G rosea pre molt behaviour change?

[Kain Prestwood]

I have noticed over the last few weeks my G rosea has become abit..well vicious!!

When I feed her or do any tank maintenance, she used to just ignore me, but lately shes gets mega annoyed, and rears up, and has actually gone for me - This is out of 'character' for her.

I'm thinking now she may be in pre molt. She is still eating at the moment (she has a massive appetite) however her tiny bald patch on her abdomen looks pretty dark, and she has lost her colour abit.

So all T's stop eating before there molt?

Shes about 3 1/2 - 4 inch.

Just a little concerned really, as shes not her normal self.

Kain

[Robert Farmer]

My B Smithi is in pre moult and is continually climbing the tank walls and pushing against the lid as if to try and escape, strange...

Maybe she's being more aggressive/defensive because she feels more vulnerable due to the impending moult?

Here's a pic of my would be escape artist caught in the act:

[Kain Prestwood]

Nice smithi you have there mate, I have 4 of em, love them loads

G rosea has never been like it before (in my care anyway) she's stomping around like a woman possessed!

Kain

[Colin D Wilson]

The Rosea's that have moulted in my care over the years have all shown signs (some minor some majour) of being a bit unpredictable temperment wise.
i'll say "most" had a spate of eating like they were possessed, then stopped competely (some for a week or two, some for months) in the stages of premoult.
aggresive signs ranged from rearing up and looking tough, grabbing at my hand with their front legs and hanging on a while with their pretarsal claws, turning and raising their abdomen and one or two back legs with the look of giving a hair flick and obviousely the lunge attack (fangs bared).
you get to know from experience which one's coming and either carry on what you're doing or retire for a while.
If it's stomping around a lot, i have two options that MAY calm it down a bit. increase the depth of substrate to allow digging and/or add a couple of more hiding areas (ie half a plastic flower pot or two) this, in my experience, offers the spider more choice where to hide up for the moulting process, mine seem to act more docile and slow up a bit.

[Barbara Gittings]

Hi Kain

Interested in your G.Rosea behaving oddly. I have some friends who have a pet shop, and have recently acquired a new G.Rosea. He seemed fine when they first got him/her but now he's gone a bit loopy.

He sort of stamps all his legs up and down as soon as they try to open the glass vivarium. He's won't stop until the door catch is shut again. Most odd. (poor girl in shop is terrified). It could be pre moult, my G.Rosea hasn't moulted yet so I can't really say.

Let me know how it goes tho!

Barbara

[Colin D Wilson]

Is this what you mentioned in another thread Barbara?
I'm with you now...(must of had a "man moment" there) yes it seems very likely to be the same scenario. like i said above it's not a predictable thing, i've got two in pre moult now and they're placid as anything, yet one of my daughters did the "give me a hug" pose when you so much as looked at her.

[Barbara Gittings]

Hi Colin

Yes it was in another thread I left. I'll have to wait and see how my G.Rosea behaves when moulting time arrives. Although I don't think I'll have much trouble as she seems so docile never seems to mind my going in and out, I guess that could all change tho!!!

Barbara

[Colin D Wilson]

It certainly could, i always think if you look at it logically this is the time that they are at their most vulnerable so a defensive attitude would benefit them in their natural habitat.
I've had spiders that you could virtually stick your finger in their mouthparts with no worries...come moulting time they turn into an eight legged anti-christ, a week after and you're back to tucking them into bed at night coz their so soft

[Kain Prestwood]

Lol Colin, you have no idea how much that made me laugh...tucking spiders in.

It certainly seems a little odd whatever is going on.

Kain