LP with Red Fangs?

[Tarantula Tom]

I just noticed my LP’s fangs are blood red. I only received the T yesterday and everything else seems fine, it’s abdomen is quite large so I assume it is well fed and hasn’t molted recently, but I’ve never seen fangs this colour on an otherwise healthy looking T, is this normal? Any advice is appreciated

 

[kingshockey]

dont feed until its fangs are black pic on the left looks like its recently molted (prior to getting shipped to you)going by color of its fangs make sure its got access to water

 

[PidderPeets]

Yup, definitely molted recently. After molting, the fangs are white, then turn red, and eventually black. As previously stated, don't offer food until the fangs are black

 

[Tarantula Tom]

Thanks for the advice, I know it’s normal after a molt, just seemed odd to me how plump its abdomen is, even had a bald patch from kicking hairs, so it doesn’t look like it’s molted recently, only the fangs. But I will keep the water dish topped up and wait a couple weeks before feeding

 

[darkness975]

I just noticed my LP’s fangs are blood red. I only received the T yesterday and everything else seems fine, it’s abdomen is quite large so I assume it is well fed and hasn’t molted recently, but I’ve never seen fangs this colour on an otherwise healthy looking T, is this normal? Any advice is appreciated

The poor thing must have been severely stressed if it kicked so much setae already.

 

[Tarantula Tom]

The poor thing must have been severely stressed if it kicked so much setae already.

It hasn’t kicked all those hairs since I received it, there was a bald patch on the abdomen when it arrived. But either way I wouldn’t immediately associate kicking hairs with stress, a few of mine kick hairs around their enclosure and in their webbing, it’s just what new worlds do.

 

[ByMennen]

All I can imagine is the seller decided to send a freshly molted tarantula judging by the first pic.
I'm not extremely experienced in keeping, but I've read that plump tarantulas can molt into a normal-ish sized abdomen.
As for setae loss, did you notice any in the container you received them in? Could've kicked like crazy during transit, or just bumped around enough to loosen it.
Hopefully no injuries occured and you'll have a healthy tarantula in no time!
Best of luck!

 

[Pmurinushmacla]

Only odd thing here is that the seller sent a recently molted T into a shipping container where it is prone to getting bumped around. Seems like a poor call, I personally wouldn't buy from them again.

 

[Wolfram1]

yea, that was quite dangerous, he should have postponed the shipment by a week+

 

[Tarantula Tom]

Only odd thing here is that the seller sent a recently molted T into a shipping container where it is prone to getting bumped around. Seems like a poor call, I personally wouldn't buy from them again.

Yeah I kind of didn’t just assume it was freshly molted because I didn’t think they would send a freshly molted T. I seem to have a hard time finding dealers in the UK

All I can imagine is the seller decided to send a freshly molted tarantula judging by the first pic.
I'm not extremely experienced in keeping, but I've read that plump tarantulas can molt into a normal-ish sized abdomen.
As for setae loss, did you notice any in the container you received them in? Could've kicked like crazy during transit, or just bumped around enough to loosen it.
Hopefully no injuries occured and you'll have a healthy tarantula in no time!
Best of luck!

I didn’t notice any in the tissue Or the container, but there definitely could’ve been, I didn’t unravel it I just gently pushed on it so the T walked out. I didn’t really look at it I just threw the tissue away. But yeah it definitely could’ve rubbed off or kicked hairs in transit I suppose. Thanks!

 

[cold blood]

even had a bald patch from kicking hairs, so it doesn’t look like it’s molted recently,

look, red fangs mean it absolutely DID molt recently. A bald patch means NOTHING....and its actually pretty normal for a t to kick hairs a bunch when shipped.

 

[jc55]

Definitely an error on the shippers part but it appears the Tarantula is fine other than that which is what is important and a lesson learned.

 

[Tarantula Tom]

look, red fangs mean it absolutely DID molt recently. A bald patch means NOTHING....and its actually pretty normal for a t to kick hairs a bunch when shipped.

Yeah that was my point.. i mentioned the bald patch because it seemed a bit odd to me that it would have kicked so many hairs between molting and being shipped. Also, i’m still learning thanks

 

[NMTs]

How big is this T? Red fangs does mean it molted recently, but not necessarily that it molted yesterday... If the T is large enough, it could still have red fangs one, two, even three weeks or longer post-molt, but the rest of the exoskeleton could be sufficiently hardened to travel (which it sounds like it was). No harm, no foul, I say...

 

[Tarantula Tom]

How big is this T? Red fangs does mean it molted recently, but not necessarily that it molted yesterday... If the T is large enough, it could still have red fangs one, two, even three weeks or longer post-molt, but the rest of the exoskeleton could be sufficiently hardened to travel (which it sounds like it was). No harm, no foul, I say...

The T is 6-8cm, average juvenile size i'd say.

 

[PidderPeets]

Thanks for the advice, I know it’s normal after a molt, just seemed odd to me how plump its abdomen is, even had a bald patch from kicking hairs, so it doesn’t look like it’s molted recently, only the fangs. But I will keep the water dish topped up and wait a couple weeks before feeding

Honestly, being plump post molt just means it was even bigger premolt. For example, I got an AF B. boehmei a few months back who was SEVERELY overfed by the previous owner. She just molted a little under a week ago, but you'd never guess that looking at her abdomen.

Just keep that extra post-molt size in mind for the future. Because it still has all that extra body mass to it, it won't need as much food to get it through to the next molt. Not even spiders are immune to obesity-related issues, so you don't want to keep it permanently overweight

 

[darkness975]

I wouldn’t immediately associate kicking hairs with stress, a few of mine kick hairs around their enclosure and in their webbing, it’s just what new worlds do.

I am aware of the reasons why they kick their urticating setae. Given this particular circumstance the most plausible explanation is stress from being shipped.

 

[Tarantula Tom]

Honestly, being plump post molt just means it was even bigger premolt. For example, I got an AF B. boehmei a few months back who was SEVERELY overfed by the previous owner. She just molted a little under a week ago, but you'd never guess that looking at her abdomen.

Just keep that extra post-molt size in mind for the future. Because it still has all that extra body mass to it, it won't need as much food to get it through to the next molt. Not even spiders are immune to obesity-related issues, so you don't want to keep it permanently overweight

Thanks for the advice, i've only been in the hobby since last year and had 2 T's molt in my care, both of which had very small abdomens after molting which is why i was a little confused. You, and everyone else here have been very helpful, so thank you!

 

[Pmurinushmacla]

Thanks for the advice, i've only been in the hobby since last year and had 2 T's molt in my care, both of which had very small abdomens after molting which is why i was a little confused. You, and everyone else here have been very helpful, so thank you!

Takes a good keeper to be receptive to other ideas, glad to see more open minds join the boards. I wasn't so when I joined.