Wondering About A Molt Situation

Apocalypstick

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
741
My Nadine, without question THE QUEEN Of ALL g.pulchras, is not using her same routine as she usually does premolt. She refused her last meal a week ago. She now has a cantaloupe sized substrate ball blocking the burrow opening. So far, so good.

Her big ol' butt has lost a few hairs from the back end as usual. She has dug a large roomy flat area in her hide....looks all ready for webbing a soft molt mat. Her previous mats have all been quite substantal.

Problem- since her last molt the end of March, her webbing was ok at first, then I noticed it was getting more sparse when webbing over the burrow door and laying placemats for meals. She would go through the motions of laying food mats, but they were barely visable compared to her previous elaborate doilies made for *ahem* royalty.

Now when I look in she is going through the motions of laying a molt mat but I can't see any web being produced at this time. She has had two molts with me, both following the same routine. She won't eat for a week, she burrows in tightly during the no food week. Second week would consist of burrow dirt moving the first two days.... then once the layout met her standards, she would spin a thick large molting bed fit for her queenly status. So this week she should already have a substantial amount...but no.

Her spinnerettes are long, thin, the blackest of ebony. Look perfect.
She went from 2" to 3" first molt. She went from 3" to slghtly over 4" the last molt(measuring the lateral leg method).

Questions:
1.What reasons could there be for lack of substantial webbing be produced. Her diet is large crickets that I glut a couple of days before feeding, however she did have her 1st pinkie some where between the middle of this and the last molt. Could it be her diet??

2. If she cannot lay a thick enough mat, won't the substrate affect her efforts to molt? I know I wouldn't want my new tender skin grinding against the dry coconut I'm wriggling on.
So if she has no adequate molt mat, what should I do?
Do you think she would accept a soft paper towel laid down on the burrow floor????...or is that dumb??

Thanks for all replies :)
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
I may have misunderstood, but did you say that she is 4", molted at the end of March (2 months ago), and you think she's going to molt now?


Grammostola spp. aren't exactly known for their fast growth rate ;), and I'd say at that size you should have more than 2 months in between molts. Even faster-growing species have more than 2 months in between molts at that size.

Other than that, I think she's fine. She knows what she's doing and instinct will take over.
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
becca81 said:
I may have misunderstood, but did you say that she is 4", molted at the end of March (2 months ago), and you think she's going to molt now?


Grammostola spp. aren't exactly known for their fast growth rate ;), and I'd say at that size you should have more than 2 months in between molts. Even faster-growing species have more than 2 months in between molts at that size.

Other than that, I think she's fine. She knows what she's doing and instinct will take over.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing. For a slow growing T, that one is growing fast. Apocalypstick, are you adding Miracle Grow to her diet?

Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about. They know what they are doing and she should be just fine.

Earlier this week my big old B. smithi decided she was an arboreal. She spun a hammock between the top of her hide and the fake plant next to it and molted on that. All her previous molts over that last 5 years were done on the ground. They never cease to surprise and amaze me.
 

Apocalypstick

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
741
I know Bec & Wind...I have a tendency to feed her whenever she is out and snooping around...I know it's because she wants food. I just can't seem to deny her....and when she went from 3" to over 4" in two months, I was shocked even though I was feeding her more than I needed to...and when she filled out that last new skin...WOW. She has the longest legs of any T I have seen, pic or otherwise at that body size.

But she is defineatly premolt. She should molt in one to two weeks if she follows her previous patterns.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
She may molt, but I highly doubt it.

This species just isn't a fast-growing species. I'd also like to mention that if you're really attached to this T, you may want to cut back on the extra feeding. By doing so, you may very well be shortening her lifespan.

All of my Grammostola spp., even at 1/4" and 1/2", are taking 2 months or so between molts now. All of my P.murinus, one of the fastest growing species, are around 3" now and still only molting about once every two months or so.

Especially for a female, this seems to be an extremely unusual growth rate. Even though she's making herself comfortable, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up too high for another molt this soon.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
Apocalypstick said:
I have a tendency to feed her whenever she is out and snooping around...I know it's because she wants food. I just can't seem to deny her.
Just because she's out and about doesn't necessarily mean that she "wants food."
 

ink_scorpion

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
504
Yeah, I doubt too that she is going to molt. Aren't G. pulchra notoriously slow growers? Or am I misinformed? :? :confused: :?
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
Scorps_n_Ts said:
Yeah, I doubt too that she is going to molt. Aren't G. pulchra notoriously slow growers? Or am I misinformed? :? :confused: :?
I'd say that they are just "average" slow-growers. Not the slowest (like some Brachypelma spp. or [Aphonopelma spp.[/i], but slow nonetheless.
 

