3" G. Pulchripes; pre-molt?

miss moxie · Jul 9, 2014

I acquired my G. Pulchripes on June 27th, so I have had her for 2 weeks. I waited one week before feeding, and fed her 2 medium sized crickets. I feed one at a time, I'm a little paranoid about leaving crickets alive and uncaught in my T's enclosures. I have the time to wait for them to finish eating, plus I rather enjoy watching the take down. (Not sure if this is 'wrong' or harmful, if it is please let me know so that I can amend my routine)

So in the entire time I've had her, she's technically eaten twice, but has only eaten two crickets total while I've had her. I was looking at her yesterday and noticed she is particularly plump. I'm wondering if perhaps she is pre-molt? I've never had a T molt in my care, and am still learning and experiencing new things.

I'm very concerned about over-feeding, I don't want her to have any health problems later on. Are 2 crickets a week too much for her? Given how large she is right now, should I wait a week (or more) before feeding her? Or is she normal-sized for a spider her size? My A. Geniculata is 3" as well, and not as plump. And she seems bigger than when I first got her. I'll include a picture of her from then as well, it will be the third/last one.

I just want to do whatever is in her best interest. Also I hope I'm posting this in the correct area. I couldn't find anything that answered my questions using the search feature.

NewAgePrimal · Jul 10, 2014

If she's eating then no, not in premolt. I have one the same size that hasn't ate in a month. They normally eat like pigs. She looks happy to me.

cold blood · Jul 10, 2014

The darkening at the base of the abdomen is the first sign mine's going to molt fairly soon. Mine also tends to eat during the early stages, although not quite as enthusiastically. I'd say based on my experiences with a similarly sized pulchripes that it is in the early stages of pre-molt. Mine will take a few meals, then fast for a while...like 3 months...in the days before its abdomen will get a good shine to it.

miss moxie · Jul 10, 2014

cold blood said:
The darkening at the base of the abdomen is the first sign mine's going to molt fairly soon. Mine also tends to eat during the early stages, although not quite as enthusiastically. I'd say based on my experiences with a similarly sized pulchripes that it is in the early stages of pre-molt. Mine will take a few meals, then fast for a while...like 3 months...in the days before its abdomen will get a good shine to it.

I just noticed when I got home from work today that she's beginning to get shiny on her little bum. I'm really excited and a little nervous. She'll be my first to molt, if that's what she's really doing. The shiny, fat abdomen is very disconcerting to me even though I know it's probably signs of pre molt. She just looks like she's gonna pop, which in essence that's what molting is I suppose.

NewAgePrimal · Jul 10, 2014

That "shiny" spot on the abomen you're looking at isn't gold is it? Because that is just the mirror patch.

Poec54 · Jul 10, 2014

miss moxie said:
I'm very concerned about over-feeding, I don't want her to have any health problems later on.

What are you basing this assumption on?

LordWaffle · Jul 11, 2014

NewAgePrimal said:
If she's eating then no, not in premolt. I have one the same size that hasn't ate in a month. They normally eat like pigs. She looks happy to me.

This is a good rule of thumb, but is not always the case. I have had many spiders eat right up until they molt. G. pulchripes being one of them (not every time, mind you).

miss moxie · Jul 11, 2014

NewAgePrimal said:
That "shiny" spot on the abomen you're looking at isn't gold is it? Because that is just the mirror patch.

I'm not looking at one particular spot. She's shiny all around her abdomen. This picture doesn't capture how shiny she is, but it's better than nothing lol.

miss moxie · Jul 11, 2014

Poec54 said:
What are you basing this assumption on?

Which assumption? The assumption that over feeding leads to health problems? Well I've lurked around arachnoboards and I dig up old posts and read them when I'm bored. A lot of threads I come across that mention power feeding always have a mention of shortening the life span or issues when the T molts. Also they'll mention an abdomen that is easier to rupture because it's large. I'm not so worried about the rupturing, I make sure my Ts don't have very much room to fall so when/if they climb and drop, they are less likely to hurt themselves.

skippydude · Jul 11, 2014

That T looks Pre-molt to me
My Chacos usually have no problem eating right up till molt day. Then the very next molt the same T will fast for weeks :?

miss moxie · Jul 11, 2014

skippydude said:
That T looks Pre-molt to me
My Chacos usually have no problem eating right up till molt day. Then the very next molt the same T will fast for weeks :?

