I just got home and walked in on my Chaco mid-molt ... please stand by !!!

killy

Arachnoknight
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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 ...
 

CAK

Arachnoknight
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I NEVER get bored watching molts! I don't care how big or small they are... It's never boring!!!!!

Congrats!
 

seezilla

Arachnopeon
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Sep 23, 2010
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Awesome. Nice notes! I saw some of this posted last night. I have yet to witness any molts. But I'm sure it'll happen someday.
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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May 20, 2009
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It's deja vu all over again !!!

Awesome. Nice notes! I saw some of this posted last night. I have yet to witness any molts. But I'm sure it'll happen someday.
Thanks - I started the play-by-play on somebody else's thread and thought I ought not do that, so I cut what I had done, pasted it on this thread, and resumed where I left off.

AND GUESS WHAT - I walked in tonight on a COMPLETED molt by my B vagans, Diablo. Missed the whole thing, to his in-my-face delight. There he sits, looking very smug, placidly munching on his former self like he RULES this roost - which he DOES! hahah.



Sorry for the poor photo quality ... that's the current Diablo upper right, chewing on the former Diablo, lower left. I hate when he does that - he KNOWS that I want to try to keep the exuvium as intact as possible ....

Anyway, 2 major molts in as many nights! A first in my book! And I know that my LP, my GBB and my versi are all circling the airport waiting for clearance to land, so I may be one busy documentarian for the next 2 or 3 weeks!

'TIS THE SEASON!

Patience is the word of the day, my friend. But your time is coming ... and when it does, I promise you, your patience will have paid off, and you will be transfixed. But please, do as I say and not as I didn't, and have your camera ready!!
 

seezilla

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 23, 2010
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Yeah well, two more of my Ts molted either earlier today or last night. One of my B. albos and my A. versi. All my molts have been in the last week, except for my versi's first molt with me. That was about a month ago. Time to rehouse my versi. The vial is way too small for her/him. :D I should have a few more molts in the coming weeks too. The other albos should molt any day now that their slingmate has molted and I expect the other two G. pulchripes slings to molt as well.

That makes 5 molts this week alone. That's CRAZY! LOL :eek:
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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Joined
May 20, 2009
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.

That makes 5 molts this week alone. That's CRAZY! LOL :eek:
SWEET! You're way ahead of me.

However ....

This morning, at 8am, I checked in on the boys, and Peau-Grise, my LP, was lying on his back, splayed out like he was workin' on his tan, and another molt was on! That's 3 in as many days! (Must be our unseasonally hot SoCal weather - even I'm shedding my clothes :eek: )

And this time I got to watch the whole thing! Here's a summary, beginning middle and end ...



I was so close on the heels of these 3 molts that I was able to salvage the exuvia pretty much intact ... that's the G pulchripes on top, the LP in the middle, and the vagans on the bottom.



Makes me wonder who's next!

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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Joined
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Messages
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I NEVER get bored watching molts! I don't care how big or small they are... It's never boring!!!!!

Congrats!
You and me both - I cancelled all appointments this morning just so I could sit ringside at the prize-fight - LP vs. Exuvium hahah ... the LP won, although I don't know how he did it - molting to me seems like the rough equivalent of trying to get my socks off without using my hands!

(okay, it's Saturday and I didn't HAVE any appointments, but if I did ...)
 

leoferus

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Nov 1, 2010
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You and me both - I cancelled all appointments this morning just so I could sit ringside at the prize-fight - LP vs. Exuvium hahah ... the LP won, although I don't know how he did it - molting to me seems like the rough equivalent of trying to get my socks off without using my hands!

(okay, it's Saturday and I didn't HAVE any appointments, but if I did ...)
Yeah... except these socks were pressed on and glued.
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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Yeah... except these socks were pressed on and glued.
Which brings to mind one really wierd feature of a molt (and I've seen this phenomenon in other molts, too) ... even when the legs have almost entirely emerged, the tips of the exuvium legs still twitch ... how do they DO that? (Maestro, Twilight Zone music please!)
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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May 20, 2009
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And Tuppence, my G. rosea, makes 4 - and that's about it - the wave of molts has finally ebbed.

Here's a post-molt shot of Tuppence alongside his former self.



I know I'm preaching to the choir, because who besides me didn't already have a G. rosea, but I'm delighted by the name-sake rose-quartz coloring of this little guy (it doesn't show up very well in the photo ... not nearly as well as the baby-bottom pink of the palm of my hand ...:rolleyes:)
 

leoferus

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
9
I've had ten tarantulas molt in the past month. Only three were slings. I think it's not the weather nor pheromones. I think they all read the forums while I'm on and decided to make us develop some crazy conspiracy theories.
 

gmrpnk21

Arachnobaron
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Nov 1, 2010
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My little chaco is molting right now! I feel like a worried mother wanting to keep checking in on it. It's on it's back right now but I can't tell how far along it is without shining a light on it :(. Hurry up little one!
 

killy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
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I feel like a worried mother wanting to keep checking in on it ... Hurry up little one!
LOL - I can certainly relate!

We're with ya, my friend. Hang in there, and don't be discouraged by "watched-molt-syndrome," which is much akin to watching paint dry - it's worth the wait! (And don't worry about shining a light, it won't hurt) ...

Pictures, we want pictures !!!

---------- Post added at 10:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------

I think they all read the forums while I'm on and decided to make us develop some crazy conspiracy theories.
{D{D{D I wouldn't be surprised - I still think there's some sort of ESP going on between these critters ... still waters run deep!
 
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