Yeah my male regrew a full leg like 3 molts before maturity, it was indistinguishable from the others. Is she plump? If so I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure she has water too. Sometimes they will refuse food for water, but that's usually when they look dehydrated, like a sling after a molt or something.

Just wanna see what it looks like

 

[jbooth]

Just wanna see what it looks like

The avatar picture right now actually is the first time it came out after that molt. Not sure if you can see it decent quality or if I need to find it..

 

[Occisor]

The avatar picture right now actually is the first time it came out after that molt. Not sure if you can see it decent quality or if I need to find it..

I'm guessing it is the leg next to the front leg on the left side. Looks like he regrew the leg but sacrificed the very last segment to be short.

 

[jbooth]

I'm guessing it is the leg next to the front leg on the left side. Looks like he regrew the leg but sacrificed the very last segment to be short.

 

[Occisor]

View attachment 453111

Do you have any other pictures of the regrown leg?

 

[jbooth]

Do you have any other pictures of the regrown leg?

None from that timeframe, the next are in another enclosure so I think it molted again before those.