Molt question - don't shoot me!

[LadySharon]

Alright... I have a 2.5" smithi who had kicked itself a bald spot. Well I watched that spot get progressively darker sat into Sunday. I admit I was fascinated. I've noticed spiders "darker" before a molt before... but never saw them go from light to dark before. It kinda bullseyed in if you understand what I'm talking about... first the edges were dark and it progressed.

So by sunday mid afternoon his bald spot was completely black. So I thought a molt was imminent ... but here it is monday night and STILL no molt.

So... Dumb question ... how long between the point in time when they darken to when they finally molt?

I know it can be up in the air when they stop eating to when they molt... but I always thought once they darken that it would happen fairly quickly.

- Sharon

 

[Talkenlate04]

At 2.5" She should molt inside of 2 weeks. The bigger they get sometimes the longer the premolt. Not always but most of the time. Lol plus I find the more I watch my little ones the longer it seems to take for them to actually molt!
Keep us up to date! I say she molts on the 8th.

 

[LadySharon]

ARG!... lol... I have a camera ready to take pics and everything... pouts.

he/she just stits around... and I've changed the water several times.

so I don't feed then? prior to this he/she ate 1 of the three crix (I THINK) and... well I think killed one without eating it... and then the 3rd died eating the 2nd.

erm which reminds me .. i was going to ask this at the time... Is it possible for a T to kill and not eat prey and then can the poison be transfered to something else eating said dead prey?

Because I observed one crix munching on a dead crix in the cage.... next morning it was in the same position but not moving - and I discovered it too was dead. The spider was oblivious in the middle of the cage.

Oh yeah and my boss asked me if they go into a "trance" when they molt (or something similar)

Thought I'd toss that out there. She likes spiders - but couldn't deal with one because she couldn't deal with the food...

- Sharon

PS I'm going on vacation the 10th for a few days - hope it molts by then.

 

[Talkenlate04]

They do go into a business like trance when they flip over to molt. They want to get it done and over with when it is time.
No don't feed she will not take any more prey till a fwe weeks after she molts. And remove any prey that is still in the tank it will just annoy her.
Lastly yes its possible for a T to kill something and not eat it. I have seen a few kills that seemed to be just to kill, I think they get annoyed and kill whatever it is just so they dont have to deal with something moving around in the tank.
I think she will molt before the 10th.

 

[arrowhd]

I would agree with talkenlate04. Should see a molt in the next 5-10 days I would think at that size.

 

[LadySharon]

Thank you.

and speaking of molts... I am about to go to bed here - so I wasn't going to reply again.. but I thought this was funny.

I just checked my spiders and one of my other's molted. lol. It was 1.25" have no idea what it is now.

Is a B vagans- I noticed it outside it's burrow for once... and not inclined to run back. The abdomen looked lighter then normal - I thought it had kicked a bald spot. so I was turning the container in the light... it decided to go down the burrow and I relized that I could see the red hairs much better now... and sure enough there was a molt stuck to the side ... it had come up and molted on the surface. (yea!)

I had fed everyone yesterday and I know that wasn't there. (it ate two crix btw... if I had knownn... well the other one was down in the burrow anyway.)

I had no idication in this case as the spider is very black anyway and always in the burrow - though it's along the side of the container so I can see it.

And I can tell one of my other spiders is getting ready - also blacker then it was yesterday... a very small I think about.5 - .75" b bohemi ... this one doesn't have much color yet so it's easier. I took the 2 remaining crix out (well ok they hopped out...)

My two rosehairs molted a month ago as well. I guess it's just that time.


signing off.

- Sharon