Moulting????

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
46
I think my G.rosea is finally moulting for the first time since I purchased her.
She made herself a moulting pad last night..in a somewhat awkward area..between her huge log and the wall of her terrarium..
her head and a few legs are hanging off the pad..I dont know if that should worry me
Another very strange thing..I'm 99% sure that she doesn't have a bald patch..
is this normal?
 
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Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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May 2, 2005
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1,863
I think my G.rosea is finally moulting for the first time since I purchased her.
She made herself a moulting pad last night..in a somewhat awkward area..between her huge log and wall of the terrarium..
her head and a few legs are hanging off the pad..I dont know if that should worry me
Another very strange thing..I'm 99% sure that she doesn't have a bald patch..
is this normal?
She should be fine. I have had slings and juveniles molt in very tight spaces. In the wild many would be molting in a crack between two rocks or some other very concealed space. And a bald patch is not indicitive of a molt. A dark, almost black spot on the abdomen is. YOu should have nothing ot worry about.
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2007
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46
But what if she falls into the crevice and gets stuck?
what would I do then?
and I hate the fact that I have work in 2 hrs and nightschool right after
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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But what if she falls into the crevice and gets stuck?
what would I do then?
and I hate the fact that I have work in 2 hrs and nightschool right after
Basically if its started molting there is nothing you can do. Just let nature take its course.
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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Most likely it won't get stuck. The average T is not programmed to kill itself whiule trying to grow, so there is not much to worry about there. I am guessing you are new and this is one of the first molts. They are nerve wracking for everyone, but you need ot just let nature take its course. I have only had two individuals die during a molt and both were after a space heater malfunctioned in my room and kept them at 100 degrees for 3 days prior to a molt. Seriously though, any attempt to move it or disturb it after a molt has begun will do nothing but endanger your pet. It sucks, but you just have to sit there and wait and see. :(
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
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she's falling off the pad..she's pretty much upside down and her legs are squished inbetween the crevice
oh and her skin hasn't split yet

=[ I'm really not enjoying this

And yes.. this is all new to me
 

Hedorah99

Arachnoprince
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she's falling off the pad..she's pretty much upside down and her legs are squished inbetween the crevice
oh and her skin hasn't split yet

=[ I'm really not enjoying this

And yes.. this is all new to me
you an try very gently moving the log out of the way, but that is all the intervention i would reccommend
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2007
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ok..well now that she's bent..I can tell she;s ready to leave her skin..
she's also moving her free leg and spinneretes


sorry about the low quality
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
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Jan 7, 2007
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ermm..her exoskeleton looks ready to come off..I dont know if I should move it
I mean..it seems ideal but I'd rather not be the cause of her death =[
 

DrAce

Arachnodemon
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Feb 22, 2007
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I can't see anything in those photos, I'm sorry... they've got nothing to reference to except a vaguely spidery thing in the corner.

Sometimes you need to let nature run its course. Moulting is a risky time for the spider, but you need to let it do it's thing. Keep a close eye on it, but it's probably ok.

I think you can do more damage by fiddling with it, than it can do by itself.
 

Lorgakor

Arachnomom
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The spider should be just fine. I know that it is nerve racking but spiders can moult in the darndest of places and come out okay. If they can moult in cramped burrows with barely any room to turn around then they can moult wedged in by a log. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.:)
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
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I wasn't planning on touching her..what a useless post mushroom



Anyway, the moult was succesful..she managed to squirm out of her skin and somehow climb back onto her pad..she's now resting upright with her legs covering her head

One thing I noticed is that she didn't moult in one piece..her carapace cracked off
Is this a bad sign?

ps. thank you to those who gave me a little hope
Appreciated
 

DrAce

Arachnodemon
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Without trying to be nasty, you might want to look up some of the many many threads on moulting here. There are plenty of good descriptions of moults about, including some fantastic photos.

All that you describe seems normal. So is your concern: more people need to have as much care for their pets.

The carapace comes off first, yes, but the rest of the details of the moult are as individual as the Tarantula. They can do some pretty crazy things, putting people through some emotional roller-coaster rides. Squeezing into little gaps... webbing themselves into holes so no-one knows what's happening. All is normal.
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
46
See...
you misunderstood me
if you had read the previous posts (including Hedorahs) you'd realize that I was referring to the log
which I never ended up moving anyway
 

CrypticRealism

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
46
Haha..
Infact, I did just that..though I didn't find any pictures!
Thanks!
Without trying to be nasty, you might want to look up some of the many many threads on moulting here. There are plenty of good descriptions of moults about, including some fantastic photos.

All that you describe seems normal. So is your concern: more people need to have as much care for their pets.

The carapace comes off first, yes, but the rest of the details of the moult are as individual as the Tarantula. They can do some pretty crazy things, putting people through some emotional roller-coaster rides. Squeezing into little gaps... webbing themselves into holes so no-one knows what's happening. All is normal.
 
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