I suppose it is just more proof that we will never fully understand these fuzzy little aliens. We expect them to have patterns, and as soon as we think we've mastered that pattern they change. Maybe that's part of what's so exciting about them!

Neoza · Jul 12, 2014

1-2 crickets a week should be fine. And yes when you feed her to much you will powerfeed her and thats not so healthy. Her lifespan will shorten. I know the feeling

when i started with T's i also wanted to give them a lot of food but its not so good.

cold blood · Jul 12, 2014

Neoza said:
1-2 crickets a week should be fine. And yes when you feed her to much you will powerfeed her and thats not so healthy. Her lifespan will shorten. I know the feeling when i started with T's i also wanted to give them a lot of food but its not so good.

Powerfeeding is having food constantly available. There is no evidence that "extra" food (or food more regularly) is not healthy, nor is there evidence of powerfeeding causing health issues. Shortened life, yes, especially if its male. Its nearly impossible to give a growing sling too much food, growth is their number one goal when young.

Neoza · Jul 13, 2014

cold blood said:
Powerfeeding is having food constantly available. There is no evidence that "extra" food (or food more regularly) is not healthy, nor is there evidence of powerfeeding causing health issues. Shortened life, yes, especially if its male. Its nearly impossible to give a growing sling too much food, growth is their number one goal when young.

Oh sorry my mistake

so it shorten the lifespan and thats a choice you need to make

miss moxie · Jul 13, 2014

I see. So if it is nearly impossible to over-feed a growing sling, at what size in inches are they considered not growing anymore? At least for my G. Pulchripes and my A. Geniculata?

Athenas Boy · Jul 13, 2014

They'll typically grow for most of their lives. Males once mature won't molt anymore usually dieting during the post ultimate molt. Where females will still molt but after a while won't grow anymore. Depends on the species as to when they stop growin though

cold blood · Jul 13, 2014

miss moxie said:
I see. So if it is nearly impossible to over-feed a growing sling, at what size in inches are they considered not growing anymore? At least for my G. Pulchripes and my A. Geniculata?

When they molt and don't gain size...at this point molting will become less frequent....Pulchripes will likely top out in the 7" range, some a little bigger, some smaller...A. genic are typically a tad bigger, say 7-8" range.

When slings get very fat, its generally a trigger for molting, or they just refuse food. Post-molt they will be thin again and the fattening up process begins all over again.

miss moxie · Jul 14, 2014

cold blood said:
When they molt and don't gain size...at this point molting will become less frequent....Pulchripes will likely top out in the 7" range, some a little bigger, some smaller...A. genic are typically a tad bigger, say 7-8" range.

When slings get very fat, its generally a trigger for molting, or they just refuse food. Post-molt they will be thin again and the fattening up process begins all over again.

Very helpful to know, thank you! I really do believe my chaco is about to molt, she's getting a bald pink spot now on top of her abdomen, closer to her spinnerets than to her carapace. Which, is something I've seen in pre-molt pictures.

Athenas Boy · Jul 14, 2014

miss moxie said:
Very helpful to know, thank you! I really do believe my chaco is about to molt, she's getting a bald pink spot now on top of her abdomen, closer to her spinnerets than to her carapace. Which, is something I've seen in pre-molt pictures.

The bald patch itself isn't a sign of premolt. You can have a T molt and then the same day kick hairs off and they won't grow back until the next molt. Although a bald spot does help see signs of premolt because you can see the Exo darkening. So I see how you could misinterpret that.

miss moxie · Jul 14, 2014

Athenas Boy said:
The bald patch itself isn't a sign of premolt. You can have a T molt and then the same day kick hairs off and they won't grow back until the next molt. Although a bald spot does help see signs of premolt because you can see the Exo darkening. So I see how you could misinterpret that.

I do know that, my A. Geniculata has a bald patch that is just from her kicking hairs. I watch my A. Geniculata kick hairs. I've never witnessed my G. Pulchripes do so, but I know that doesn't mean she hasn't.

However, combined with the fact that that her abdomen is now 3 times as big as it was when I got her two weeks ago after only 2 crickets, as well as how shiny it has become -combined- with the fact that she is now beginning to go bald makes me think that this baldness is from pre-molt rather than hair-kicking.

There are pictures of the bald spot and how shiny she's getting.

And here is my Geniculata's hair-kicking bald patch.

3" G. Pulchripes; pre-molt?

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