Cleaning

ballpython2

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when Tarantulas do extensive cleaning of the fangs and they haven't ate in a few days...could this be a hungar sign?.... or do they clean their fangs even when they haven't ate in a long time like just randomly? maybe boredom?

I'm sitting right now watchin my versicolor and it has been litterally cleaning its fangs for the last 2 -3 minutes...Is this the normal cleaning time? or do I have an obssessive compulsive versicolor.


(on side note: is the versicolor's enclosure suppose to be misted or just dry subsrate with a water dish?)
 

william

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sounds normal on the cleaning,i mist mine once a week.got a pic?
 

ballpython2

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sounds normal on the cleaning,i mist mine once a week.got a pic?
Actually, I'm going to take some pictures when my battteries recharge. also I was going to feed my versicolor but it has firstly been out its webbing hide for a lot of the time i been looking at it which is unusual for this guy. and Second, in an hour this is the second time (as we speak) I see my versicolor resting on the floor...Is it going through some molting stage now? last time (a few minutes before this like 5-7) when it was on the floor, it was just close to the water dish (which is always full)..Should I throw in some crickets or no?
 

ballpython2

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Yea, I think my other versicolor is about to molt now because he / she's doing the same thing my other one did before it molted.

she / he's lightly walking on all its feet as if they hurt, its building a false web (meaning its making the abdomen move and the spinnerettes move but no webbing is coming out), and it keeps going back and forth to the substrate and its an aboreal Tarantula.....Well, i think its safe to say since Avics abdomens don't go bald when they are in pre molt we can use these signs as facts as an impending molt.

The signs again are:

-repeatedly resting on substrate
-building false webs
-tippy toeing around the tank
- As it walks on the enclosure wall basically in circles its fangs go in and out of the pockets
 

ballpython2

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sounds like a molt to me, good luck
Something else that's weird is that it had a really hard time getting back into its own hide which when its really nervous and runs and hides usually never happens at all.
 

MindUtopia

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Yea, I think my other versicolor is about to molt now because he / she's doing the same thing my other one did before it molted.

she / he's lightly walking on all its feet as if they hurt, its building a false web (meaning its making the abdomen move and the spinnerettes move but no webbing is coming out), and it keeps going back and forth to the substrate and its an aboreal Tarantula.....Well, i think its safe to say since Avics abdomens don't go bald when they are in pre molt we can use these signs as facts as an impending molt.

The signs again are:

-repeatedly resting on substrate
-building false webs
-tippy toeing around the tank
- As it walks on the enclosure wall basically in circles its fangs go in and out of the pockets

None of those are signs of a molt in any way and neither is a bald abdomen. It sounds like it's just moving about and possibily coming out for a drink. Avics almost always molt in their webs, or on the side of the set-up. If they were to come to the ground, I imagine they would build an actual molting mat, like any other T.

Avicularia spp. like other species will fast usually for several weeks to a month or more, often seal themselves in their web if they have one, and you can usually notice a darkening of the abdomen and legs if the T's coloration is still light enough.
 
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ballpython2

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None of those are signs of a molt in any way and neither is a bald abdomen. It sounds like it's just moving about and possibily coming out for a drink. Avics almost always molt in their webs, or on the side of the set-up. If they were to come to the ground, I imagine they would build an actual molting mat, like any other T.

Avicularia spp. like other species will fast usually for several weeks to a month or more, often seal themselves in their web if they have one, and you can usually notice a darkening of the abdomen and legs if the T's coloration is still light enough.
I never said it was going to molt outside of its web. and since its aboreal i doubt its going to make a molting mat because my other one didn't and it actually molted inside a second web it made. and you said none of these are molting signs in anyway however my other one did all these signs and soon after molted...Seems like signs to me as far as this species goes. But to double check that I'll let you know next time does after both these guys molt again... and also I never said a bald abdomen was a sign of a molt.

