Theraphosa stirmi; molting while laying an eggsack

[Fran]

3 of my 5 gravid females molted out on me in the last second, all of them within the last 6 weeks. OK, this happens, specially because they weren mated right after a molt.

BUT, this one seems like she just wanted to laugh at me, while at it.

Mated late Jan-beggining of February. Several insterts, several pairings...She has gotten really fat...Till a week ago started webbing and digging around her burrow.

I thought well, finally one does it for me...NO.

This morning right before leaving home, I checked on her and there she is,with the THICK "bowl" webbed up, in position, ready to lay. The furrow was wide open...You know, clear signs of laying the eggs.

I come back at around 1, and she has MOLTED ON ME.

I have never seen something like it.

 

[gmrpnk21]

Lmao! Could you hear her laughing when you got home? I would think it would be somewhat dangerous for her to lay a sack after a molt?

 

[ZergFront]

Wow, that is very weird! Leaves so many questions, too. Like how on earth did she absorb all those large eggs right before she molted or did she perhaps lay them then eat them before molting? Which leaves another question of how she could eat when she was about to molt?

This spider is smart or evil. :wall:

 

[Anastasia]

Hmmm, Fran,
are you sure there was a bowl and it wore for eggs?
possibly she just geared up for molt

couple years ago, I paired up a Pamphobeteus female aprox 6"+ she molted 4 weeks after and she wore dew for molt
then 4 weeks later I paired her up again, this time male was really jumpy and run female over like a rhino after mating with her, leaving her with small injury
one leg bled couple drops
well, exactly 60 days later she webbed up and molted!
6,5" adult female, so there you go

 

[Philth]

Did it kick off alot of hair like many Theraphosa do before a molt? pics?

Later, Tom

 

[JC]

Hello Fran,

Sorry to hear about your evil females. Just letting you know if you ever feel like taking one of them and throwing them across the state(Hulk-smash style), please put her in a box first with my address on it.

 

[Fran]

hey

It was really weird, I know. (Ana, I really know the differences between a molt matt and what a "bowl" webb ...But obviously she decided to molt right after that )

I didnt take any pictures because I was late for a docs appointment, came home and saw her fully molted.

It was the behavior for an eggsack, the shape, the webb, the thickness...And when I got back she had bunched up the webb at the end of the burrow and she was molted.

I have never seen something like it. The thing is...About absorving the eggs...Let me tell you, she looks pretty much as fat as she did before, and I dont see anything laid anywhere.

---------- Post added at 11:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 PM ----------

Did it kick off alot of hair like many Theraphosa do before a molt? pics?

Later, Tom

No hair was kicked at all, it really looked like a simple, plain and typical bowl webb.

 

[Anastasia]

hey

It was really weird, I know. (Ana, I really know the differences between a molt matt and what a "bowl" webb ...But obviously she decided to molt right after that )

Ok, ok Mr.hulk
you still end up with 'ol skin in that bowl instead of eggs
it would be interesting to see pictures tho,
Just saying .....

 

[Fran]

Ok, ok Mr.hulk
you still end up with 'ol skin in that bowl instead of eggs
it would be interesting to see pictures tho,
Just saying .....

I took of the molt already,(9.75" ) I mean if I take a pic now you will just see a freshly molted T in the entrance of the burrow .

It was really strange...Bah! Im already mating the freshly molted ones, so no worries, I WILL get babies, thats for sure Besides, I have another one yet to molt on me...

 

[Big_nito]

Fran is that an isolated T. Stirmi thing or in huge full grown Ts? Two months ago, I had an experience with my B. Albo... She was huge and in no way sched for molt coz I mated her 1 week after her molt. She doubled in size after 3 weeks and after 2 months, lay down a thick bowl shaped web. After a few hours, when I checked her, she molted beside the thick webbing... I thought it was caused by over feeding her.... :?

 

[Fran]

Is not uncommon to see this happening. If you dont mate them right after a molt..They can just push a molt

 

[syndicate]

Did it kick off alot of hair like many Theraphosa do before a molt? pics?

Later, Tom

Man I'm itching just looking at that haha!
-Chris

 

[JC]

Man I'm itching just looking at that haha!
-Chris

Yeah, but that has to be one of the coolest things in the tarantula hobby.

"If you are going to eat me while I am molting, then have a mouthful". ;P