Dusty T's?

[si_sleaf]

What's this stuff on the abdomen of my B.arbipolosum?

I hadn't seen her for a while as she spends most of her time in her underground lair like some kind of Bond villain. When she came out today I decided that I would take some pictures of her. I first thought it was a bald patch from kicking hairs (even though she never kicks hairs). I had a closer look and saw all of her hais were still there so that can't be it. I gave her a little bit of a gentle rub and some of the stuff came off, leaving her with an even bigger "bald patch".

Is it just dirt and dust from spending all of her time underground?

 

[si_sleaf]

Here's another on so that you can see her lovely hairy butt. Never thought I'd say that=D

 

[sunnymarcie]

Has she molted?
She may be getting ready to

I wouldn't worry, as long as she is acting normal and eating.

Nice pictures=D

 

[Lopez]

The urticating hairs are the short black/brown ones that look more like fuzz....not the long curly pale brown ones. It's a bald patch, and you just rubbed a load of urticating hairs into your finger
At least this way you'll find out if you are sensitive to their effects

 

[si_sleaf]

Hmm, well they certainly looked like dust to me. Looks like we'll find out later if I'm sensitive to them. I have no allergies at all (that I know of) so hopefully I'll not be too bad.

Oh these hives all over my face and arms? No, they've always been there

 

[Godzilla2000]

Originally posted by si_sleaf
Hmm, well they certainly looked like dust to me. Looks like we'll find out later if I'm sensitive to them. I have no allergies at all (that I know of) so hopefully I'll not be too bad.

Oh these hives all over my face and arms? No, they've always been there

I'm going to have to agree with Lopez. Those are urticating hairs. My Pink Zebra Beauty Gypsy was sprinkling them without prejudice when my cats came within 2 feet near me while I was handling her.

 

[si_sleaf]

If you guys say that they are urticating hairs I'll believe you because you've been spider wranglin' for long enough for me to listen. It's just I've seen other picture of T's with bald butts and it looked like the long hair had come away. My curly looks like somebody's emptied a vacuum cleaner bag on her.

I haven't had any kind of a reaction to them so far though.

 

[Lopez]

If you check out the TKG by Stan Schultz, there are microscope photos of urticating hairs - which are about 0.3 of a mm long.

It was only when I got a T that regularly shed urticating hairs (my Curly) that I realised just how small and fine they are.