Uricating hairs and pre-moult behaviour

[Andrew Ferguson]

My B.smithi is displaying all the usual pre-moult behaviour. It's dug itself a shallow burrow hidden under it's favourite plastic plant. There is a lot of webbing at both entrances to its hide and its off its food.
But it had a small bald patch which has now become a large one. Its had no threats from me (since its last moult, it has been very placid and never once flicked hairs) or from its food.
The only thing I can think of is it has made some sort of carpet incorporating web and urticating hairs. Is this usual pre-moult behaviour?

[James Box]

i think i read about this in possibly Sam Marshall's book Tarantulas and Other Arachnids, so this is a paraphrased possibly wrongly sourced quotation...
some tarantulas shed urticating hairs onto their moulting mats before shedding to discourage predation and parasites, if i didn't remember that wrong...
i imagine curious bugs etc that would take a bite out of a tarantula while it's vulnerable would be discouraged by the barbed caltrops the spider has lain down for them...

[jason holland]

nope u remembered that correctly. if you watch my "b.smithi moulting" video in the vid section, you can actually see my smithi shedding some hairs onto his mat. and as far as i am awear, its like james said, to discourage predators etc. so its not them "being scared... threatened" etc. Its just there way of staying safe when they moult.. which... as you know, are the most vunrable times of there lives... (until they escape and find them selves eyes to face with some maniac who hates spiders lol)

[Andrew Ferguson]

Thanks James and Jason. I was sure that was the case but just wanted clarification.

[James Box]

cool thanks for confirmation, Jason!
and you're right! though i bet the maniac kills them quicker...
how sad that there are such people out there!