How often do slings molt?

[Teal]

I'm new to having little slings, and I'm wondering how often they might molt?

I've had my OBT sling for a month now, and he's (unsexed, but that's what I'm calling it) gotten a LOT darker. Hasn't slowed down on the eating front though.

Is there ANY other signs to watch for? Should I be expecting a molt soon? Usually I feed him, but have to head to work soon after.. should I start watching to make sure he eats right away and doesn't start molting with crix in there?

And while we're at it.. how often would/should an adult female G. rosea molt?

 

[Rupert]

My slings is 7 months old and is a B.Smithi, I only had it about 2 weeks from the shop and it moulted, I was told that it would shed ever 8 - 12 months, that info come from the guy in the shop but is very reliable especialy for info, hope this helps, how old is your T

 

[Sathane]

sling molt frequency

It varies from species to species and has quite a bit to do with your environmental conditions and the age of the slings in question.

I have a few P. Cambridgei slings that seem to molt every few weeks to a month while my P. Murinus slings have molted once in the last 3 months (I think they are due for one soon though). I'm not sure of the exact age of these guys but they were around the same size when I first picked them up. Now the Cambridgeis dwarf the Murinuses (sp?) by a long shot - nearly 5 to 1.

I don't know if this is typical for these species although both are considered fast growers - just my experience.

Oh, the conditions in my Spider room are between 80°F and 84°F in the day at 65-75% humidity (this varies in each enclosure as species with high humidity requirements get misted more frequently) with temps dropping to around 73°F-77°F at night.

 

[Sathane]

Sorry, I missed the second question;

My female rosies molt about once every 12 - 18 months but I've had one go over two years at one point but I think this was due to lower temperatures in the room at the time.

I'm new to having little slings, and I'm wondering how often they might molt?

I've had my OBT sling for a month now, and he's (unsexed, but that's what I'm calling it) gotten a LOT darker. Hasn't slowed down on the eating front though.

Is there ANY other signs to watch for? Should I be expecting a molt soon? Usually I feed him, but have to head to work soon after.. should I start watching to make sure he eats right away and doesn't start molting with crix in there?

And while we're at it.. how often would/should an adult female G. rosea molt?

 

[Teal]

Maybe I need to get a thermometer in my room! I keep it pretty warm though (I don't like being cold lol). I don't know how old the OBT sling is.. the pet shop said they had him for 3-4 months before I got him. He has an inch and a half legspan, I'd say.

Now I feel like I am doing something insanely wrong because my G. rosea NEVER molts. Literally. I have had her 7 years, and she has molted once (MAYBE twice, I can't remember that far back). Is that really bad for her?

 

[Sathane]

You should definitely keep a thermometer around to monitor your temps. It should be around the range I mentioned in my original reply for best results. Warmer temperatures will accelerate their metabolism (and therefore, growth) but will result is a need to increase the frequency of your misting as the enclosures will dry out quicker. The ranges I keep my room in work best for the species I keep.

Nah, you're doing something right if she's still alive. When my Rosie hadn't molted in over two years my temperatures were around the mid 60s (°F). That's about 19°C so still comfortable (for me anyway) but made a huge difference with my girl. After bumping the temps a mear 10-15°F or so and she molted less than a month later and has been far more active in general (better appetite, wanders around her enclosure more often, and molts more often). Rosies are relatively hardy when compared to most other species and can take the lower temps without too many problems but they should be in the upper range for best results.

I normally lower my temps for mature males (mid 60s to low 70s [°F]) to make them last a bit longer than usual. I have no real scientific proof that this makes them last longer but I think it's a logical conclusion to the fact that lower temperatures will slow their metabolism. By keeping your Rosie on the cooler end you've probably prolonged her life a bit but, as you already know, molts and other expected behaviour becomes much less frequent.

Maybe I need to get a thermometer in my room! I keep it pretty warm though (I don't like being cold lol). I don't know how old the OBT sling is.. the pet shop said they had him for 3-4 months before I got him. He has an inch and a half legspan, I'd say.

Now I feel like I am doing something insanely wrong because my G. rosea NEVER molts. Literally. I have had her 7 years, and she has molted once (MAYBE twice, I can't remember that far back). Is that really bad for her?