Tliltocatl albopilosum molting question…

[NaruflowPierrot]

Can tarantulas “voluntarily” stop a molt if it isn’t working out well? Because I SWEAR that Zeke, my Curly Hair did that today. I woke up at 5am and checked on the spiders as I always do… Zeke (who has been going bald on the abdomen and a sign of impending molt) was on his back near the water bowl and clearly going through the whole molting process so I left him be while I went off to work… Zeke even made the molt mat and everything. I get home from work expecting to see a new Zeke.

Nope.

Same Zeke and absolutely just chilling like nothing happened.

Has anyone ever experienced something like this before?

 

[Jess S]

I think that sometimes they practice in the run up to the moult , as lots of people have reported seeing their spiders on their backs without a moult occurring that day.

It is also possible for keepers to mistake a mature male tarantula, who is on his back loading up his palps, for a moulting or even dying tarantula. Especially if they don’t realise they have a mature male. However the sperm web they make looks different from a moult mat.

 

[NaruflowPierrot]

I think that sometimes they practice in the run up to the moult , as lots of people have reported seeing their spiders on their backs without a moult occurring that day.

It is also possible for keepers to mistake a mature male tarantula, who is on his back loading up his palps, for a moulting or even dying tarantula. Especially if they don’t realise they have a mature male. However the sperm web they make looks different from a moult mat.

Hm. Interesting! What does a sperm web look like?

I think that sometimes they practice in the run up to the moult , as lots of people have reported seeing their spiders on their backs without a moult occurring that day.

It is also possible for keepers to mistake a mature male tarantula, who is on his back loading up his palps, for a moulting or even dying tarantula. Especially if they don’t realise they have a mature male. However the sperm web they make looks different from a moult mat.

I actually just looked it up on YouTube and it does seem that I have a mature male and what I thought was a molt mat was indeed a sperm web.

Which kind of saddens me because that probably means Zeke doesn’t have much longer to live, I take it?

 

[Jess S]

None of my T albo’s have matured, in fact I haven’t even got around to moult sexing them even though they are getting a good size. So I’m not sure how long you’ll have him, but I’m confident he will keep going for a good while yet. Probably 18 month + is not unreasonable to assume. I’ve heard of keepers claiming to having theirs well over 2+ years. A bit of research on here will give you an idea, going off how long other keeper’s T albop’s have lived.

 

[cold blood]

fwiw, a balding abdomen is not a sign of impending molt, its just a sign that the t has flicked hairs.

 

[NaruflowPierrot]

fwiw, a balding abdomen is not a sign of impending molt, its just a sign that the t has flicked hairs.

oh. Hm. Ok. I’ve just always read that is the case, especially if their normal state isn’t kicking hairs, which Zeke never does. The last time Zeke molted the same thing happened. Zeke hasn’t ever kicked hairs except just before a molt occurs.

 

[Jess S]

If you want to, why not post a photo on here with a clear shot of the pedipalps, to have confirmation from members whether, or not, Zeke is a MM

 

[NaruflowPierrot]

If you want to, why not post a photo on here with a clear shot of the pedipalps, to have confirmation from members whether, or not, Zeke is a MM

Actually not possible at the moment but I can tell you this… while Zeke was upside down, I did notice liquid coming out of the pedipalps. Not to mention the shape of the sperm web is that of basically a teepee with two holes.

 

[viper69]

Has anyone ever experienced something like this before?

yes!

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Can tarantulas “voluntarily” stop a molt if it isn’t working out well? Because I SWEAR that Zeke, my Curly Hair did that today. I woke up at 5am and checked on the spiders as I always do… Zeke (who has been going bald on the abdomen and a sign of impending molt) was on his back near the water bowl and clearly going through the whole molting process so I left him be while I went off to work… Zeke even made the molt mat and everything. I get home from work expecting to see a new Zeke.

Nope.

Same Zeke and absolutely just chilling like nothing happened.

Has anyone ever experienced something like this before?

I'll answer your original question of a tarantula stopping a molt. The answer is a yes and no.

I have a MM Aphonopelma chalcodes that matured April 2020 and is still going.

So before he matured, he would come out of his burrow and sit sideways. I believe he was determining whether to molt or not. So yes a T can begin the process but stop.

On the other hand if a tarantula begins the popping of the carapace then no it cannot stop the process or it would suffer dire consequences.