The Influence of Barometric Pressure

[Matt Man]

This week we will have some nice storms, atmospheric pressure range from 1008 to 1020, temps ranging from 31°C max to 18°C low and a RH ranging from 70s to 90s.

The only thing I'll do it's to add more moisture than usual. I've been outside from almost a month and the substrate it's drier than usual. So I'd use the stormy conditions to increase the moisture level. Both Ts acting normally, both took a big hissing roach each yesterday. Pulcha on her burrow like she uses to with big storms and the geniculata outside as always, she didn't climb the log for now.

Let's see something happens!!

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for burrowing animals where a heavy rainstorm could mean flooding and death, this behavior seems to make sense on an evolutionary / biological notion. Molting during such period seems like it would be laden with risk

and FTR, we are still running high pressure and molts keep a happening, both in my personal collection and the show Ts

 

[Dorifto]

for burrowing animals where a heavy rainstorm could mean flooding and death, this behavior seems to make sense on an evolutionary / biological notion. Molting during such period seems like it would be laden with risk

Both usually molted after the storms, more less after a week or two the storm disipates. After adding the moisture, I use to let the substrate dry slowly, never tried to keep it completely soaked.

The geniculata climbs (the log or the background) almost everytime there is a storm or a sudden change in the weather. The pulchra usually closes her burrow, maybe because I keep her a bit drier, I don't know. If it's too moist first she closes it, but if the moistute starts to build down low, she uses to open it and looks for drier spots. Few times saw her chilling on the log (avatar picture xD)

 

[Dorifto]

Don't know if it's just placebo or the geniculata actualy is going to molt soon.

This week she refused several feeders, two of them literally walked on her, and was quite slow/lethargic.

Yesterday noticed that her abdomen was fading quite quickly and showing some stretch marks, exposing what it looked like a darker abdomen beneath.



Today in the last hours, she laid what it looks like a molting mat and refused the last prey I'll be offering for a while, just for precaution.



Today:
House temps ranging from 27 to 21 C, outside 27-21, enclosure 24°C burrow 28 enclosure. Humidity ranging from 60s to 92 house and outside, enclosure can't read, she webbed the sensor... I'm not going to disturb her. But it was measuring almost the same. Fan speed cranked a bit just for precaution.

Atmospheric pressure 1010 to 1018 measured though the local station (airport 2 miles away) and using my casio rangeman (very accurate) both measure same pressure or within 1mbar.







Tried to keep the house fully opened to expose it to the outside conditions as much as possible.

 

[Matt Man]

keep us posted. Still running high pressure out here (So Cal) and had 3 A moderatum and an Avic Molt this weekend. Getting warmer, higher pressure all this week, so I will keep an eye on things.
Best of luck on the molt, I am aware of your weather @ present, luckily the Vuelta is further South.

 

[Dorifto]

keep us posted. Still running high pressure out here (So Cal) and had 3 A moderatum and an Avic Molt this weekend. Getting warmer, higher pressure all this week, so I will keep an eye on things.
Best of luck on the molt, I am aware of your weather @ present, luckily the Vuelta is further South.

They crossed last week in front of my house, they left a nice traffic chaos the had luck, few days back and they would have had a severe rainstorm, 230 liters per square meters...

 

[Matt Man]

They crossed last week in front of my house,

color me Verde

 

[Dorifto]

color me Verde

What? My mind just exploded trying to decipher

You basically say, Green me color

 

[Matt Man]

Color me Green in English means "I am so jealous of you" I just tossed the Verde in well, because you're in Spain

 

[Dorifto]

Color me Green in English means "I am so jealous of you" I just tossed the Verde in well, because you're in Spain

Lol!!! Nice to know, another addition to my dictionary

In spanish color/colour it's color, me meanw to me, so it didn't make any sense in spanish

 

[Dorifto]

I catch the geniculata laying some hairs in the mat repeatedly, so it looks it's going to molt soon.

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Pulchra in the other hand it's in her burrow, not showing any significative changes. She didn't leave her burrow, that's the only significative thing.



I can't keep an eye closely today, I have a family meeting and my washing machine decided to die...



Will post todays climatic parameters later.


PS: please ignore my crocks, at least I'm with pants

 

[Dorifto]

Well, definitely molting!!



Now let's see the pulchra. I'm a bit hesitant that it will molt, but lets see.

I'd love to have a greater collection to have more samples to compare, but having molted several years in a row with almost the same conditions, for me it's clear that something within these conditions triggers them to molt. Don't know wich one exactly it is, but always did the same things or at least tried to. Imho I'm more towards temp and moistute change, but I'm not closed if atmospheric pressure changes or even air ionization from storms could trigger a molt.

Conditions: