Dombey's First Molt!

bness2

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
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150
Okay, most of you have been through many molts (er, I mean your Ts have :) ), but I just had my first one. Dombey, my Brachypelma vagans sling, just went through a molt. He has been in a burrow near the side of his container where I can sometimes see him. Today I looked in and couldn't see him, but he had pushed out his exuvium to the surface.

Now I', just waiting for Nijinsky, Frodo and Wally to go through their first molts. Come on guys! =D

Bryan
 

JacenBeers

Arachnoprince
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Sep 1, 2002
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1,264
Watching juveniles molt is much better than a spiderling. You should get a juvie.
 

bness2

Arachnoknight
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Sep 21, 2002
Messages
150
Originally posted by JacenBeers
Watching juveniles molt is much better than a spiderling. You should get a juvie.
Well, it really has come down to cost for me. The best way to afford to get several Ts was to buy slings. I guess I'll have to be patient and wait till mine get to that point. I might also get there quicker if my office were warmer. It typically ranges from 70-75, which is guaranteed to keep them growing very slow. I have heat tape on order to take care of the temperature problem.

In the case of Dombey, he appears to be such a burrower that even if he was a juvie I might have missed the actual molting process.

By the way, can looking at the exuvium in a spider this young determine sex yet? I have microscopes availble to look closely.

Bryan
 

Joy

Priestess of Pulchra-tude
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Oct 12, 2002
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My understanding is that 2" legspan is about the minimum size at which sexing is possible, and then only to those with access to a microscope. It might be I am behind the times, however, in which case someone else will no doubt correct me.

Oh, and I'm curious about the name Dombey. Is it a Dickensian reference by any chance?

Joy
 

bness2

Arachnoknight
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Sep 21, 2002
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Originally posted by Joy
Oh, and I'm curious about the name Dombey. Is it a Dickensian reference by any chance?

Joy
Ah, you are sharp. Indeed it is. It is taken from the novel Dombey & Son. Not sure why I chose that name, but he is my champion sling digger, and somehow by free association that's what came to mind. Go figure.

Bryan
 

Vys

Arachnoprince
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Sep 22, 2002
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Hmm, does it perchance have a brother called Dumbo ? ;)
 

Joy

Priestess of Pulchra-tude
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 12, 2002
Messages
902
Originally posted by bness2
Ah, you are sharp. Indeed it is. It is taken from the novel Dombey & Son. Not sure why I chose that name, but he is my champion sling digger, and somehow by free association that's what came to mind. Go figure.

Bryan
=D

Joy
 
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