Hapalopus sp. "Columbia Large" Growth Rate

BobBarley

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I've had my Hapalopus sp. "Columbia Large" for 2-3 months. I got it at approximately 1" and it is now, if I were to guess, just under 2". This is just a quick observation I made and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this: The little guy barely puts on any size. His/her molt frequencies are pretty crazy (3, maybe 4 molts since I got it, faster than pretty much all other t's I've owned), but it barely gains any girth or legspan with the molts and its abdomen does not become the typical post molt t abdomen (skinny). For example, it just molted a day or two ago, has not eaten, and any one of you would say she has a normal looking abdomen (some would even say its a little chubby). I'll try to get a pic, but it's real shy. Anyone else noticed this?
 

14pokies

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I have 3 that I got maybe a month and half ago that were about 1/4 of an inch and now 2 are 3/4 inch and one is just over half an inch. Guessing the slower growing one is female as they are all from the same sac.

To me they are growing reasonably fast I get molts just about every 2 weeks.. I have noticed the same as you in that they don't seem to get thin after a molt at all..

Don't forget that males of this species can be as little as two inches and females get to around four.. By the time I got mine at 1/4 of an inch they were already 4th instars showing color.. I would imagine that by the time they hit the 1-1/2 to 2 inch mark you won't see huge gains in size between molts as they are closer to sub adults than slings..
 

BobBarley

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I have 3 that I got maybe a month and half ago that were about 1/4 of an inch and now 2 are 3/4 inch and one is just over half an inch. Guessing the slower growing one is female as they are all from the same sac.

To me they are growing reasonably fast I get molts just about every 2 weeks.. I have noticed the same as you in that they don't seem to get thin after a molt at all..

Don't forget that males of this species can be as little as two inches and females get to around four.. By the time I got mine at 1/4 of an inch they were already 4th instars showing color.. I would imagine that by the time they hit the 1-1/2 to 2 inch mark you won't see huge gains in size between molts as they are closer to sub adults than slings..
Huh, never thought of it that way. Thinking out loud here: I wonder if the, not getting thin after a molt thing, is related to the relative thin (for a t) legs in proportion to the body. Any Bumba cabocla owners see the same thing?
 

14pokies

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Huh, never thought of it that way. Thinking out loud here: I wonder if the, not getting thin after a molt thing, is related to the relative thin (for a t) legs in proportion to the body. Any Bumba cabocla owners see the same thing?
No clue Lol
 

BobBarley

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No clue Lol
My brain's logic: Those thin legs don't have much space for longer and thicker legs to develop within the exoskeleton. If this is true, it could force the species to molt quicker to grow quicker and it'd have to not gain much size with a molt. Not gaining much size with the molt means not using as much energy means no skinny post molt abdomen.

No idea if that's how it works though.
 

14pokies

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My brain's logic: Those thin legs don't have much space for longer and thicker legs to develop within the exoskeleton. If this is true, it could force the species to molt quicker to grow quicker and it'd have to not gain much size with a molt. Not gaining much size with the molt means not using as much energy means no skinny post molt abdomen.

No idea if that's how it works though.
Your seriously over estimating my capacity for intellectual thought processing..
 

AlbatrossWarrior

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This is totally how my female works! I got her a little over a year ago as about a 1/2 incher, and now shes almost two inches stretched out, she molts very frequently but never seems to actually grow or change, although she must be growing obviously
 

BobBarley

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image.jpeg
Here it is

That's cool, guess it's the norm with this locality. Just never remember reading about it.
 

AlbatrossWarrior

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Sort of off topic but while we're on the subject of this species, how humid do you keep yours? I used to keep mine very moist, but then I started keeping her very dry and never misting her, and she did perfectly fine that way as well, perhaps even better, with more frequent molts. As of this week I read randomly on here about someone keeping theirs at 60-70% so I made my females cage a tiny bit wetter
 

BobBarley

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Sort of off topic but while we're on the subject of this species, how humid do you keep yours? I used to keep mine very moist, but then I started keeping her very dry and never misting her, and she did perfectly fine that way as well, perhaps even better, with more frequent molts. As of this week I read randomly on here about someone keeping theirs at 60-70% so I made my females cage a tiny bit wetter
Sort of randomly, lol, I keep it dry until I figure it could use some moisture in its sub (no particular reason, I just feel like adding it) so its sub is moist for a couple weeks - a month depending on how moist I make it, then it dries out. It's been doing great so far, so I must be doing something right lol.
 

AlbatrossWarrior

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Sort of randomly, lol, I keep it dry until I figure it could use some moisture in its sub (no particular reason, I just feel like adding it) so its sub is moist for a couple weeks - a month depending on how moist I make it, then it dries out. It's been doing great so far, so I must be doing something right lol.
That's pretty much what I say for all of my T's, haha! "Well none of them have died yet, so I must be doing it right!"
 

14pokies

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I kept mine on moderately moist sub untill the half inch mark then let them dry out. I have noticed a significant increase in webbing and burrow construction.. That alone tells me this species prefers to be kept on the dryer side.

Keeping a small water dish full will provide all the humidity they need..
 

Bugmom

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Huh, never thought of it that way. Thinking out loud here: I wonder if the, not getting thin after a molt thing, is related to the relative thin (for a t) legs in proportion to the body. Any Bumba cabocla owners see the same thing?
I have in fact noticed that with my Bumba cabocla.

I just got a Pumpkin Patch sling in today. OMG. So freaking tiny! I need a magnifying glass to see this thing! I really hope it grows as fast as everyone here is saying cause I'm afraid I'm going to smoosh it :anxious:
 

gypsy cola

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Huh, never thought of it that way. Thinking out loud here: I wonder if the, not getting thin after a molt thing, is related to the relative thin (for a t) legs in proportion to the body. Any Bumba cabocla owners see the same thing?
B.cabocla, abdomen never shrunk after molts, grew pretty fast as well.
 

viper69

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MY AF started to gain her AF look at about 1.5", thicker abdomen etc, that we often see in AFs of the NW. Both the large and small variants grow VERY fast. I have a MM of the small, MM in 12 months.

Both of these Ts will eat often.

AF Large

 

gypsy cola

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So I came back from vacation, I missed my bumba cabloca when it came to watering.

dehydration got to her. She will be missed.

The interesting part is... Instead of her abdomen shriveling, her carapace caved in.
 

BobBarley

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So I came back from vacation, I missed my bumba cabloca when it came to watering.

dehydration got to her. She will be missed.

The interesting part is... Instead of her abdomen shriveling, her carapace caved in.
Huh, weird. Sure it was dehydration? How long were you gone?
 
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