Newly received juvenile x intermedia tarantula worry

Derelict

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2025
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4
Hello,

I just received this juvenile x intermedia and she has been sitting in this spot for a good 12 hours now.
I'm used to new Ts sitting in a spot for a while getting through their stress but this one concerns me a bit.
As you can see in the picture she arrived with an enormous bald spot (atleast 40% of her abdomen) which leads me to think she was sent in premoult?
She also had some webbing in the little box she came in which is a first for me, so I think maybe she was preparing to moult?
Im fairly new to the hobby so these are just my thoughts and would like to hear what some of you more advanced keepers think, or if I can help her in any way possible.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Forgot to mention what worries me most is shes actually touching the water this entire time, the enclosure also has 1/3 of the soil on the side of the waterdish moist with some wet moss and the other side is drier with lower levels of the sub being a little moist.
 

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Ratmosphere

Arachnoking
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Normal behavior, give her some time to settle in. If her position bothers you, lightly guide her off the water dish with a paintbrush.

She is pretty fat and dark, so pre-molt is a possibility. If you get the chance to, ask the seller if they know when the tarantula last molted.
 

Derelict

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2025
Messages
4
Normal behavior, give her some time to settle in. If her position bothers you, lightly guide her off the water dish with a paintbrush.

She is pretty fat and dark, so pre-molt is a possibility. If you get the chance to, ask the seller if they know when the tarantula last molted.
Hi

Thanks for your quick and reassuring reply, do you think it would be "worth" to move her off of it? Or would it be potentially be doing more harm than good?
 

cold blood

Moderator
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A balding abdomen doesn't mean anything other than it has flicked hairs.....it's the skin you want to look at....and looking at the skin, the t is in late pre-molt.....just be patient.
 

Derelict

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 10, 2025
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A balding abdomen doesn't mean anything other than it has flicked hairs.....it's the skin you want to look at....and looking at the skin, the is in late pre-molt.....just be patient.
Thanks for clearing that up, had heard before tarantulas start to gain bald spots near premoult but like I said I am new.
 

ladyratri

Arachnopen-minded
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Thanks for clearing that up, had heard before tarantulas start to gain bald spots near premoult but like I said I am new.
They can gain bald spots at any point in their molt cycle if they flick a lot of hairs, but the skin underneath will be lighter tan. When they actually get near a molt, the skin showing through in the bald spots will turn dark/black and the abdomen will start to look shiny.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoprince
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1,152
I have to say my X. intermedia is now well over 5 inches could be 6. It predominantly stays in it's burrow. Very rarely does it ever come out. When it does it's usually at night and I catch it when I turn the lights on.

Mine stayed out most of the time when I received it as a 1 inch sling. As it got bigger only was it then that it remained in it's burrow. Kind of reverse what I'm used to with NW terrestrials.

It's also extremely fast for a terrestrial given how it's built with finely tapered legs like a wolf spider. I've seen it's speed in the past and it was impressive.
 

Derelict

Arachnopeon
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Mar 10, 2025
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Thanks everyone for the replies! I woke up this morning and it has since retreated into its burrow and started webbing up the entrance.
 
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