Question about multiple spiders molting same time

Travis21v4 · Nov 30, 2015

Has anyone else noticed that their slings molt at the same time...? I had a p.irminia/vittata/b.albo/pumpkin patch/v.vagans all molt together. Well the p.irminia did it a day before all of these followed.?

Do they sink up like women by chance? This is not meant to be sexist in anyway!!! I was just wondering if there is some science behind this.

ireleana · Nov 30, 2015

Doubt it but I don't know. The thought is women sync up so we can breastfeed each others babies. Women would have babies around the same time so there wee more breastfeeding mothers. Makes sense for mammals but I don't see an evolutionary advantage for tarantulas to molt at the same time but who knows! Just my thoughts anyways..

Thistles · Nov 30, 2015

I've noticed many of mine molt during storms. Maybe barometric pressure triggers a molt.

Issehalsey · Nov 30, 2015

I've got about 35 tarantulas, and when one molts, two or three more molt within the week. I feel like they sync up sometimes, lol.

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Travis21v4 · Nov 30, 2015

Glad im not the only one. The only other thing i can think of is that i only own slings... And they are all about the same size 3/4 to inch and a half. And most the time they are fed the same day.. Who knows i just thought it was funny. Also, i keep bragging to my brother that all mine are molting and his husbandry is garbage because his doesnt lol.

Issehalsey said:
I've got about 35 tarantulas, and when one molts, two or three more molt within the week. I feel like they sync up sometimes, lol.

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Issehalsey · Nov 30, 2015

Travis21v4 said:
Glad im not the only one. The only other thing i can think of is that i only own slings... And they are all about the same size 3/4 to inch and a half. And most the time they are fed the same day.. Who knows i just thought it was funny. Also, i keep bragging to my brother that all mine are molting and his husbandry is garbage because his doesnt lol.

Lol. I have a few slings, but mostly juvie-adult. So it's a little weird sometimes. 6-7 of mine are adult G porteri... So when they molt it's already a shock, lol.

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BobBarley · Nov 30, 2015

Issehalsey said:
I've got about 35 tarantulas, and when one molts, two or three more molt within the week. I feel like they sync up sometimes, lol.

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My hypothesis is that they communicate telepathically.

Issehalsey · Nov 30, 2015

BobBarley said:
My hypothesis is that the communicate telepathically.

I never even thought of that, but sounds legit.

Sling: Psst, I'm about to molt.. When are you gonna be ready?
MF Rosie: Won't be heavy premolt for at least another 10 days...
Sling: Okay! I'll hold off until after you molt so we can surprise the human.

I guess it could go that way.

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BobBarley · Nov 30, 2015

Issehalsey said:
I never even thought of that, but sounds legit.

Sling: Psst, I'm about to molt.. When are you gonna be ready?
MF Rosie: Won't be heavy premolt for at least another 10 days...
Sling: Okay! I'll hold off until after you molt so we can surprise the human.

I guess it could go that way.

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Completely legit.
We need someone to publish a "tarantula telepathy" paper.

Issehalsey · Nov 30, 2015

BobBarley said:
Completely legit.
We need someone to publish a "tarantula telepathy" paper.

Just hand a pencil to one of them! They're smarter then they lead on apparently XD

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Poec54 · Nov 30, 2015

When we have a rainy 2 or 3 days during our hot, dry springs, I'll have 2 or 3 dozen adults/subadults molt that week. Wet weather gives them more time to get out of their old skins before the lubricating fluids dry up. Fast evaporation can be fatal.

BobBarley · Nov 30, 2015

Poec54 said:
When we have a rainy 2 or 3 days during our hot, dry springs, I'll have 2 or 3 dozen adults/subadults molt that week. Wet weather gives them more time to get out of their old skins before the lubricating fluids dry up. Fast evaporation can be fatal.

Hmmm maybe... But telepathy seems more probable. (Lol)

Travis21v4 · Nov 30, 2015

No rain here in vegas lol. I was just surprised lol! Now my 5 vagans look all different.

Poec54 said:
When we have a rainy 2 or 3 days during our hot, dry springs, I'll have 2 or 3 dozen adults/subadults molt that week. Wet weather gives them more time to get out of their old skins before the lubricating fluids dry up. Fast evaporation can be fatal.

---------- Post added 11-30-2015 at 11:29 PM ----------

actually it is super cold here for some reason so i had to turn the heater on for like the whole day to keep it at 78-79! maybe that is why

cold blood · Dec 1, 2015

Issehalsey said:
I feel like they sync up sometimes, lol.

No, they're not syncing up to one another, rather they are all reading and reacting to the same environmental cues.

I think a lot of the extended fasts prior to molting (I'm talking those unusually long pre-molt periods) are just a matter of the t waiting for the right environmental conditions....I personally believe both humidity and barometric pressure play their roles.

Stranger · Dec 2, 2015

I have noticed the same thing, however they don't all molt at the same time. I have 10 P. cambridgei that usually molt in pairs, I'll notice one has molted and almost always find another the same day. I just recently purchased 8 new Ts about a month ago, 7 of which have molted already. However, in this case I think they were more so responding to proper environmental conditions like stated above.

TsunamiSpike · Dec 2, 2015

We had ours molting in 3s and 4s during the summer, though they're down to about once a week in the colder temps.

micheldied · Dec 5, 2015

I've actually noticed this and wondered if slings give off pheromones or something when molting, causing others to molt at the same time. I can see how it would be an advantage for Ts of the same clutch; if they all molt together, it's less likely they'll be cannibalized as compared to if they all molted at random times. Who knows. I've had slings of different species all molt within a short period of each other, all with different relative abdomen sizes. But it doesn't happen with older Ts.

FrmDaLeftCoast · Dec 4, 2018

Glad I decided to perform a search before posting a new thread asking the same question...lol.
This week I had 5 of my terrestrials molt (I didn't even realize they we're in pre-molt or at least not that far in). One of them being my P. sazimai, which I haven't seen in over a month. And it just left it's molt outside it's hide. so I still haven't seen it.

amberd · Jan 22, 2023

Travis21v4 said:
Has anyone else noticed that their slings molt at the same time...? I had a p.irminia/vittata/b.albo/pumpkin patch/v.vagans all molt together. Well the p.irminia did it a day before all of these followed.?

Do they sink up like women by chance? This is not meant to be sexist in anyway!!! I was just wondering if there is some science behind this.

I just had the same thing happen. GBB, LP, and a jumping spider molting right now. Today I had my curtains open and the house warmed up and I am curious if this is why they are all molting the very same day. I also just have them all fresh water and a tiny mist today too. I really think the sudden increase in temp today did the trick. This is the funnest hobby ever.

TheHound · Jan 23, 2023

Human beings have an in-built tendency to get confused by coincidence, and perceive patterns or correlations that are not there.

Question about multiple spiders molting same time

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