smithi molted

VryfastRR

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
19
My smithi molted today. The coolest thing i have ever seen (first time). Came out very black, very bright. Im gonna try and see if i can get a measurement and some pics later.:D
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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May 20, 2009
Messages
249
Cool! Did you actually see it molt? My smithi molted in the privacy of his hide and I didn't find out until the next day when he "brought out the trash"
hahah - that was a month ago and he's now behaving the way he did during his previous pre-molt - maybe he'll molt again, although that would mean one month between molts - sounds a little too soon, but what do I know - whatever, I would just love to see it happen!
 

mickey66

Arachnoknight
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Jul 27, 2009
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207
molt

My B.Smithi is upside down in the hide place as I write this....He/she is about 1 inch in size and this is my first molt or do they die upside down? This is all so new for me.:?
 

mandipants

Arachnoknight
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Jul 18, 2009
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182
Totally ROCKSTAR! I love the pics. My smithi just moulted recently too. I wish I could have gotten some mid-moult pics since mine moulted right-side-up instead up upside down.:D
 

mandipants

Arachnoknight
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Jul 18, 2009
Messages
182
My B.Smithi is upside down in the hide place as I write this....He/she is about 1 inch in size and this is my first molt or do they die upside down? This is all so new for me.:?
They don't die upside down. Just moult. When they die their legs tuck underneath them in what's know as the "death curl"
 

mickey66

Arachnoknight
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Jul 27, 2009
Messages
207
They don't die upside down. Just moult. When they die their legs tuck underneath them in what's know as the "death curl"
Thanks for the reply....this is what I thought but, i'm kinda freaked out with this....she/he looks dead:eek: B.Smithi has been this way for about 7 hours now....I have only had this spider for three days now soooo this is alot for a Noob to deal with....LOL!:D Edit: My B.Smithi just finished the moult....8 hrs.
 
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ArachnoAddic808

Arachnosquire
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Jul 25, 2009
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64
Thanks for the reply....this is what I thought but, i'm kinda freaked out with this....she/he looks dead:eek: B.Smithi has been this way for about 7 hours now....I have only had this spider for three days now soooo this is alot for a Noob to deal with....LOL!:D Edit: My B.Smithi just finished the moult....8 hrs.
Congrats man!! You got a fresh molted T. Brachypelma smithi is my next T. I gotta get one of these
 

killy

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
249
Cool! Did you actually see it molt? My smithi molted in the privacy of his hide and I didn't find out until the next day when he "brought out the trash"
hahah - that was a month ago and he's now behaving the way he did during his previous pre-molt - maybe he'll molt again, although that would mean one month between molts - sounds a little too soon, but what do I know - whatever, I would just love to see it happen!
I'm quoting myself here because my B smithi did indeed molt - I'm assuming yesterday - to confirm this (and to rule out the possibility that he was laying in there dead), I first had to remove the lid from his KK, then, because he has the terra cotta hide barricaded halfway up with subtrate and webbing, I had to hold the KK up so that sunlight could illuminate the interior of his hide, then look in at an absurdly oblique angle - and voila, there he sat, all bunched up like a dust bunny, alongside the crumpled remnant of his prior self (which, if history repeats itself, he'll leave outside his hide tomorrow for me to deal with ...)

I know I should have just let nature take its course, and I feel a little silly after all, but I've only been doing this a couple of months and I haven't yet gained enough confidence to just let go and take things for granted. And still I ask the question, is one molt per month normal? He's just a sling/juvenile ... :confused:

By the way, that bird's-eye-view shot of yours is just about the most beautiful photo of a B smithi I've ever seen! It gives me great hope for the future!
 

Ariel

Arachnoprince
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Aug 2, 2009
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My B. smithi molted about a month ago, it was her first time since I got her, I was all hyped up, unfortunately I missed it since I had to go to work. Congrats on the molt! B. Smithi's really are beautiful and they're incredibly stunning when they first come out of their molt.
 

Ariel

Arachnoprince
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Aug 2, 2009
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probably not for awhile, she's already a pretty good size 5" or so. It sounds like yours is still pretty young, which would explain why it's molting every month, or so.
 

mickey66

Arachnoknight
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Jul 27, 2009
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Molt

When they(B.Smithi)are 1 inch in size how often do they molt or about how old are they?:?
 

BlackCat

Arachnoknight
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Jul 29, 2009
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When they(B.Smithi)are 1 inch in size how often do they molt or about how old are they?:?
I would say to probably expect a molt about every 2-4 months give or take depending on how often it eats. The age is pretty unpredictable AFAIK though, it depends on a lot of things such as, again, how often they are fed and living conditions. The only sure way to know how old a T is, is to be there when it come out of the egg sack basically.
 

killy

Arachnoknight
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May 20, 2009
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When they(B.Smithi)are 1 inch in size how often do they molt or about how old are they?:?
When I got Houdini he was a 3/4"-er ...got him from Ken the Bug Guy, who told me he was about a year old ... he molted a month later - and he's molted again, another month later than that - so he's averaging 1 molt per month, and he's easily an inch and a half now (it's amazing to me how much this guy expands as soon as he's out of his old skin!) - the markings that give the smithi its layman's name (Red Knee) are starting to come through in fairly vivid contrast - so get ready for some molting action from your smithi any ole day now!:D

p.s I checked my log and here's the chronology - I received Houdini on May 28 - he molted on June 28 - he molted again last weekend, on or about August 2.
 
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mickey66

Arachnoknight
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Jul 27, 2009
Messages
207
molt

Mine is already showing a black spot the rump soooo I think by the end of this month he/she will molt again...once a month for awhile I think.
 

Annie3Ponies

Arachnoknight
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Dec 13, 2006
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200
Oh, I WANT one!. I ordered one a couple years ago, and once it molted into color, it turned out to be a boehmii. Its very pretty, but I still want a smithii.
 
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