How does a tarantula flip onto its back for a molt?

[adonis]

Kind of a rookie question, but something I have been pondering as I have never witnessed it.

How exactly does a tarnatula get onto its back/side for a molt?

I would assume they would crawl up the side of their den, and just fall back; but that seems kind of risky for the tarantula.

And how do they get back onto their legs from their backs?

They are soft and from what I have seen lay almost flat/out stretched on the ground/branch once flipped.

So I have seen a few molts/ seen a "drying" tarantula psot molt, but have never witnessed a flip.

Could someone please fill me in.



Also as I never mentioned it, I have a juvi Aphonopelma seemanni; sling Grammostola aureostriata; and a Pterinochilus murinus (orange) that I got as a juvi a year ago. As well, my roommate has a 8 year old Brachypelma smithi, and a mature male Grammostola rosea (very recently matured).

 

[Pulk]

they don't climb a wall and fall, they just slowly turn over. and turning right-side up again isn't a problem for them...
you can find tons of tarantula molting videos on YouTube.

 

[Drachenjager]

 

[Squeaksville]

Funny thing is my T that just molted was on the side of the tank and not moving. I noticed some webbing on the ground and I kinda figured that he was getting ready to molt. I went to go shut the lights off in the house and came back and checked on him and he was on his back like he just fell over backwards. LOL It's creepy look like he was dead as a door nail but I knew what he was doing and hell then I went to sleep and in the morning I had a beautiful new T it looked like! lol :wall:

 

[adonis]

Thanks for the vids guys, but none that I have seen have shown the spider flipping onto it's back.

There are alot with the recovery (back to their feet), but none where the T is standing or laying it's molt webbing.

 

[Delailah]

My B. smithii kinda nestled into the corner between the tank wall and the bottom of the tank, started to "wave" the legs that were facing the top like she was trying to grab onto the sides to continue climbing, but it looked like the "weight" of the legs waving in the air caused her to fall all the way over, and onto her back.

Hard to imagine, I bet.