Pre-Molt Sudden Size Gain?

I haven't seen this elsewhere, so...

I noticed that, at least with my Avics, about a week before they molt they suddenly appear much larger. My A. urticans molted a few months back and I remember looking at it a few days prior and thinking that it had molted due to how much larger it seemed, but I couldn't find an exuvium. Then a couple days later it molted. I was checking on my A. versicolor about a week or so ago and had the same experience. I thought that she had molted but again, no exuvium. Then two days ago she molted (confirmed female, woo!). I've only noticed this with my Avics, that they have a sudden size gain *right* before they molt. I'm wondering if this is something that commonly happens? Has anyone else noticed this?

Jterry said:

I haven't seen this elsewhere, so...

I noticed that, at least with my Avics, about a week before they molt they suddenly appear much larger.

Click to expand...

You haven't seen it elsewhere because its a physical impossibility. T's only gain size by molting. Your mind is playing tricks on you.

They definitely get fatter and darker

They probably look different to you during premolt as their new skin is almost completely formed under their old skin, making it look darker and perhaps larger in your mind.

I did the same thing with my GBB sling. (S)he looked much larger than her sibling, from the same egg sack, suddenly one day. I thought (s)he had molted, but realized that it was just her abdomen that looked much larger. Her legs and carapace were the same size as the siblings. She molted 2 days later


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've got an A. Purpurea in premolt right now that has a huge abdomen. Every time I look at her I think she molted just cause her butt is so big. Lol. She's only 1" though so I would have to really look to see if she were truly bigger.

Kinkyskink said:

I've got an A. Purpurea in premolt right now that has a huge abdomen. Every time I look at her I think she molted just cause her butt is so big. Lol. She's only 1" though so I would have to really look to see if she were truly bigger.

Click to expand...

After your molts, its DLS will expand, its abdomen however, will be much smaller.

At smaller sizes, like 1", growth tends to be pretty noticeable.

She didn't grow much in her last molt. She went from 0.75" to 1". Hoping for more of a size difference this time, not to get off topic.

Kinkyskink said:

She didn't grow much in her last molt. She went from 0.75" to 1". Hoping for more of a size difference this time, not to get off topic.

Click to expand...

That's a 33% size increase, pretty significant gain for such a small t.