Molting? What do you all think?

[courtney1027]

I have a phlogius - kuttabul juvenile. When I got him two weeks ago I saw him out the first night and I dropped a cricket in, I don’t think he ate it I found it dead and his hide is like all dug up with substrate. Sorry the photos aren’t the best, I don’t know if I should still be dropping crickets in and seeing if he will eat or if I should wait for him to take down his barricade, I can’t see any other entrance or exits from the hide or any other burrows. What would you all do? I know your not suppose to drop feeders in when there in molt so I wanted to see if you all agree that’s what’s going on

 

[darkness975]

If it sealed itself off let it be. Keep the water dish full.
When it eventually emerges replace the hide with something open ended it can burrow down into.

 

[courtney1027]

If it sealed itself off let it be. Keep the water dish full.
When it eventually emerges replace the hide with something open ended it can burrow down into.

When you say open ended do you mean like a tunnel kind of thing? He came with that hide I didn’t pick it I always see people use cork bark but it’s not easy to find in Australia

 

[darkness975]

When you say open ended do you mean like a tunnel kind of thing? He came with that hide I didn’t pick it I always see people use cork bark but it’s not easy to find in Australia

Yes, anything similar that is not closed on the back end.

 

[cold blood]

The hide looks fine to me, the t uses it and has the ability to both burrow beneath and block it off at the entrance.

As said, just wait for it to emerge, there is no point in feeding a t that is barricaded in a hide.

 

[RezonantVoid]

Phlogius will occasionally seal off their burrows for long periods of time. I havnt seen my kuttabul emerge yet since I paired her with a male a few months ago

 

[courtney1027]

I think the hide is ok too it’s good to know that it’s a common thing for them to just randomly block up there hide. I put a pre killed cricket in tonight just in case it does wander out, but I think it’s obviously just having some time out which is fine, will it just unbarricade it when it done in there

Still no sign of my phlogius kuttabul, I make sure to keep the water dish full but still haven’t seen it and the hide is still barricaded, should I be worried with it being a juvenile or will it be ok, it’s been over a month since it’s been out, it looks a little dry should I put some damp moss in or anything or just keep leaving it alone?

 

[Dorifto]

Still no sign of my phlogius kuttabul, I make sure to keep the water dish full but still haven’t seen it and the hide is still barricaded, should I be worried with it being a juvenile or will it be ok, it’s been over a month since it’s been out, it looks a little dry should I put some damp moss in or anything or just keep leaving it alone?

Moist the substrate partially a bit, a bit.

 

[Marlana]

You can always try prekilling the prey and placing it right in front of the hide. I use to do this a lot with spiders when I didn’t know if they were in premolt or hiding. Before I got use to their habits. Anyway leave prey overnight and hopefully if it’s hungry it’ll find it.

 

[courtney1027]

You can always try prekilling the prey and placing it right in front of the hide. I use to do this a lot with spiders when I didn’t know if they were in premolt or hiding. Before I got use to their habits. Anyway leave prey overnight and hopefully if it’s hungry it’ll find it.

I tried to put a pre killed cricket in lastnight but it’s still there, no sign of any movement, I’m only worried because it’s only a little juvenile, I just hope his ok back there!

 

[Marlana]

I tried to put a pre killed cricket in lastnight but it’s still there, no sign of any movement, I’m only worried because it’s only a little juvenile, I just hope his ok back there!

It can be stressful when they are young. I have a grammostola sling that’s been burrowed for 2 months. Was it’s abdomen pretty plumb before it sealed itself away? That’s a good indication they are going to molt.

 

[courtney1027]

It can be stressful when they are young. I have a grammostola sling that’s been burrowed for 2 months. Was it’s abdomen pretty plumb before it sealed itself away? That’s a good indication they are going to molt.

It looks ok, honestly I didn’t get a good look at him, I bought him off someone and they already had his enclosure setup but when I got there he had caught him out in a little container so I could have a look, then put him back in, later that night I saw him out, the guy said he was due a feed so I went to drop a cricket in and he bolted into his hide, next day he blocked it off and I have seen him since she I have really only ever seen it for like 5 mins. I really don’t want to disturb him but is there a time limit on how long I should leave him before I look around or just assume his ok in there

 

[Marlana]

I’m honestly not familiar with Australian species so I’m not sure. How big is it? I know generally it’s advised to leave them be. Maybe @RezonantVoid has more information. Might be completely normal for this species.

 

[courtney1027]

I’m honestly not familiar with Australian species so I’m not sure. How big is it? I know generally it’s advised to leave them be. Maybe @RezonantVoid has more information. Might be completely normal for this species.

He was just 3 inches from memory, I suppose I will leave him a bit longer then come back on here and worry again in another month

 

[RezonantVoid]

kuttabul are fast growers so regular molts at small sizes aren't surprising, I think the members above summed up well what to do, just leave it be for the moment until you see it emerge for food again

 

[courtney1027]

kuttabul are fast growers so regular molts at small sizes aren't surprising, I think the members above summed up well what to do, just leave it be for the moment until you see it emerge for food again

Thankyou, I just needed the reassurance that it was ok for him to be barricaded that long, it will be nice to he shows himself again, my other phlogius red stent juvenile is always out and about webbing up the place so it I just worried something was wrong because he isn’t out

 

[RezonantVoid]

Thankyou, I just needed the reassurance that it was ok for him to be barricaded that long, it will be nice to he shows himself again, my other phlogius red stent juvenile is always out and about webbing up the place so it I just worried something was wrong because he isn’t out

No worries at all also one noteworthy thing, red stents is known as Phlogius rubiseta now

 

[courtney1027]

No worries at all also one noteworthy thing, red stents is known as Phlogius rubiseta now

I wasn’t sure if they were the same or not! When I bought the juvenile he was sold as a P. Red stent but then I did read that apparently they are the same thing, I will make sure to change his little label

 

[RezonantVoid]

I wasn’t sure if they were the same or not! When I bought the juvenile he was sold as a P. Red stent but then I did read that apparently they are the same thing, I will make sure to change his little label

Mind me asking who you got it from? It's been about 10 years since the name was regularly used, curious who's still using it and circulating it around. Reminds me of my very first days browsing TheGreenScorpion and looking through their tarantula stocklists! So much more stuff available back then

 

[courtney1027]

Mind me asking who you got it from? It's been about 10 years since the name was regularly used, curious who's still using it and circulating it around. Reminds me of my very first days browsing TheGreenScorpion and looking through their tarantula stocklists! So much more stuff available back then

I got it from an exotic pet shop called pet magic for $90