Is Smiffy going to moult?

[Andrew Ferguson]

A common question, but as a newby I need some help. Smiffy has of late just been wondering around the enclosure and stopping on the rock in there or just spreadeagled on the substrate. I pop in a cricket every morning before going to work (about 5:20ish) and if its not been eaten by around 8pm ish, it comes out. I've noticed that whenever a cricket wonders, or even if Smiffy wonders near one, and contact is made, Smiffy retracts. This has been going on since the weekend. Do I, Smiffy actually, have a moult due anytime soon? If you need to see how the tarantula is looking, here are the pics.

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=3554

All help greatly appreciated

[Clinton Hogben]

A common question, but as a newby I need some help. Smiffy has of late just been wondering around the enclosure and stopping on the rock in there or just spreadeagled on the substrate. I pop in a cricket every morning before going to work (about 5:20ish) and if its not been eaten by around 8pm ish, it comes out. I've noticed that whenever a cricket wonders, or even if Smiffy wonders near one, and contact is made, Smiffy retracts. This has been going on since the weekend. Do I, Smiffy actually, have a moult due anytime soon? If you need to see how the tarantula is looking, here are the pics.

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=3554

All help greatly appreciated

Hi Andrew
Thats a sign of moult in my L para she will avoid food even allowing crickets to walk under her she just raises herself off the ground to allow free passage
once she starts doing this she will feed less frequently and then just stop eating altogether

Clint

[James Box]

it looks like a moult is coming up to me!

[Tracy Sherwood-Farnfield]

That is exactly how Ruby, my G Rosea went just before she moulted - she suddenly became terrified of food and would let them literally walk all over her! It was then a good 3 weeks before she finally got around to moulting and was very lethargic in the meantime. Completly neglected her housework, wouldn't even shudder when I took the tank lid off, more often than not not moving more than a few inches in a day etc. Then all of a sudden one morning she looked 'odd' couldn't put my finger on it at the time but i now know that she looked odd because the old carpace had begun to lift and I could see the new one extending beyond it, that night 'flip' and off we go.... That was late feb, she has had one feed since and is returning to her old/new self.

It is a tuff time, I think we go through it more than they do you know! Feel free to share your concerns here, I found everyone's comments really helpful - it got me through it - good luck!

[Oli Dodds]

Yup, looks like it should be moulting out in the next month or so. Substrate looks a little damp too Andrew... Keep it like that for now since its moulting, but let it dry a little afterwards

[Andrew Ferguson]

Thank you all for your replies. I'll guess I'll just wait and see now.

[Andrew Ferguson]

I have a small plastic plant that provides a lot of cover and my little B. smithi is spending a lot of time under there. I've also noticed a lot of very fine silk lines all over the substrate, particularly in the region of the plastic plant. Something I've never seen before. So, I've now put Smiffy's home into a dark corner of the living room in a bid to make Smiffy as comfortable and stress free as is possible; and I shall just wait to see what happens.

So I think I'll start a book on what happens first. Smiffys first moult since (s)he arrived or Richard getting his B. smithi

[Oli Dodds]

or Richard getting his B. smithi

Ahahahahaha

[SylviRigden]

LOL......... which of Smiffy's molts are you talking about Andrew?

[Andrew Ferguson]

LOL......... which of Smiffy's molts are you talking about Andrew?

Hi Sylvi. I was referring to his/her first moult whilst in my possesion. Currently Smiffy measures about 2.5cm - 3.0cm fang to bum. I forgot to ask Daniel at the Tarantula Shop how many moults it had gone through.

Exciting, but anxious times ahead!

[Nicola Dolby]

Hi Andrew,
When Brachypelmas moult they develop an orange patch on their abdomen top. this gets bigger and is the new exoskeleton forming under the old skin. A few days (up to a week) before the moult this will turn black as the new skin hardens and then they will moult. The spider will go off food at any time during, or at the beginning of the 'orange' phase. It is harder to see this in spiderlings but will become more apparent as your spider gets bigger. My B. smithi moulted on friday, and I've just checked the shed skin and got the sex. So now Rosa has become Rocky! Hope this helps.

[Andrew Ferguson]

It has Nicola, thanks

Smiffy has been if his/her food and avoided crickets like a bad smell. Today I decided that the crickets were getting quite large and the few that were remaining had turned cannibalistic. Lots of chewed legs and I didn't want them munching on Smiffy. So I decided to put them to sleep as they were of no use to me anymore.
I went down to my local pet shop and bought some larvae of some sort. Quite small, kind of like the ones from the furry critters in crickets post from a fortnight ago. Well one walked upto Smiffy and (s)he flinched, then it walked right under Smiffy and BAM!!!!! I guess his/her appetite is back . So maybe no moult just yet. Oh well, at least my tarantula is having a nice supper.

p.s. the critters are mealworms.