- 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
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