moulting?

[nick young]

yesterday i posted this

My sling has refused food now for just over two weeks, i have given space of a few days between feedings to avoid irritation. im feeding the same food as usual and there have been no changes in care. just yesterday i checked up on the lil one just to see if its ok and she now has burrowed for the first time into the substrate. worried now a day later that she still hasnt moved i tapped lightly on the side which usually causes her to move a little, i then opened the enclousre which always gets her moving around then proceeded to mist and still nothing. her legs have come closer to the body and seems to be in a defensive stance. are these the characterisitics of a moult?
she arrived 23/01/09 currently 08/04/09 and i have yet to experiance a molt so its not a suprise, but i just want reassurance that it is only a moult.


i was informed to leave her alone and that this is moult behavior,
however since yesterday she has moved ever so slightly further up the the tunnel she has made. i am also worried since she has not turned upside down which is what i was expecting before a moult. is there a period where a sling burrows refuses food and doesnt move much before the actual act of moulting? and if so how long can this period be?
im just worried cause she hasnt eaten now coming up to three weeks, and shes only a tiny 2-3cm brachypelma emilia.

just a worried parent.
happy days all

[Andy Wood]

If the spiderlings abdomen isn't shrunken then I wouldn't worry, sounds as if
she's been feeding well. They tend to have periods of inactivity prior to a
shed, bigger the spider the longer the time, my adult L parahybana stopped
feeding for 10 months about 10 years ago....

I'd just let her get on with it and try not to worry too much, easier said than
done I know.....
I've rarely seen a spiderling shed as it seems to be over very quickly compared
to the adults, some adults can take 24 hours so you can't really miss it, that
can be quite concerning when you see your fave spider lying on it's back not
moving......

AndyZoo

[nick young]

cheers for the reassurance
shes definatly not starving her abdomen is still rounded and by far the biggest section of her body. shes moved out of the burrow now but still wont even eat a dead micro cricket. so this is the fasting period i must endure, ill stay calm...
happy days mate

[greigmason]

Hi Nick, yeah it certainly sounds like a moult. I wouldn't worry, my little b smithi hasn't eaten for around two and a half months now. She was eating every other day and then just stopped so I've been waiting ages(or so it seems) for the moult. She is gradually getting duller and the little bald patch on her abdomen is getting darker so it's definately on the way. Remember these guys can go months without food so don't panic! As long as her abdomen remains round and full she is doing just fine, greig

[nick young]

cheers for the heads up greig,
so i can also look forward to my baby getting duller and balder, sounds scarey! if you hadnt warned me id be stressing myself out thinking that my little ones going to die. and two and a half months is so long to not eat for! the moulting stage is clearly the most tense for any owner.
ill keep my eye on her abdomen and offer food every few days.
good luck with your B.smith's moult!
happy days

[Andy Wood]

Nick, if you are offering food every few days do make sure you don't leave
any uneaten crickets in the tank overnight, bad things can happen if your
spider does shed...
To be honest it wouldn't hurt to stop offering food if she's due to shed..

AndyZoo

[nick young]

dot worry i always remove the crickets and keep them well fed so they dont usually do much but run away from my sling. i could stop feeding her all together but how can i be 100% sure she is ready to shed and not just fasting for a while? is the moulting period the only time a sling refuses food?

[Andy Wood]

She may just have fed well enough so she doesn't need any more for the time being... I guess in the wild they have lean times and times of plenty, they'll always make the most of an available food source in case it dries up, so could be she just can't eat any more for a while.

AndyZoo