Molt comparisons

[Salamanderhead]

In 2 months and 2 days that it took my B.smithi which was 1 inch to molt it went from looking like this to this,
Side picture is from a few weeks ago, the one on the right is from today, it molted last night. What a difference.

Maybe its a male because its growing so fast for a smithi? Any thoughts.
It gained about 1/2 inch per molt. Its molted twice since Ive owned it (aug.27/09)

Its about 1 1/2 inch now.

 

[Redneck]

Wow if females grow slower than I might have me a little girl.. It has only grew like 1/4'' after each molt and has molted twice since I got it back on Aug. 23.. (Please me a girl! Please be a girl!!)

Oh congrats on the molt that is ALOT of differance in a molt right there..

 

[Salamanderhead]

If this one turns out to be a male then I want a female too! Haha. Ive got an increase in temperature for this one to make it grow faster. Maybe its working? haha. Ive got a box with a cut out hole in the top. Inside I have a small heat pad with a big towel folded over it with this sling in its enclosure on top. ( so that it doesnt get to hot, just warm). Works well.

 

[Redneck]

I have mine kept at a comfy 75-80 degree room temp.. (How the house stay most of the time unless we have a dramatic weather change..) I have seen it molt out twice and it is in pre-molt right now.. Soo here shortly it will be molting again.. (Hopefully!) I also power feed it a small cricket every other day..

 

[Salamanderhead]

Well if its in premolt now then yours is racing mine by 1 molt but mine grows more per molt.
I guess technically I also power feed even though I dont really see it that way haha. I put in a dead cricket everyday if it eats the previous. If it didnt want to eat it wouldnt! Right...

Heres a picture comparison.

When I first got it on August 27 2009

September 27 2009,

and then it looked like this maybe 3-4 weeks later,

Molting last night on November 22 2009

and now,

Thats a big difference in looks over 2 months!

 

[Salamanderhead]

Wait...3 months. Im tired... : p

 

[Redneck]

No I think your is a couple molts ahead of mine.. I will take a picture of it tonight and post it up here.. It is only about 3/4'' right now maybe a hair bigger I aint to sure.. I will see about a measurment tonight to..

 

[Salamanderhead]

Ohhh, for some reason (whatever that was) I was thinking when you got your sling it was the same size as my sling when I got it. :wall:
Hahaha like I said, Im tired...

 

[TalonAWD]

The speed of the molt cycle does not interpret whether its male or female. The temperature and/or feedings depicts the speed of its molt cycles.

Example I have 3 G. pulchras. They are said to be slow growers. Yet all three of my pulchras are molting once per month. I know which one is male and female and yet they molt the same time spans. (on average 1 month)
What makes them slow growing is the amount of size they put on with each molt.
So a L. parahybana will seem like its growing faster but in reality its gaining more size with each molt.
On average, all my slings molt once per month and this has been the case with many species I have kept over the years. Theres only one thing that all of them have in common....The temperatures in which they live in and the amount of food they receive from me.
After the 3" mark, thats a whole different story. My B. boehmei after the 3" mark slowed down alot. It last molted Feb 09. Still waiting for a molt.:wall: She is 4.5" now.

 

[Salamanderhead]

Oh interesting. I was thinking maybe it was male because of their shorter life spans it would have to grow and mature faster.
Maybe I do have a female then : )

 

[Redneck]

Well I just learned something new!! I thought the more molts meant they are growing fast.. My B. smithi is growing slow as heck!! Dang She/He needs to get her/his but a moving and get some size own her...

 

[Salamanderhead]

Can you buy tarantula steroids by any chance on ebay? ;P

 

[Redneck]

HaHa!! Once you find some let me know.. My smithi needs to buff up a little for that cube fight with the OBT!! LoL! (Just kidding yall I would NEVER do this with any of my critters..)

 

[Teal]

I have had my B. smithi for 4 months or so, and he's molted once (about a month ago). He's a pig and eats a lot.. but isn't growing that fast. He's about 2" now, and was 1.5" or so when I got him.

He can grow slow, I don't mind LOL

 

[TalonAWD]

Well I just learned something new!! I thought the more molts meant they are growing fast.. .

In a sense this is true, but different species grow at different rates. Molting does mean growth but its not the same amount of growth for every species.

 

[Steve Calceatum]

Sounds like your B. smithi is growing just fine. My girl went from 1.75" this past June to 3.5" about three weeks ago.

Tarantulas gain most of their size in their first year or two. Growth depends on a number of factors, so growth rate is not a reliable indicator of gender.

 

[TalonAWD]

Growth depends on a number of factors, so growth rate is not a reliable indicator of gender.

Exactly!



Heres my molt schedule for a B smithi I had back in 2000. 2" to about 4.5"
Meal start just means when I decided to start feeding after the molt.

Brachypelma Smithi "Spidera" (Female)

Bought on July 20, 2000

1st Molt: August 14, 2000 Meal Start: August 23, 2000
2nd Molt: September 19, 2000 Meal Start: September 22, 2000
3rd Molt: November 07, 2000 Meal Start: November 11, 2000
4th Molt: December 24, 2000 Meal Start: December 30, 2000
5th Molt: February 16, 2001 Meal Start: February 23,2001

I always keep my T's in the 80's for temperature.

 

[Redneck]

In a sense this is true, but different species grow at different rates. Molting does mean growth but its not the same amount of growth for every species.

Ok.. So if I have a T that is molting once a month growing 1/4''-1/2'' with each molt.. Is that a slow grower?

*Edit* Opps you beat me on that post this is an un-need question now..