Why is she fasting?

parsephoni

Arachnopeon
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Feb 18, 2007
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Hi, all!
The last time my Chilean rose, Victorian, ate was on 3/7. For the last two weeks, I've been offering her crickets and she hasn't the slightest interest in them. (In fact, it appears she's befriended them 0.o) She's also become very irritable and has taken to turning around and facing me in a defensive fashion when I reach in her terrarium to pet her, when she's usually such a sweet heart about being handled! I'm very new to the wonderful world of spiders, and I'm not sure what to make of these signs. Is she getting ready to molt?
Any insight is appreciated it!
 

parsephoni

Arachnopeon
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*phew* That's a reliefe! How long does this premolt behavior usually last until she molts?
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Two weeks of no food is nothing, I have had Ts go well over a year without touching anything. Sometimes they are just like that.
The defensive stuff you are talking about can be an indication of an upcoming molt. It does not always mean that. With G Roseas they tend to have a color fade as well. They get dull looking when a molt is coming up.
Hope this helps some.
 

parsephoni

Arachnopeon
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Yeah, that does help. Thank you!
I just hope her irritable behavior doesn't last much longer =/
 

Talkenlate04

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It catches me off guard every now and then. I have a few really calm Ts, and when molts come around sometimes their meaness can really be suprising. It does pass though. I call it the possessed mood.
 

ratz00

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My G. rosea has been doing the same thing the past few days. I agree with the pre-moult explanation. When the new skin forms under the old skin, a T's vision ( already bad enough as it is,), gets evenmore cloudy. The setae on the legs are still as sensitive, but not as much. So all movement around the cage gaining proximity to the T, must be treated as prey or predator. just my .02...:)
 

parsephoni

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Thanks :D
I'm glad to hear that she's probably getting ready to molt, and she didn't just wake up one night and think, "Hm, you know, I kind of hate you?" It's not like she's even threatened to bite to kick hairs at me, but she's just not her typical sweet, easy-going self, and spins around to face my hand when I pet her rump like I always do or crawls on top of her coconut when she sees I'm trying to remove it for whatever reason so that I can't remove it unless I take her with it. That's just not like her at all. I hope she molts soon =/
Funny that no matter how many times the crickets brushed against her or bothered her in their oblivious cricket-like way, she never tried to attack them 0.o
 

Drachenjager

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Thanks :D
I'm glad to hear that she's probably getting ready to molt, and she didn't just wake up one night and think, "Hm, you know, I kind of hate you?" It's not like she's even threatened to bite to kick hairs at me, but she's just not her typical sweet, easy-going self, and spins around to face my hand when I pet her rump like I always do or crawls on top of her coconut when she sees I'm trying to remove it for whatever reason so that I can't remove it unless I take her with it. That's just not like her at all. I hope she molts soon =/
Funny that no matter how many times the crickets brushed against her or bothered her in their oblivious cricket-like way, she never tried to attack them 0.o
well she never woke up one morning and thought anything lol
at least not what we would consider thinking. I love my spiders but thinking is not a part of thier make up.
g. rosea is also known for being physco lol you have some that are very very docile and others that are a holy terror. But i can see an upcoming molt being irritating for them as they are cramped into a skin thats 2 small lol
of course a G. rosea probably wont grow much after a molt lol
 

edesign

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*phew* That's a reliefe! How long does this premolt behavior usually last until she molts?
depends on the size of the spider as well as the species...the smaller they are generally the more frequent the molts. As they got older/bigger the molt frequency is reduced.

Example:
I have a Homeomma species that has a roughly 2 1/4" leg span...it hasn't molted in around 9 months. My GBB and Lasiodora parahybana at that size molted after about 2.5 months. My Aphonopelma seemani was around 4.5" when I bought her...she molted a few months later and didn't molt again for about 12 months.
 

ratz00

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Thanks :D
I'm glad to hear that she's probably getting ready to molt, and she didn't just wake up one night and think, "Hm, you know, I kind of hate you?" It's not like she's even threatened to bite to kick hairs at me, but she's just not her typical sweet, easy-going self, and spins around to face my hand when I pet her rump like I always do or crawls on top of her coconut when she sees I'm trying to remove it for whatever reason so that I can't remove it unless I take her with it. That's just not like her at all. I hope she molts soon =/
Funny that no matter how many times the crickets brushed against her or bothered her in their oblivious cricket-like way, she never tried to attack them 0.o
Well I can sympathize with your present disposision. When my rosea first did that, I was surprised myself. Um she wont bother the crickets unless they get too close and she will just push them away. She knows they are prey anyway. Remember, your hand looks bigger and as far as she is concerned it could be attacking her. Dont worry it usually passes when she molts. :D
 

parsephoni

Arachnopeon
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It's been 4 weeks so far. How long do you think it will be until she molts? Her behavior is driving me nuts! :evil:
 

titus

Arachnosquire
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It could be awhile I have a 2cm rosea thats been in pre-molt for about 2 months. The non eating habits of G. rosea and pre-molt make for along wait sometimes.
 

ratz00

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It's been 4 weeks so far. How long do you think it will be until she molts? Her behavior is driving me nuts! :evil:
Well 2 weeks is kinda short if its relatively big already. My rosea 4cm LS roseas each take 33 days to molt. If yours is bigger. I would think it would be more than that. So just take it easy. As long as her Opisthosoma isnt shrivelling up, she fine.:cool:
 
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