T. Stirmi premolt?

sassqitch89

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Aug 31, 2013
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I just got this burgandy about two months ago and it was very skinny when I purchased him so I've bulked him up quick with some large prey items and in the past week I've noticed his abdomen has turned slightly darker in color as he has settled in and made his home nice and furnished with his homemade fiberglass(ie now has a nice bald spot) is this premolt stage or will he be a lot darker befor a molt? image.jpg
 

skippydude

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Feb 3, 2013
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Looks like the beginnings of the pre-molt process, it will get much darker. Is it still eating? Looks a little damp, does it have a dry spot in the enclosure to make a molting hammock?
 

sassqitch89

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Yea it's just the back of his hide that's damp cas I just watered the pothos above it a lil too much today the rest of the enclosure is dry though... And yea this beast will eat anything that touches the ground! I feel like he would eat right up to the day of his molt
 

Poec54

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Not premolt yet; the skin on the abdomen will turn almost black.
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
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Looks a little damp, does it have a dry spot in the enclosure to make a molting hammock?
I've never had a stirmi make a molting hammock. They've all made a molt mat directly on the substrate.

He will likely stop eating for a week or two prior to molting
Larger, older specimens will fast longer than that in pre-molt. The OP hasn't stated the size or age though.
 

sassqitch89

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image.jpg I'd say he/she is gearing up for something... Could it be a possibility that I fed it a really large meal and it's closing off its burrow to sit and process it for a wile?
 

sassqitch89

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Vespers I got him/her about 3 months ago and it's probally a good 7 inches if not more I'm guessing it's a male because I purchased it at an already large size for 50 bucks at a local reptile show
 
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telepatella

Arachnoknight
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Dec 22, 2012
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The spider in that first picture is in intermolt. It could molt in weeks or months. Like Poec54 says, it will be very dark there when in premolt. A lot of my spiders will make that web curtain in the warmer months.
 

Smokehound714

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Mar 23, 2013
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I would advise against excessive feeding. these tarantulas grow fast already, not as fast as many new-worlds, mind you, but they get to a large size rather quickly.
 
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