spiderling not molting

[Valtinho]

I have a tiny tiny 1/4" texas tan spiderling that absolutely does not want to molt. She eats only occasionally (once a month) and looks healthy, but has not molted once every since I got her, over 4 months ago!

Every other spiderling I've ever had molts once every couple of weeks, but this is my first texas tan and I've heard they have unusually long life spans.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? If you have a tiny texas tan spiderling, how often do they molt?

 

[Cigarman]

Heck my Chaco took its sweet ass time molting as well as my PZB baby. Both were about 4 months since I got them to their first molt. Of course, my room was below 75F since its winter here but they managed. Once they turn dark in the abdomen, its going to happen sooner or later. Patience I guess.

 

[usumbaraboy]

well i think iv heard of this species and they are worse then the bracky family if its the kind im thinking of but yeah im preaty sure they live almost like a mamal and mature very slowly. but if its not the one im thinking of then im wrong. but some ts just want to take a while to molt or just dont feel like it or wait for a better time to molt

 

[blckwidow75]

I have a tiny tiny 1/4" texas tan spiderling that absolutely does not want to molt. She eats only occasionally (once a month) and looks healthy, but has not molted once every since I got her, over 4 months ago!

Every other spiderling I've ever had molts once every couple of weeks, but this is my first texas tan and I've heard they have unusually long life spans.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? If you have a tiny texas tan spiderling, how often do they molt?

Oh geez, are you serious? I just got one the same size. I heard they were slow growers too but 4 months without a molt is ridiculous!

 

[Pandora®©™]

What does that mean they turn dark or black on their abdomen right before they molt, how can you tell with the hair on them? The first time and only time since I've had my Costa Rican Zebra she turned black on her abdomen but I could see it then because the guy that gave her to me was mean to her and had made her kick all her hairs off so her abdomen was bald, now she has all her hair back how will I know if it's changing color? And the Chilean rose has all her hair too, so how will I know if it's changing color?

 

[becca81]

What does that mean they turn dark or black on their abdomen right before they molt, how can you tell with the hair on them? The first time and only time since I've had my Costa Rican Zebra she turned black on her abdomen but I could see it then because the guy that gave her to me was mean to her and had made her kick all her hairs off so her abdomen was bald, now she has all her hair back how will I know if it's changing color? And the Chilean rose has all her hair too, so how will I know if it's changing color?

Whoa. Her abdomen WAS bald, and now it has all its hair back? Once the hairs are kicked off, they don't "re-grow," except for molting. The new hairs form with the new skin underneath the old skin. Once your T sheds, then it will have an abdomen of full of hairs (well, your Costa Rican Zebra will).

 

[Cory Loomis]

My Aphonopelma chalcodes sling ate a few times and then went underground for three months before emerging freshly moulted and hungry. My tiny A. bicoloratum refused food and took forever (two months) to moult. I have a sub-adult A. hentzi that spent two months buried, was disturbed to be re-housed, and now just hangs on the side of her enclosure like an arboreal. These Aphonopelmas are temperate climate spiders that are biologically programmed for the feast-then-famine routine of our arid Southwest. As long as the spider's abdomen is full rather than shrivelled, don't worry. The critter will try to do what it should to survive.

 

[rosehaired1979]

I am having the same problem w/my 1.5" B.klassi its not eaten in months and I thought she was going to molt but still hasn't yet I am just waiting on something.

 

[Pandora®©™]

"Whoa. Her abdomen WAS bald, and now it has all its hair back? Once the hairs are kicked off, they don't "re-grow," except for molting. The new hairs form with the new skin underneath the old skin. Once your T sheds, then it will have an abdomen of full of hairs (well, your Costa Rican Zebra will).
__________________
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who don't hear the music."

-Anonymous "


No it was that way when she was given to me, she has since molted and now has all her hair back...

 

[Lochala]

Most American Aphonopelma take an exceedingly long time to mature; I know of some specimens that are a few years old and are only maybe 2" long.

 

[NYbirdEater]

I have a tiny tiny 1/4" texas tan spiderling that absolutely does not want to molt. She eats only occasionally (once a month) and looks healthy, but has not molted once every since I got her, over 4 months ago!

Every other spiderling I've ever had molts once every couple of weeks, but this is my first texas tan and I've heard they have unusually long life spans.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? If you have a tiny texas tan spiderling, how often do they molt?

If I remember correctly the texas tans grow slowly. Plus all T's are different. Some molt every few weeks and some take their sweet time. plus when they grow they molt even slower. My rosehairs only molt once every 1-2 years. Just be patient. Molting is something T's can't control so whenever it's body is ready it will molt. frustrating sometimes but you can't force it.

 

[Valtinho]

Picture of my texas tan

She looks ok, but she isn't showing any signs of pre-molting either. I once had an avic avic spiderling that never wanted to molt, and eventually she died. I then discovered that she had no fangs! So she starved to death.

I hope this is not the case with this one!

 

[becca81]

No it was that way when she was given to me, she has since molted and now has all her hair back...

Ah, okay.

She'll probably kick some more hairs off before she molts again, and then you'll be able to tell.

There are also other signs of pre-molt that you can look for.

 

[Valtinho]

End of the story

Since my original post on 01-01-2005, 11:49 PM, this is how the story turned out for my little Texas Tan:

purchased 8/1/04 - 1/4in

molt 1/21/05
molt 3/24/05
molt 5/19/05
molt 9/10/05
molt 4/20/06 - just under 1/2in

5 molts is pretty good! But she is only a tiny bit larger now. She is growing at the rate of approximately 1/4 inch every 2 years.

Damn they grow slowly!

 

[Mina]

I have one as well and mine is about 2 inches now and is approaching adult colors. She eats like a horse, and moults every 5 to 6 weeks. She is also a very fast mover and very spazy. She eats 1 large cricket a week now, and is growing fast.

 

[Vys]

Aphonopelma metabolism appears quite..glacial

What I will tell you next doesn't belong in the company of smilies however:
I got an adult female A. bicoloratum 3 years ago rather exactly. It didn't look starved at all. Since that time, it has not molted, not eaten, and the abdomen hasn't shrunk noticably. (Well, it hadn't 4 months ago anyway..at the moment it is under the temporary care of someone else, who reports that it is acting funny. Considering it didn't even react at all to a bumblebee (my last rather desperate resort to get it to eat) then, I suppose it is now dying.

Dead slings sucks, but buying adults of uncertain age doesn't strike me as the most fantastic decision either; even if they happen to be Aphonopelma.