Do tarantulas go grey with age?

[patsyking]

This might be a silly question but I'm wondering if T's go grey with age like humans? My chile has been in her hide now for a month, only ventured out twice in that time to sit by the side of the hide and no interest in food. No more walkabouts in the tank eiteher anymore. I've noticed around the spinnerets is grey hair and on the legs too. The abdomen doenst look any bigger to me so I don't think its coming up for a moult. I've not noticed the greying until today.

[matthew spooner]

well can honestly say i have never noticed a T going grey lol, have you tried just for men? lol

[Kate Arbon]

How old is she?

I suppose it's possible, but if it happened then wouldn't it be that after a moult, the hairs would look greyer than before. They wouldn't go grey gradually as they don't grow constantly.

[Rich.Harrington]

Not 100% but i'll take an educated guess on this one. I recall a while back looking into the prospect of albinism in spiders. After hunting around I found out that it was impossible in theraphosids as they lack any pigment cells. They don't have skin or hairs as such, the exoskeleton is simply built to be one colour for any given T, and an albino is simply a creature lacking colour in the pigment cells.

So given the above, I would presume the same would apply with regards to greying at old age, since in humans and such it is simply the pigment cells deteriorating.

On the bright side it means even when you T is knocking on the zimmer frame, it should still look like a teen.

[Ray Hale]

Many of the darker species such as Selenocosmia or Chilobrachys fade with an approaching moult. Brachypelma species also fade quickly.When they have freshly moulted their colours are bright and sharp but as they age and approach an impending moult the colours fade to a dull integument. This is probably due to their exposure to sunlight or more precisely to UV in sunlight. A friend of mine once tried an experiment with and Aphonopelma seemanni. (Costa Rican Zebra). Two spiders from the same eggsac, one kept in normal conditions ie. On a shelf in a tank in his spider room and the other was kept in a tank next to it covered up to shield it from light. The one kept in the light faded to a very dull light brown whilst the other remained very dark. I would add there was no detrimental effects to either spider. In my own room I keep the blinds drawn and the room is fairly dark. Many of my tarantulas retain their colours. So to answer you original question they dont go grey like us poor humans..on the bright side they get their hair back after a moult. If only we did............

[Nicola Dolby]

Tarantulas don't go grey, that's the privelidge of their owners (especially when a moult's due!)

[Colin D Wilson]

they dont go grey like us poor humans..on the bright side they get their hair back after a moult. If only we did............

When did you learn how to moult Ray?

[patsyking]

Thanks for your replies. Maybe she is coming up for a moult then in a while. Anyway to tell if a female is adult apart from just going by size?

[Colin D Wilson]

Going by size is very hit and miss Patsy, the sure fire way is to sex from the moult.
when she does you can post a picture and let the forum confirm for you

[patsyking]

Ok Colin, thanks, I do that.

[Christian Elowsky]

I've had the same G. rosea for 15 years and except the changes with a molt her color has not changed at all. I received her as an adult also. One of my B. smithi, which I've had as an adult for over 8 years also does not seem to fade over time.