LP Molting Question

[4wrdUn2Dwn]

I'm new to this so I want to get some advice that will help me to better care for my Ts in the future. Some info first, I received on Friday a 3" LP, put her in her enclosure, and fed her a Dubia Saturday after she had settled in. I have 2 questions about her.

First i didn't think she was in pre molt when I received her. This afternoon she has been a diggin machine. The front of the half piece of cork bark she calls home in now basically sealed off. She also has several pinkish dicolored spots on her abdomen that she didn't really have when I received her. I'm pretty confident I saw her outline eat the Dubia that I nudged under the cork bark for her Saturday. Does it sound like she is in pre molt? Also should I worry about the Dubia carcass molding or will she just push it out will the dirt she has been moving?

I have attached some pics of her and what she has done this afternoon (hopefully the can be seen as I am doing this from my iPad). Any information to help me care for my T is very much appreciated, I also apologize if this board is a repeat of any like it.

 

[obie]

It doesn't look like she is in pre molt to me. She probably just doesn't want to be bothered right now.

 

[4wrdUn2Dwn]

It doesn't look like she is in pre molt to me. She probably just doesn't want to be bothered right now.

I can see that. The discolored patches on the abdomen just are throwing me off. I wish I could get a pic to show but as I said she locked herself away.

 

[sasker]

Hi! Congratulations with this great species!

I think it would be best to leave her be. Premolt or not, tarantulas usually need some time to settle in and they may hide a while. The digging is a good sign. Mine completely sealed of her burrow shortly after a rehouse, only to re-open it without having molted. It is not necessary to push in prey items, either. If your T is hungry, it will have this typical hunting stance, which is just the tips of the front legs sticking out from underneath the burrow. Throwing in a prey item then will likely result in a feeding response.

I think you should not overthink the situation too much. I know, we all have been there when we just started keeping tarantulas, but doing nothing is in most cases the best thing to do.

Success!

 

[14pokies]

She probably kicked some hairs off into her new hide and around her new home.

They do this to deter predators from poking there noses in there home to have a snack.. I would imagine that the pink coloration you are seeing is the skin from where the hairs have been removed.

 

[sasker]

The discolored patches on the abdomen just are throwing me off.

Where on the abdomen are these spots located? If they are to the sides and closer to the rear, it may well be kicked off hair and nothing to be worried about. This would also prove that your tarantula is not in premolt (or at least not very close to molting) as the underlying skin would be blackish instead of pink.

 

[4wrdUn2Dwn]

Thanks for the replies! I guess I am over thinking it, but I guess that is part of the learning curve. Better to ask and find out it was nothing then do something stupid. Would you guys suggest dropping in a Dubia a few days from now to see if she will eat or wait until she comes out?

 

[Anoplogaster]

You can wait awhile. At least until you are certain the first one was actually eaten. LPs have a killer feeding response. If they are hungry, they'll strike with quite a bit of ferocity! Look forward to that

 

[Venom1080]

Bald spot does not always mean premolt.

 

[4wrdUn2Dwn]

This morning she has been sitting at the edge of her burrow with 4 legs out. Would that be the hunting stance sasker was referring to earlier?

 

[MGery92]

This morning she has been sitting at the edge of her burrow with 4 legs out. Would that be the hunting stance sasker was referring to earlier?

If she isn't hiding now, I'm sure she isn't in pre-molt. I would try to feed her...

 

[Ellenantula]

Bald spot does not always mean premolt.

I'm don't think any of mine have displayed a bald spot during pre-moult (except A seemanni who always sports a bald rump).

I've seen several threads of late mentioning 'bald spots' in relation to 'pre-moult' -- my Ts must have missed that memo.

Now, darkening of rump -- sure; plumping up -- sure; slowing down/sluggish -- sure; going off food -- sure.

But not balding. At least not that I've witnessed among my Ts.

 

[Venom1080]

I'm don't think any of mine have displayed a bald spot during pre-moult (except A seemanni who always sports a bald rump).

I've seen several threads of late mentioning 'bald spots' in relation to 'pre-moult' -- my Ts must have missed that memo.

Now, darkening of rump -- sure; plumping up -- sure; slowing down/sluggish -- sure; going off food -- sure.

But not balding. At least not that I've witnessed among my Ts.

I can usually tell when my unusually calm B albopilosum s are going into premolt because that's the only time they will have a bald spot, this slowly darkens to black.

 

[MGery92]

I'm don't think any of mine have displayed a bald spot during pre-moult (except A seemanni who always sports a bald rump).

I've seen several threads of late mentioning 'bald spots' in relation to 'pre-moult' -- my Ts must have missed that memo.

Now, darkening of rump -- sure; plumping up -- sure; slowing down/sluggish -- sure; going off food -- sure.

But not balding. At least not that I've witnessed among my Ts.

I agree with you, my girls and boys are only kick their hairs before the molting process.

 

[Ellenantula]

Mine kicked a few hairs when first setting up their homes -- mixing some misery with their webbing and substrate.
But they've been settled in their enclosures a few years now (well, B albo was last one housed in adult enclosure -- that's only been about a year now).
I don't see any bald spots, nor see their rumps darkening. And the darkening was much more obvious in my slings.

With mine, the only real signs are plumping up, sluggishness, and refusing food. Most even moult in the open.

 

[vespers]

My Lp dug some when she was younger/smaller like that, but she doesn't now that she's 8". These days she just webs up a molt mat out in the open and does her thing when a molt comes.