( I have ask the question of " is a bald abodmen a sign of a molt" in previous posts. and people told me no so I knew that wasnt a sign before you added it here I know that when the bald abdomen darkens that is the sign because its the next exoskeleton being built inside of the T to come out in a matter of time being the pre -molt conditions and the molting process its self which could be days to months)
 

MindUtopia

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Just because your other one did those things in no way implies they are signs of pre-molt. Tarantulas do those things all the time and it doesn't really imply any direct connection to the molt process. I only mentioned the bald abdomen because you referenced it in your post above.
 

ShadowBlade

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Karen is right. None of those indicate an upcoming molt. Wandering can be stimulated by searching for water. And random behavior happens.

I'm not saying that yours did not behave that way. But its an exception, rather then a rule.

-Sean
 

ballpython2

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Karen is right. None of those indicate an upcoming molt. Wandering can be stimulated by searching for water. And random behavior happens.

I'm not saying that yours did not behave that way. But its an exception, rather then a rule.

-Sean
and that's why i said after both of these guys molt again (not countin the one that recently molted and the one will molt soon) if i see the same stuff happen again I'll just base it on those.
 

ballpython2

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Well karen, you told me that those new molting signs i said showed when versicolors were going to molt is actually true because after doing all that stuff i said it was doing it molted today...but I won't officially call these signs until it happens again next time.

but so far it happen 100% with both versicolors...
 

Talkenlate04

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I would call that pure luck. Those signs you are thinking are linked to an upcoming molt are most definatly not signs of a molt. I think it just happened to be close to molt time when you saw them occur.
Traditional signs of an upcoming molt for Avics would be color loss, fasting, sluggishness, reclusiveness (hiding in tub webbing). But not cleaning of the fangs or any grooming.
 

Transylvania

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Hm... well I can tell that my new versi sling is in premolt, because it's been a while since I just got it, and I've been feeding large prey items to it. It's overall coloration is darkening a lot, it's staying in the web more, and it's getting a little bit jumpier when I open the lid. It conveniently made it's tube web on the side of the enclosure so I can always see what it's doing, and other than the darkening coloration and slight jumpiness during tank maintenance, it's normal behavior is staying the same.
So avics are obviously harder to read than terrestrials. But I'm sure you could rely on coloration, reclusiveness, and a prediction of when the next molt should happen to get a general idea of where it's at.
And 2-3 minutes is nothin'. My old B.smithi cleaned for up to 10 minutes one time. I miss my little OCD baby. {D
 

Cirith Ungol

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Going back to the first post, I am actually having more of an impression that it's more a cleaning of foot pads rather than cleaning of fangs. But ofcourse both benefit from cleaning.

Most of my T's and also the scorps like to clean themselves after they've had a drink, for my avics that's every time. Cleaning may go on for as long as half an hour.
 

ballpython2

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Going back to the first post, I am actually having more of an impression that it's more a cleaning of foot pads rather than cleaning of fangs. But ofcourse both benefit from cleaning.

Most of my T's and also the scorps like to clean themselves after they've had a drink, for my avics that's every time. Cleaning may go on for as long as half an hour.
oh ok i wasnt sure about that part cause it seems to go on what look like forever even though the pads from my point of view didnt look dirty at all lol... so im like ummm ok what is he cleaning off of the pads...:?
 

Cirith Ungol

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oh ok i wasnt sure about that part cause it seems to go on what look like forever even though the pads from my point of view didnt look dirty at all lol... so im like ummm ok what is he cleaning off of the pads...:?
I don't think one will actually see them be dirty most of the time. The pads might just have minute dust particles on them which could reduce their gripping power. For most predators absolute kill-efficiency is one of the most important things and the slightest thing that can be improved prior to the attack will most often get some attention. Oftentimes it's a kill or be killed world so since it's that serious even the slightest improvement is important.

I'm speculating but I think the dust part above is very likely.
 
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