I may have touched a molting T :/

hassman789

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
576
Well my G. pulchripes sling has been getting really dark and stopped eating so I knew it was in pre molt. well just a little while ago I decided to randomly open the lid and touch him (I never really do it) and he legs are not spread out or anything hes in a normal sitting position. Well he didn't move much and then I was like OHHH CRAP! so I just closed it and left him alone. Now hes looking more side ways. And to make things worse, as I was typing this I looked at him with a flash light and wen i put it down on the table it made him twitch. He has not begun yet so hopefully i havn't stressed him to death. I am going to make sure he dosn't get stressed again. But I'm so excited hes molting again!
 

Jmugleston

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Messages
1,578
Well my G. pulchripes sling has been getting really dark and stopped eating so I knew it was in pre molt. well just a little while ago I decided to randomly open the lid and touch him (I never really do it) and he legs are not spread out or anything hes in a normal sitting position. Well he didn't move much and then I was like OHHH CRAP! so I just closed it and left him alone. Now hes looking more side ways. And to make things worse, as I was typing this I looked at him with a flash light and wen i put it down on the table it made him twitch. He has not begun yet so hopefully i havn't stressed him to death. I am going to make sure he dosn't get stressed again. But I'm so excited hes molting again!
I wouldn't be too worried if you just touched him. I had a penultimate B. smithi that made a molting mat and didn't flip. Instead he was sprawled out right side up next to the mat. I though he was dead so I pulled the cage off the shelf, opened it up and bumped a back leg in order to see if he was dead yet. He moved a bit, but was not too responsive. It was basically a spider that did all the right moves but forgot to flip. I put him back figuring he'd flip on his own. An hour or so later he didn't so I once again pulled him from the shelf, opened his cage, and flipped him over. He then proceeded to molt. He's doing fine now.

Another case if that one didn't put you at ease:
About 12 years ago I bought a G. pulchra at a reptile show. I had my sister hold it for me since I was still perusing the tables. When I get back she informed me that the spider flipped on its back. She though she hurt it so she did the first thing she could think of. She flipped it back right side up. She didn't want me to come back and see an upside down spider and blame her for killing it! :) A short time later the little one flipped back over and molted properly.

Two long stories, but a slight disturbance probably won't spell the end for your T. If you think it is molting just leave it alone...if you did disturb it slightly I doubt it will cause any major issues.

Not the exact same situations, but these guys are quite tough. I wouldn't worry too much about a simple touch while it was preparing to molt.
 

AmbushArachnids

Arachnoculturist
Old Timer
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Jan 30, 2010
Messages
629
Sweet!! I hope its a girl! I love when my Ts molt. my GBB just molted and my smithi is next. My 2 Fav After a fresh molt:D
 
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