Molt in hide

[mercurybullet]

My T has been hiding in its coconut shell for a couple of weeks now. Everyonce in a while, I do my best of looking inside to make sure everything is going okay, assuming that there would be a molt soon.

Well as of today, I found out that it finally molted .

Anyways, my question is if i should pick up the coconut to get the old molt out or just leave it for a few days? I'd like to get it out as soon as possible to avoid mites and such, but will it be too much stress on the T. (It kinda has a little burrow dug under the coconut and it just pushed the old molt to the side, not outside)

Please let me know so I know when I can get the molt out and find out if I have a boy or girl

 

[jamesc]

It's fine for awhile, you don't have to remove the exuvium so quickly. Give your T time to rest after the molt. If you moved it now you could cause the T to hurt itself or best case it will stress it out. Give it about a week and see if it tosses the molt out for you, it probably will.

 

[ErikH]

Don't worry about it. Sooner or later, your T. will do some housecleaning and bring it out for you. In the mean time, no harm will come from it remaining where it is.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

If you keep a dry enclosure (which is recommended for quite a few species, what do you have?), then there is no risk of mites or mold. The old exoskeleton will just dry out like paper. My GBB likes to keep old molts in her hide for months at a time, I think she's still got at least one stuck to the wall in there and a few old leg-casings webbed into the floor. And there's one in front of her hide that I can't get because she's always near it, and too fast/nervous for me to want to put the tweezers that close to her. It's not very aesthetically pleasing, but it won't hurt the T.

 

[Mr Short Radius]

In regards to your sexing comment, unless you can get it right away, its probably too late. They like to suck the juices from the old skin and destroy the area you need to look at. In most cases when I know it will be molting soon, ill take the PVC or hiding place out to avoid molt problems or getting stuck. Than ill cover the enclosure to reduce stress and treat the whole enclosure as a hiding spot. Than you will have no trouble grabbing the fresh molt right after.

 

[Mr.Scorpion]

Mercurybullet, out of curiosity what kind of T is it?

 

[mercurybullet]

Its a smithi so the enclosure is dry and its the first molt since ive had it.

I hope now that its molted it will come out every now and then, I havent seen it other than through little hole in more than a month and a half

Thank for the responses

 

[Sammi Adams]

I was curious to know if your terantula , after molting, has ever just laid there, not moving. I am really scared and don't know how to react. Is this normal?

 

[Sammi Adams]

I was wondering if you could help me out. . . .

My Spider is sick and not moving, she just shed, and two mornings ago I found her laying down, barely moving i rinced her off (sand was stuck to her) and I've gave her a few drops of gatorade, to enrich her electrolytes. I need help, I don't know if this is normal. . . and this is my baby!

 

[Pyst]

We are helping Sammi out in chat so no need to flame. Thx.

-Mike