Chaco Giant Golden behavior

jeryst

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
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32
I bought a very nice Chaco Giant Golden Knee a couple of months ago. Very gentle animal.

Setup is a 10 gal tank, with aquarium pebbles on bottom covered with coconut fiber. Large half log hideout. Water dish is opposite the log, so I keep the water dish end pretty moist, and the log end pretty dry. She seems to prefer the dry end.

Up until a week ago, she was wondering around, and eating quite vigorously. Hardly ever went into the log and preferred staying out in the open. Usually would climb up onto the log because thats where the crickets would always go.

Then, one morning, I found that she had gone into the log, and walled up the entrance with a large ball of coconut fiber wrapped up in webbing.

Would that be a sign that she is going to molt? She moves around inside the log occasionally (the back opening is against the glass so I can see her), but has not done anything else. I'm afraid to put any crickets in there in case she is going to molt, because I wont be able to easily get them out from underneath the log where she is hiding. Also, I dont think the log is high enough for her to flip over to molt, so I am a little worried.

So now I am not sure what to do. Should I remove the log to give her a lot of room? Should I put a cricket or two in to see if she will eat? Or should I just leave her alone? I'm really puzzled as to why she walled up the front opening.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 

Jaymz Bedell

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Dec 19, 2009
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186
I would leave her alone, check on her once or twice a day. it's sealed itself off from the world for a reason, it could very well be a molt, it could also very well be that she just wants to be alone. yes i quoted a socially irrelevant movie star! she will come out when shes ready. make sure shes got a water dish just in case. otherwise if shes been well fed until she sealed herself in she can go for quite sometime without eating. leave the log where it is, shes obviously found it to her liking. tarantulas can molt in some tiny spaces so i wouldn't worry too much about it. good luck and please keep us updated.
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
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Jan 31, 2010
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She webbed up the entrance so she wouldn't be disturbed. She's going to molt most likely so leave her alone and let her do her thing. You don't need to remove the log, the T knows how much room she will need. It's not it's first molt ;) Don't put any crickets or other prey items in with her. They could harm your T after it has completed its molt by nibbling at her while her body is still hardening. Welcome and Good Luck.
 

Durandal

Arachnosquire
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Jan 27, 2010
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It sounds to me like its about to molt. Unless it looks like its about to die of starvation, you don't need to feed it. IF there isn't enough space in there, it will molt outside of the hide. As always, they can take care of themselves without our intervention... so stop worrying. :)

edit: ... you're a quick one Chris.
 

jeryst

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
32
Thanks for the replies.

About five years ago, I bought T.Blondi sling, and raised it till full grown. Sadly, it turned out to be a male, and died a while after maturing.

I got to see all of its molts, and it always molted out in the open. Never did anything like this.

I will just wait and see what happens.
 

jeryst

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
32
Update.

Still walled in. Moving around occasionally, but not coming out to look for food or water. Seems to be in good health otherwise. Abdomen is not shrinking or anything like that.

Starting to get a little worried, though. Do they actually isolate themselves for weeks/months before a molt?
 

Ictinike

Arachnobaron
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Aug 30, 2009
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Update.

Still walled in. Moving around occasionally, but not coming out to look for food or water. Seems to be in good health otherwise. Abdomen is not shrinking or anything like that.

Starting to get a little worried, though. Do they actually isolate themselves for weeks/months before a molt?
They can...

My female H. lividium entombed herself for 3 weeks before molting and emerging in yet another 2 weeks. As long as they don't stink they are fine and just let them do what they do best; they know better than us anyways :D
 

Terry D

Arachnodemon
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Nov 21, 2009
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Jeryst, I'd heed the replies you've been given thus far. The only other option if nothing has changed for several days might be to place a pre-killed crick still wiggling near the opening to the log. Without that, it still should be fine. Terry
 

jeryst

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
32
Update.

I have been checking on my Chaco every couple days by peeking into her burrow, and nothing changed.

However, on Thursday morning, I peeked in and saw that she had flipped over on her back. I misted the enclosure thoroughly and left her along. I figured she would either make it, or not.

This morning, I peeked in, and saw her sitting alongside her old skin, so it looks like everything went okay. She is still not interested in coming out, so I figure she is just resting and allowing her new skin to harden.

I'm looking forward to her coming out withing a few days to look for food.
 

malevolentrobot

Arachnobaron
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Jan 21, 2010
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i'd wait more than a couple days to feed if she's big enough to be in a 10gal that way her fangs harden up.
 

Chris_Skeleton

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Congratulations. And I would recommend waiting 7-14 days before you feed. Probably about 10. That's the general timeframe I go by.
 

webbedone

Arachnobaron
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Aug 27, 2010
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Wait untill her fangs turn black and then another 2-3 days T's need time for their sucking stomaches adjustment and hardening since its shed during molting as well. My g Pulchra Sling is doing same thing it entombed itself in the vail it got shipped to me in.
 

Shell

ArachnoVixen AKA Dream Crusher AKA Heartbreaker
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Sep 14, 2009
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My G. pulchripes has done that once. She closed herself into her hide last november, and didn't emerge until well into January. I knew she had molted quite some time before she actually came out, as I could see some of the molt. They know what they are doing, I wouldn't worry too much.
 

Roski

Arachnobaron
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May 16, 2009
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563
Still hasnt come out yet. Bummer.
Like Shell (and likely numerous others) my pulchripes has also been sealed up for 3 months to molt, including recovery time/putzing around making me bite my nails time. At the time he was only 1.5 inches in legspan. She'll come out when she's ready. Happy waiting!
 

Kathy

Arachnoangel
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Apr 4, 2009
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My chaco sealed herself in her hide over 2 months ago and I haven't seen her since........I figure she knows what she is doing.....and I'm not smelling anything so that is a good sign. :)
 

webbedone

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
410
My 1 inch Pulchra just molted about 3 days ago it crawled into the vail that it was shipped to me in (its laying in its enclosure so it can use it as a hide), it entobed itself with a thik layer of silk then it molted and is now twice as big and still sitting in the vail hardening up without problems so i would say T's definatly know what they are doing when it comes to molting.
 
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