G. Rosea questions

Twells

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
1
I have two G Rosea's. I've had one for five to six years and the other for about a year. During this time, my older one has only molted once and that was over three years ago.

So my question is, how often do these spiders molt? Do they quit after reaching a certain size? Are there molting differences between males and females?

Any info would be much appreciated.
 

Windchaser

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2004
Messages
2,996
As they get older, they will tend to molt less frequently. They will continue to molt throughout their lives though. Several factors such as the temperature they are kept and their diets can affect the molt frequency. I would say that your older G. rosea is a fairly old tarantula based on their growth rate and the infrequency of its molts. Have you sexed it yet? Mature males will rarely survive a molt past their ultimate molt (when the reach sexual maturity) and generally don't live very long after reaching maturity. However, G. rosea is one species where males have been reported to live several years after reaching maturity. A mature male can be identified by enlarged emboli that make it look as though it is wearing boxing gloves. Also, some species, including G. rosea will have tibial hooks. These are small hooks located near the middle of the front pair of legs.

There is a belief that males tend to grow faster and mature earlier than females. Though I have heard some say this may not truly be the case.
 
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