avic lost pedipalp during molt!

rgfx

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
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156
:( My avic molted by surprise the other day and i thought all had gone well.
I've just seen him having a drink and he has lost a pedipalp.
what causes this? i'd assumed the molt went well cos it happened so quick.
Could this have been avoided, or is it just one of those things?

The temp/humidity are okay (79deg 82%RH), but he does seemed to have grown a huge amount.
he seems much stockier (apart from abdomen) and his legs appear to have grown by about 25-30%, overall much darker and hairier, legspan now about 80-90mm. No visible hook on remaining palp.

will the palps grow back full size next moult?

tried to get exuvium, but he legged back in his tent before i could drag it out with tweezers, so i still don't know if it is a he.
 

KJE

Arachnoangel
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Oct 21, 2004
Messages
808
It's just one of those things that happen sometimes. I've had a couple of my t's lose a pedipalp during molting and they have grown back with the next molt. Your t will most likely molt sooner than it normally would have so it will have at least a partially grown back pedipalp. My t's have never had a problem when they've lost a pedipalp. They ate and got around like nothing was wrong.
 

Gesticulator

Arachnoangel
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Jun 8, 2005
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956
Luckily, tarantulas have the ability to sacrafice a limb when necessary, without overall harm. It will regenerate with successive molts. I've read in "Schultz and Shultz" that the shorter the length of time between molts, the smaller the pedipalp will be, until the next molt. As long as it is not oozing and is otherwise functioning as normal, I would say it was indeed "one of those things". Better a pedipalp, than the T itself!
 

rgfx

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Jun 4, 2005
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seems in rude health!

:cool: last night he was out, and standing in his ambush position, so i thought i'd see if he wanted something to eat already, so i threw in a large locust.
The stupid thing climbed right up to him straight away, and the T pounced on it and was back in his tent within 1/4 sec.
just now I put an evil fat cricket in his tank near his tent and he'd grabbed it before i had the lid back on. {D

Should i feed him up if he's gonna molt quicker to get the palp back, or feed him slow, to prolong molt time and get a bigger palp?

....oh yeah, got out exuvium but it is proper mashed up...don't think it can be used.
 
Last edited:

edesign

AB FB Group Moderatr
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Apr 23, 2004
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2,104
how long ago did it molt and had its fangs hardened up before you fed it?
 

rgfx

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Jun 4, 2005
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156
it had only been about 3 days, but since he had come out from sulking in his tent, i reckon he was cool. i think a T knows better than us when his fangs are hard and his tummy rumblin'
 
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