tarantula emergency!!!

blah148

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
3
Okay so my Rosie is 'molting' in a very weird way on her stomach - or at least I'm not familiar with the way she's molting. Old age maybe?

Anyways, I don't know what it is or what I should do...

Suggestions/information would be much appreciated!

Here are the links to the photos:

http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums...irdlives148/?action=view&current=212b4e4c.jpg

http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums...irdlives148/?action=view&current=bb2b07d9.jpg

http://s1235.photobucket.com/albums...irdlives148/?action=view&current=3d6d9f9a.jpg
 

captmarga

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
339
The only thing to do is to let the T molt. They molt on their sides sometimes. It looks awfully leggy. Have you molt-sexed this as a "she". It might be a "he".

Marga
 

blah148

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
3
Yea she's a female, she just hasn't chosen to eat lately+her legs are sprawled out making her look a little more 'masculine'.

So then I'll leave her on her stomach?
 

Chris_Skeleton

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
1,309
Yea she's a female, she just hasn't chosen to eat lately+her legs are sprawled out making her look a little more 'masculine'.

So then I'll leave her on her stomach?
Leave it alone. You might do some harm if you were to flip it over yourself. Not worth the risk.
 

PitViper

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Messages
201
yeah, leave her alone, my first Rosea molted right side up too
 

shanebp

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
353
Leave it alone.

Oh and when shes done molting and hardened up, get rid of the wood chips!!
Use peat moss or coco fiber.
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
Ts do molt right side up on occasion, so it is not a worrisome occurrence by itself. If your T is molting in a position that is not the normal flipped on the back, don't try to make it molt on its back. It didn't want to do it that way, so let the tarantula take care of the tarantula and you trust its instincts, instead of your own. ;)

Here is a thread on it, if you would like to see pictures of another T doing the same thing.


Edited to add: I would definitely get those wood chips out of there once the T has harden fully(which could be a couple of weeks) and then fill the tank with either peat moss, coco fiber, potting soil(no fertilizers), or a mix of any of those.
 

jbm150

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
1,650
While you're throwing the wood chips out, if those are water crystals in her water dish, pitch those as well. They're good for crickets but pretty much useless for Ts. Just use water in her dish.

She's a pretty T, I hope the molt went ok despite being upright :)
 
Top