Apocalypstick

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
741
Female g.pulchras are supposed to be extremely slow growing. I got her from Botar at two inches and even he mentioned she was growing slower than the others from that batch.

You guys think she isn't going to molt ya say??? Exactly what I thought the last time...when I did my daily peeks and saw her on her back I was shocked!

I do 'overfeed' her compared to those that throw 5 cricks in every few weeks.
But I think I fall slightly short of power feeding. Since her last molt she has had approx. 4 to 5 sm to med crickets per week because of thier small size for a 4" T...one week without any thing. A 8 hour old pinkie. Two weeks with no food after the pinkie....then a couple of weeks with verey large cricks every 2 to 3 days (one at a time because I hate the filth they leave). She did not eat the last large crick.

I am positive she will molt within two weeks! I hope you prove me wrong ;)
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
Apocalypstick said:
Female g.pulchras are supposed to be extremely slow growing. I got her from Botar at two inches and even he mentioned she was growing slower than the others from that batch.

You guys think she isn't going to molt ya say??? Exactly what I thought the last time...when I did my daily peeks and saw her on her back I was shocked!

I do 'overfeed' her compared to those that throw 5 cricks in every few weeks.
But I think I fall slightly short of power feeding. Since her last molt she has had approx. 4 to 5 sm to med crickets per week because of thier small size for a 4" T...one week without any thing. A 8 hour old pinkie. Two weeks with no food after the pinkie....then a couple of weeks with verey large cricks every 2 to 3 days (one at a time because I hate the filth they leave). She did not eat the last large crick.

I am positive she will molt within two weeks! I hope you prove me wrong ;)
I would definitely consider that power feeding. Given that 6 to 8 crickets a month are more than adequate for but a hand full (T. blondi, T. apophysis and some of the other very large T's) of tarantulas. It certainly is your choice about whether you want to power feed or not. BUt given that diet, an increase in molt frequency is not really surprising.
 

rosehaired1979

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 14, 2003
Messages
2,900
I received my G.pulchra in Feb of last yr and it moulted in 2-3 months apart well except the Sept of '04 to Feb '05 moult so 4 months apart :) but the last moult it had was 3 months from the last one. Mines 2.5" now I bought it at 1.25".
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
rosehaired1979 said:
I received my G.pulchra in Feb of last yr and it moulted in 2-3 months apart well except the Sept of '04 to Feb '05 moult so 4 months apart :) but the last moult it had was 3 months from the last one. Mines 2.5" now I bought it at 1.25".
I think that sound about normal for that species for that size.
 

Crunchie

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
852
I got a tiny G.pulchra (aroung 1" legspan) last October and it had its first moult with me in March of this year! :eek: It moulted again about 1 month later and to be honest I wasn't expecting that. This species seem to go a long time in pre-moult. My friend got one around the same size in December and it stopped eating in January but as of yet it hasn't moulted.

In saying that its not as bad as my boehmei which for each moult it's had with me it went around 1 month in pre-moult not eating anything but at the same time not even looking like it was going to moult. When it moulted the first time it went a week without eating anything and then ate (hardly anything) for about 2 weeks before going back into pre-moult. I wouldnt mind but the wee midden is only 1.5cm legspan! :mad:
 
Last edited:

wicked

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 15, 2005
Messages
384
Apocalypstick said:
Female g.pulchras are supposed to be extremely slow growing. I got her from Botar at two inches and even he mentioned she was growing slower than the others from that batch.

Maybe she was just playing catch up? I got a 2" G pulchra from Botar the beginning of last month. Her* <crossing fingers its a girl> silk is very light and hard to see, the only reason I even know she made any is because I see her rolled up feeding mat of peat moss and cricket wings. I give her 1 big cricket every three days and gut load the crickets with cereal and fish food.
It is hard to resist feeding her more, especially when she faces the front of the tank with one foot on the glass like "Hey you out there! Where is my cricket?"
So far I have seen no signs at all of premolt activity, I just assume she has molted already this year and not due again until next year. I don't really have a timeline to go on so I don't know how long is normal.
 

Apocalypstick

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
741
becca81 said:
She may molt, but I highly doubt it.

. Even though she's making herself comfortable, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up too high for another molt this soon.
I think you guys are right... smarty pants ;)

She's just digging around and sleeping in there. It wouldn't suprise me if I looked in one day and she was in a leather recliner watching 'Nick at Night' on a big screen TV :rolleyes:
 
Top