GBB help!

[Paiige]

So about an hour ago my juvie GBB was laying down a web mat and lining it with hairs...of course I think hooray, it's molt time.

Now he looks like he's in a death curl. He has water, isn't dehydrated, has been refusing food as he's been in premolt. Any advice? I've never seen a T flip over to molt and I was thinking that he was just trying to flip himself over but the curl happened fast and seems to be getting "tighter."

I don't want to touch or disturb him but at the same time I don't want to watch him die, if that's what is happening...

 

[sdsnybny]

Doesn't look like a death curl, actually looks to be grooming or preparing to flip over

 

[Paiige]

Thanks, that makes me feel better. All my Ts molt in their hides or barricaded in tunnels and this guy decided to do it in the open so maybe I'm just being crazy?

His legs are curled pretty tightly though. They are more curled (back ones too) than they are in this photo. This was me snapping a photo super fast so I could post it on here really quickly.
I went on youtube and looked for videos of Ts flipping themselves over and it seemed to happen pretty quick so I got scared

Edit: Should have put this in T chat, sorry!

Edit again (5 minutes later): this @!$#&^% @&$(#)! was just curled in a complete ball while I'm sitting here losing my mind, about to call it, and then he just casually unfolds all of his legs from underneath him, stretches out and lays down flat on his web. I suspect he is completely fine and will most likely have new clothes in the morning.

 

[sdsnybny]

LOL, they are a never ending surprise. Getting to see one actually flip and complete a molt in person is worth the time.

 

[G. pulchra]

As was stated above, that is not a death curl..... Slowly back away from the enclosure and get yourself a bowl of ice cream or something

 

[mistertim]

Yeah, not a death curl look to me either.

And I would back away from the enclosure and have a beer instead of ice cream. But hey, that's me.

 

[Paiige]

Well, it is morning and no new clothes.

 

[Trenor]

Well, it is morning and no new clothes.

Yeah, one of my B.smithi girls was curled like that before her last molt. It was a good day and a half before she flipped over and molted. Try not to stress and good luck.

 

[Graves6661]

Its getting close to molt time lol. My GBB does that alot. Most of the time it looks like grooming so I just leave him be.

 

[Paiige]

He definitely does contort himself into weird positions while grooming but I've never seen any of my Ts curl all their legs under like that. I freaked out the first time I saw my rosie grooming herself many years ago because she had one of her feet in her mouth and I didn't know they groomed...thought she was eating herself

Thanks for the reassurance. This guy has been (over)due for a molt for a while and hasn't eaten in over a month, on top of that he was looking mighty dehydrated a while back so I feel like I'm always worrying about him. He always looks like a sickly little thing next to all my Grammastola and Brachypelma but I know that's just how they're built.

He was just hanging out in the same spot this morning when I left for work so we'll see if anything has happened when I get home tonight.

 

[ledzeppelin]

He always looks like a sickly little thing next to all my Grammastola and Brachypelma but I know that's just how they're built.

Yeah, Grammostolas and Brachy's are fatsos

 

[Haemus]

lol, as a fellow new keeper, I feel the angst as well. I keep my Ts in my room, and many times I've woken up groggily looking at my Ts and thinking "OH CRAP, is that death cu...nope, just grooming her legs"

 

[Paiige]

lol, as a fellow new keeper, I feel the angst as well. I keep my Ts in my room, and many times I've woken up groggily looking at my Ts and thinking "OH CRAP, is that death cu...nope, just grooming her legs"

Yeah my GBB lives right next to my bed so I woke up probably five times last night just to peek at him and make sure he was okay/see if the darn thing had molted yet

 

[Trenor]

Yeah my GBB lives right next to my bed so I woke up probably five times last night just to peek at him and make sure he was okay/see if the darn thing had molted yet

Haha, easy there. That's way more than most people check on their kids.

If people were watching me that much I'd be less inclined to change my clothes as well.

 

[JoeRossi]

Haha, easy there. That's way more than most people check on their kids.

If people were watching me that much I'd be less inclined to change my clothes as well.

O.C.T.D

obsessive compulsive tarantula disorder........its real!

 

[Paiige]

If people were watching me that much I'd be less inclined to change my clothes as well.

I actually thought of that this morning, like maybe if I hadn't been watching him like a creep all night he would have molted already...

 

[Trenor]

I actually thought of that this morning, like maybe if I hadn't been watching him like a creep all night he would have molted already...

Hey, some people are into that... I'm a bit shy though.

 

[Haemus]

Yeah my GBB lives right next to my bed so I woke up probably five times last night just to peek at him and make sure he was okay/see if the darn thing had molted yet

I'd like to say that I wouldn't do that, but I couldn't guarantee it lol

 

[mistertim]

Yeah my GBB lives right next to my bed so I woke up probably five times last night just to peek at him and make sure he was okay/see if the darn thing had molted yet

Maybe he thinks you're a weird peeping tom or something.

 

[Paiige]

Thanks guys, now I feel like I need to apologize to him