Question on pink toe

[Toni1968]

I have a pink toe which was all the info I got from pet shop. The weird thing is that she seems to be changing colors on her abdomen and her carapace. She is sub-adult and has not molted for me yet. Is this normal? She is getting reddish hairs on the abdomen and blueish gray on her carapace where she had been black.

 

[KezyGLA]

Do you have photos of the spider in question (preferably showing the differences) and a photo of the enclosure?

 

[miss moxie]

Verbal descriptions are practically useless here. Pictures are a must, please and thank you.

 

[Toni1968]

I am waiting for my phone to be repaired. However, I do have a pic of her which kind of show the change in abdomen. I do not have a pic of her enclosure in full. It is tall and has cross ventilition along with vines, cork. I apologize, it's not the best pic but is all I have at the moment. It appears that she has a black spot on her abdomen, but in reality the hair is coming in reddish except for that spot. wood for climbing etc.

 

[miss moxie]

Sorry but that isn't a very good picture. It's plausible that she'd molted recently when you got her. Colors are pretty vibrant on a freshly molted tarantula and they fade gradually.

For example here is a G. porteri before a molt:

And here is the same G. porteri directly after a molt:

 

[Nightstalker47]

I am waiting for my phone to be repaired. However, I do have a pic of her which kind of show the change in abdomen. I do not have a pic of her enclosure in full. It is tall and has cross ventilition along with vines, cork. I apologize, it's not the best pic but is all I have at the moment. It appears that she has a black spot on her abdomen, but in reality the hair is coming in reddish except for that spot. View attachment 249122 wood for climbing etc.

What your describing sounds like pre molt signs. I don't see why else her appearance would change...

If she has a bald spot on her abdomen you will be able to see the exoskeleton. It will turn to a shiny black when the molt is imminent. Get some clearer pictures for a better answer, but it does sound like pre molt.

 

[Ungoliant]

It appears that she has a black spot on her abdomen

That black spot is just her patch of urticating hairs. (Under the right lighting, they often look different from the other hairs, because they have a different texture.)

in reality the hair is coming in reddish except for that spot.

My female Avicularia sp. "pet store" (presumably Avicularia avicularia) looks just like yours.

Avicularia avicularia (Skyler)

• Ungoliant
• Jan 1, 2017
• avicularia avicularia avicularia female juvenile female pinktoe tarantula skyler

Avicularia avicularia: sub-adult female

Coloring seems to be a little variable in this species. (I had a mature female that was black without the same hints of green and red.)

Avicularia avicularia (Twinkle Toes)

• Ungoliant
• Mar 19, 2017
• 4
• avicularia avicularia avicularia female mature female pinktoe tarantula twinkle toes

Mature female

 

[darkness975]

I have a pink toe which was all the info I got from pet shop. The weird thing is that she seems to be changing colors on her abdomen and her carapace. She is sub-adult and has not molted for me yet. Is this normal? She is getting reddish hairs on the abdomen and blueish gray on her carapace where she had been black.

Their coloration varies depending on lighting and how close they are to a molt.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

The black in the middle is a remnant from the striping they have at earlier stages of growth.

Subadult male A. sp. "pet shop" (possibly A. avicularia), it doesn't show too well here but there was some green in the carapace



Female A. variegata

View media item 42053View media item 42054