Dug out vinegaroon during pre-molt, what should I do?

[Tellorcha]

Hey, I've had two juvenile vinegaroons for over a year now, and neither has molted once. I realized I hadn't seen the smaller of the two for a few weeks, so I just dug out her entire enclosure only to find her with a large, pale abdomen having been burrowed underground. I can only assume this is pre-molt (correct me if I'm wrong), and I have no idea what to do to return her to a comfortable molting environment. I am hoping I didn't mess up her molt! Would appreciate any and all tips! Thank you so much

 

[NMTs]

Just put it back in the enclosure under a hide that is appropriately sized and leave it alone. It may decide to burrow again if it feels like it, or it may just stay under the hide to molt.

 

[Tellorcha]

Just put it back in the enclosure under a hide that is appropriately sized and leave it alone. It may decide to burrow again if it feels like it, or it may just stay under the hide to molt.

I will do this, thank you for your advise! Do you know how long they take to molt?

 

[NMTs]

I will do this, thank you for your advise! Do you know how long they take to molt?

I don't know, but as with any invert, they do things on their own schedule. Sometimes it seems like a molt should happen any day but it ends up taking weeks or months, and other times they'll molt before you even realized they were in premolt. All you can do is provide it a safe, comfortable place to hide and be patient! Good luck.

 

[The Snark]

they do things on their own schedule. Sometimes it seems like a molt should happen any day but it ends up taking weeks or months,

There is or can be a very fine line between a keeper, protector and provider for an animal or it simply being entertainment. In order to avoid crossing that line the keeper must endeavor to fully understand the animal inclusive of the time frame they live within.
A good example are Asian 'forest' scorpions. Missing for five months - for the keeper. For the scorpion, a very brief moment of time. Some solufugidae and uropygi appear to have similar time lines. Dormancy for various purposes an integral part of the entire species or even genera's survival - often established over a period of eons of evolution.

One general rule that very often applies is animals that spend most of their lives underground. They aren't as affected by seasonal changes. Their biological clocks may operate year by year much like humans usually operate minute by minute or hour by hour. With the aforementioned species, imagine being able to comfortably hold your breath for an hour, or even for an entire week or more.

 

[curtisgiganteus]

There is or can be a very fine line between a keeper, protector and provider for an animal or it simply being entertainment. In order to avoid crossing that line the keeper must endeavor to fully understand the animal inclusive of the time frame they live within.
A good example are Asian 'forest' scorpions. Missing for five months - for the keeper. For the scorpion, a very brief moment of time. Some solufugidae and uropygi appear to have similar time lines. Dormancy for various purposes an integral part of the entire species or even genera's survival - often established over a period of eons of evolution.

One general rule that very often applies is animals that spend most of their lives underground. They aren't as affected by seasonal changes. Their biological clocks may operate year by year much like humans usually operate minute by minute or hour by hour. With the aforementioned species, imagine being able to comfortably hold your breath for an hour, or even for an entire week or more.

This is 110% accurate. I think one of the most significant break points on Solfugid husbandry was the discovery of “hibernation” periods. All of a sudden an organism we thought only lived a short time had a much longer life expectancy.

 

[The Snark]

All of a sudden an organism we thought only lived a short time had a much longer life expectancy.

Speaking for myself, hibernation is fascinating and with some species, it is still the subject of speculation. Numerous factors can be at work there; age, breeding cycles, several environmental issues and probably a number of other factors or combined factors.

 

[Smotzer]

First all I’m not sure why you would dig up a vinegaroon in the more winter months as this is their normal cycle of burrowing to molt underground in molting chambers. I have some about 8 that have been underground since around September and there is nothing to dig them up for it’s part of their biology. Reality do try and have patience when keeping Thelyphonida they disappear regaurlu for months on end. I would premade it a starter burrow and leave it alone in a dark place now and do not distrurb it and make sure it stays moist as the molting chambers purpose would have taken care of that. All you can do is move forward from here and trust it knows what it is doing and hope for the best!

 

[darkness975]

Lesson learned hopefully.