Molt timing question.

LadySharon

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
201
Hmmm... seems to be alot of molt threads on this page....

This one is a tad different.

I have two G roseas They are in cages right next to one another. A month ago I put them in larger cages with a water dish - before that they were in sugar shakers (basicatly plastic jars with a plastic flat lid with holes in it that snaps on... )

They are on peat moss.

They both get about 3 crix a week - 4 if the crix are smaller then normal, 2 if they are larger then normal.

Here are the molt stats.

T1: bought 2/25/06 - approx 3/4"

1st molt (in my care) at the end of may or beg of june 2006 (missed exact day)

2nd molt: 8/19/06 - about 1" in length now

3rd molt between 12/1 and 12/2 2006 - still looks 1"

Today: has a fat ab. but hasn't molted sence dec. Refused crix for a few weeks about a month ago.

T2: bought 4/15/06 size - abougt .5 -.75"

molts:

1. was on vacation... when I got back 6/25/06 noticed that it had molted - may have been anytime during the prior week.

2. End of aug/beg sept 2006 - didn't record exact date.

3. night of 12/31-1/1/07 - recorded size - now 1.25"

4. 4/28/07 - approaching 1.5" not sure if it is there yet.

5. 7/8/07 (yesterday) shocked the heck out of me - I wasn't expecting it. I THOUGHT it looked dark but wasn't sure. I managed to catch it just starting (in fact this is two molts now done in the evening that I've watched. - and photoed)

now it is VERY VERY leggy. it is changing it's position every so often - facing a new direction... leggs spread... last I looked it had half the legs fully forward and half fully back (reminding me of a pose I'd seen on a huntsman once)

and I'm :eek: look at those legs! I'll measure it again when it's comfortable enough to hang out on the front wall...

all my spiders tend to climb the walls a bit at night and sit there. Durning the day they are mostly in the middle of their cages.


So my big question is... WHY with two spiders of the same Species - in the same environment - same temp same substraight... basically the same humidity - get fed the same (and at the same time) why in the world is T1 not molting? and T2 seems to be molting at super speed?

And the the 2nd question is... could the speed of the molts and the legginess of the spider give a clue as to gender?


Thanks for any insight.

- Sharon
 

Becky

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Messages
641
Gender could be a factor. But now that they have both reached the 1" mark they will both slow down in growing.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
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8,656
I'll agree with gender. If you ever buy a group of Ts as slings, and you see a few out pacing the group in every way, and you are treating them the same, those are the males. I have never not had it be that way. It's not 100% fool proof, but it's a great indication.
Plus you mentioned leggy and not bulky also a male trait.
 

LadySharon

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
201
Hi. I saw your messages yesterday but didn't have a chance to reply.

Thanks for the replys... I noticed a similar thread by someone else... not sure when they did theirs though.

And guess what? I came home from work today to find T1 on it's back - right in front of the cage too.

it is now out and resting.

T2 btw... is 1.75"-2" depending on how you mesure - I think that's at least a .5" gain.

Starting to "walk like a T" instead of skitter. I have WAY to many pics I need to sort thorugh them and post them somewhere.

T2 has very very long palps as well (at least I think they are long - almost as long as the legs)

Lastly I don't know why people think these guys are dull. white/pink hair- I think they are pretty!

(note even the adults in the exotic pet store I go to are like this. - not brown. )

- sharon
 
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