Female B. Smithi Molting Again and Again?

gollymolly

Arachnopeon
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Aug 29, 2006
Messages
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anyone have an idea as to why my approx. 4" b smithi would molt over and over again. I have just noticed that her aft has yet again turned black. she just molted a couple of months ago and had just molted a few months before that... and then it was only 4 months before that she had molted.
during that molt about 8 months to a year ago, she lost one of her spinnerets.
she hasn't seemed to be able to regenerate it in the last two molts.
could that have to do with what is going on?
 

David_F

Arachnoprince
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Feb 9, 2004
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A forced molt caused by the lost spinneret seems most likely to me.
 

Jaygnar

Arachnobaron
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Aug 28, 2005
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Is she still able to web at all? If not I would assume that she could be trying to regenerate her missing spinnerette. What temp and humidity are you keeping her at? What are you feeding her and how often? Are there any stress factors that you may not be noticing such as vibrations or drafts? I've heard of stressed out tarantulas molting rapidly so that is why I ask. I am in no way implying that there is anything wrong with your husbandry skills. I'm just trying to offer some possible insights. Best of Luck! :) :)
 

gollymolly

Arachnopeon
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Aug 29, 2006
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7
well.....

the three molts were surprising to me... and i have had her a very long time... with no changes. although a couple of weeks ago my dog tipped over her aquarium stand. CRASH!! i am sure that was stressful for her.
so since then i have been keeping her in a large kritter keeper until i prepare her a new aquarium. i usually keep her in this kritter keeper during molting so that i can keep her in the bathroom to give her extra humidity.
her substrate is a mixture of soil, vermiculite and sphagnum peat moss. temp kept at approx. 75 to 80 degrees. i feed her mostly crickets... that is all she will eat. she is a picky eater. i feed her every other day or so. it really depends on how quickly she pounces on it.
i keep the humidity up very well. i keep an open water source, and i am constantly misting the substrate and have provided her a humidity box... like my tortoises use (plastic container with just peat moss inside) so when she needs the extra moisture, she can go get it.
what do you think?
 

gollymolly

Arachnopeon
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Aug 29, 2006
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7
oh yeah!

i have seen her attempt to web during the last two moltings, but it didn't seem to go well.
that really could be the answer.
 

rag

Arachnosquire
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May 27, 2006
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a cricket every other day or so is far too frequent. some may say this is powerfeeding.

most suggest a cricket or two a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on the size of the animal

powerfeeding tends to speed up the molt rate, inturn shortening the lifespan

rag
 

David_F

Arachnoprince
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rag said:
a cricket every other day or so is far too frequent. some may say this is powerfeeding.
I wouldn't say three to four crickets a week is power-feeding. Seems pretty normal to me for an adult or sub-adult spider. One or two a week might be a little on the light side IMO. Depends on the individual spider, too.
 

rag

Arachnosquire
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May 27, 2006
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David_F said:
I wouldn't say three to four crickets a week is power-feeding. Seems pretty normal to me for an adult or sub-adult spider. One or two a week might be a little on the light side IMO. Depends on the individual spider, too.
forgot to add it depends on the size of the spider, thanks.
 

gollymolly

Arachnopeon
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Aug 29, 2006
Messages
7
so?

are we gonna go with the theory that she is attempting to regenerate her spinnerette?
do you think it is possible for her to molt again and again even following this molt to regenerate it?
is it harmful for her to molt that often?
 

bonesmama

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Sep 28, 2004
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You're definately an over-protective parent, lol! There is no reason to move her to a KK and put her in the bathroom while she is molting....(.and I am presuming you move her while she is still pre-molt and not while she is molting, right?) Since I feed my T's twice a week, I consider every other day powerfeeding. Mine get @ 8 crix a month- where you are feeding yours @ 15-- twice the amount. The accelerated molting is probably a combination of her trying to regenerate the spinerette and being such a little piggy! It is pretty exhausting for a larger T to molt, so give her lots of time to recuperate.
 
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