Aren't molts just the most amazing darned things! These are notes I took as I watched Cocoa, my G pulchripes, molt last night ...
I knew it was imminent, Cocoa had been refusing food the last couple of weeks, and day before yesterday he webbed over the entrance to his hide, but molts are like California earthquakes - you know a big one is coming, you just can't predict when!
p.s. Just checked in on him - he's all out of his old clothes, just laying there all nekkid and leechee-nut-whitish - maybe I'll get lucky and see him flip! Please stand by!
p.p.s. Damn I wish I had my camera ... It's amazing watching him lie there, on his back, cautiously and tentatively flexing his new legs - he's like a little bundle of squirming pretzel sticks ... he's all scrunched up in a ball, but I can see by the size of his new fangs that he's gotten to be one big boy ... please stand by!
p.p.p.s. now all appendages are drawn back like he's in an upside-down crouching position - like he's propping himself up on all 8 elbows - this HAS to be the prelude to the flip! Any minute now ... !!!
p.p.p.p.s. The beautiful chocolate-and-caramel tones of his legs are a sharp contrast to the still-opaque fangs and joints and the rusty-red mouth-parts … His crumpled exuvium lies cast off like the booster rocket from the space shuttle ... any second now, I'm gonna see him flip !!!
p.p.p.p.s it must be exhausting, the whole molting process - I want to reach in and help him, like, give him a nudge, assist him over that last hurdle - but I know that mid-wifing is strictly taboo ... still ... okay, excitement is giving way to boredom - this must be the "watched-T-never-flips" stage ... now Cocoa is looking like a heart-shaped creme-icing frosted Godiva Chocolate with a dollop of raspberry sauce, you know, the kind that's usually the biggest piece in the box, flat on top but you just KNOW that it's the one with the cherry inside, not my favorite, I prefer the nuts-and-chews variety but ... wait a minute ... he - he's making a massive effort ...there he goes! … HE FLIPPED! Man, look away for just a nano-second and you miss it, but this time I witnessed the event! WOO-HOO!!! LOOKIN' GOOOOOOOOD COCOA !!! ,,,,,,,...
Sorry gang, I got a little carried away ... after 2 years of this you'd think I'd be a little more blase, but I never get tired of it ... watching molts to me is akin to being on hand at childbirth, like a spiritual experience ... bye for now :8o ...
I knew it was imminent, Cocoa had been refusing food the last couple of weeks, and day before yesterday he webbed over the entrance to his hide, but molts are like California earthquakes - you know a big one is coming, you just can't predict when!
p.s. Just checked in on him - he's all out of his old clothes, just laying there all nekkid and leechee-nut-whitish - maybe I'll get lucky and see him flip! Please stand by!
p.p.s. Damn I wish I had my camera ... It's amazing watching him lie there, on his back, cautiously and tentatively flexing his new legs - he's like a little bundle of squirming pretzel sticks ... he's all scrunched up in a ball, but I can see by the size of his new fangs that he's gotten to be one big boy ... please stand by!
p.p.p.s. now all appendages are drawn back like he's in an upside-down crouching position - like he's propping himself up on all 8 elbows - this HAS to be the prelude to the flip! Any minute now ... !!!
p.p.p.p.s. The beautiful chocolate-and-caramel tones of his legs are a sharp contrast to the still-opaque fangs and joints and the rusty-red mouth-parts … His crumpled exuvium lies cast off like the booster rocket from the space shuttle ... any second now, I'm gonna see him flip !!!
p.p.p.p.s it must be exhausting, the whole molting process - I want to reach in and help him, like, give him a nudge, assist him over that last hurdle - but I know that mid-wifing is strictly taboo ... still ... okay, excitement is giving way to boredom - this must be the "watched-T-never-flips" stage ... now Cocoa is looking like a heart-shaped creme-icing frosted Godiva Chocolate with a dollop of raspberry sauce, you know, the kind that's usually the biggest piece in the box, flat on top but you just KNOW that it's the one with the cherry inside, not my favorite, I prefer the nuts-and-chews variety but ... wait a minute ... he - he's making a massive effort ...there he goes! … HE FLIPPED! Man, look away for just a nano-second and you miss it, but this time I witnessed the event! WOO-HOO!!! LOOKIN' GOOOOOOOOD COCOA !!! ,,,,,,,...
Sorry gang, I got a little carried away ... after 2 years of this you'd think I'd be a little more blase, but I never get tired of it ... watching molts to me is akin to being on hand at childbirth, like a spiritual experience ... bye for now :8o ...