Spotted booodie

[BrazenHussy87]

Ok so Blanche, my Nhandu Chromatus, is showing signs of going being in premolt. At least to the best of my knowledge as she’s my first t and have avidly been back reading anything I could on her breed and species but the black spot on her booty has become spotty and weird, which I assume is the new body forming from what I’ve read here and other places. She plays with her food the last three weeks but doesn’t eat it and I can’t get the cricket out of her hide because I don’t want to stress her out and her freak out on me but she has started webbing her hide more but it’s not like a full on silk mat. It’s almost like she’s teasing me with anticipation for her molt. Anywho are other juvie Nhandu parents familiar with the black spot starting to get spotty like bad hair plugs until the molt happens?

The pictures in that post were taken yesterday. The pictures in this post are from November 15.

 

[viper69]

Yes

 

[NMTs]

The dark spot on the abdomen is the patch of UrS, and patchiness that you're seeing is the result of your T losing it's urticating setae, which is a common trick they do when settling in and before molting - they'll kick off these irritating hairs and leave them in their webbing and around the enclosure as a passive means of defense for any would-be predators.

Your T is plump, and will probably molt sooner rather than later, but it's abdomen isn't dark like it will be when a molt is in the very near future. When that's the case, the entire abdomen will be darker (almost black) and it'll look like the darkness is showing through the exoskeleton. A good way to judge this is by watching the area around the spinnerettes - once that's gone very dark, your T will likely be molting within the next few days to weeks.

 

[BrazenHussy87]

This response. Thank you. Now how do I get the damn cricket out of cup without pissing her off lol I don’t have the foot long feeding tongs just a 6 inch plastic feeding tong and that sucker is at the back of her cup

Went to check on Blanche and looked up at my crickets to see this and got a good laugh from it

 

[NMTs]

This response. Thank you. Now how the eff do I get the damn cricket the eff out of cup without pissing her off lol I don’t have the foot long feeding tongs just a 6 inch plastic feeding tong and that sucker is at the back of her cup

Assuming the cricket is dead already, you don't need to worry about it. Your T will clean it out of there once it decides dead crickets don't belong - which could be today or next week, you'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Andrea82]

Based on the pictures you posted in your first message, yes, she's going to moult soon. Within a few days at the most, I'd say. Her abdomen is very dark and has started to shine.

I would get that cricket out of there regardless if it would upset her because having a cricket in with a newly moulted spider ie. defenseless and soft bodied to munch on is far from ideal.