How can I tell when my Tarantula is going to ?!MOLT!?

[spiderguy]

=D I really need a lot of help because I am a a little over a begginer on Tarantulas. I really want to know when my tarantula is going to molt. I would also appreciate it if you could give me as much info as you can and I already read the info arachnopets gives you on Tarantulas. By the way I need all the in fo on the Chilean Rose.=D

[Code Monkey]

Signs your T is going to moult:

• It refuses food in a situation it normally eats.
• For new world Ts with a bald spot (and young slings as well), you can see the new abdominal skin beneath the old, i.e., their abdomen get much darker.
• You see your T spinning a moulting hammock or mat.
• You find your T laying on its back.

That's pretty much it. Before you have your first moult or two you may not recognise these signs and no one is going to be able to explain them any better. After your first couple of moults, you'll know your T well enough to see the signs coming a mile away (usually, every now and again they like to sneak a moult on you just to keep you on your toes).

[Mister Internet]

Cyrus,

This thread is probably the best thread about rosie care... it THE rosie care sheet from Stan Shultz. You may not have any questions at all after reading that...

[Cronoss]

Hi,
You are posting alot of Q's that have been answered a bunch of times.These are very basic beginner Q's.May I suggest you by a book.There are alot of cheap books out there that can help you Or,
you should check through old threads.You'll find alot of your answers there.

Hope this helps
Bryan

[Action Jackson]

Instead of starting a new thread, I figured I'd tack my own question on here...

My chilean rose will not molt. She has been refusing food for quite some time now and hasn't shed in over 2.5 years, but still isn't doing anything. A tiny bald spot on her abdomen might be changing for the darker, but if it is, it hasn't changed enough for me to notice any sort of real difference.

So, here's the question part: any ideas as to what's going on? Or, is refusing to molt for an extended period a negative thing at all? I know G. Rosea thinks nothing of random fasting, but I'm starting to wonder about mine. If it helps any, I've had the spider for eight years and she is now nearly 3.5'' long.

[Code Monkey]

AJ, it's not unusual for older females to start skipping whole moult cycles. The size seems a bit small for an adult female, but you never know since I'm assuming we're talking a WC specimen here.

It's not necessarily a negative thing, but it usually implies either that the T is nearing the end of its lengthy stay on Earth, or there was some sort of major injury, illness, or stress that caused it to miss a cycle or two. But, since there's really nothing you can do about it, no reason to worry. If she's getting old, you can't turn back time, and if it was something else, she's likely over it by now.

[JacenBeers]

My G rosea also went two years before it ever moulted and when it did she didnt look any different at all. She even ate crickets a few days before the molt.