Well this doesn't happen everyday!!!

[Nicola Dolby]

Had a shock this evening. Recently I've had a couple of spiders die in moults so tonight I saw one of my spids hadn't been eating. I went to investigate and there she was at the bottom of her container, half out of a moult and not moving. I thought "here we go" and gently picked her up. Putting her on the palm of my hand I went in search of a container to put her in until the morning when I would bury the poor girl. WhenI got the container for her I felt a tickle on my hand, she was still alive!!!
So now I have a tarantula moulting on my hand whilst I'm looking for some tissue paper to put her on in the container for her to rest with until the morning. I can't put her back in her old home because there's all crickets in there and she's still moulting on my hand!!

Anyway I finally got her onto some tissue paper in a container and put some moisture in there for her too until the morning. I suppose there's a first for everything, having a tarantula moult on my hand! Aww
Picture link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58318836@N04/5708667402/

[James Box]

gosh hope that works out ok! i've also lost a few, i think due to the temperature drop of a couple weeks ago. i'd already turned off the radiator etc as it was heating up...and then a temp drop and suddenly three recently moulted spiders died. gutting!

[Nicola Dolby]

Thanks James. Yes she's snuggled up next to the boiler now. She's finished moulting, all ok. Now I hope I can get her through the recovery and all will be good! Sorry to hear about your losses, its horrible when that happens.

[James Box]

Thanks James. Yes she's snuggled up next to the boiler now. She's finished moulting, all ok. Now I hope I can get her through the recovery and all will be good! Sorry to hear about your losses, its horrible when that happens.

i'm glad she's doing ok!
thanks, it's been a bit rough lately! bad luck i guess...

[K Smith]

Gosh, hope that never happens to me! Hope everything will be ok. Looked like an ok moult from the pic.

I was getting used to the hot weather doing me a favour on heating bills, and the heat mats being off until the weather turned the other week. My chile rose is due a moult now, shes gone just over a year without one. But shes does the chile rose thing of being off her food for 9 months then ate one crick a couple weeks go and now refuses food again. Confuses me on what to look for in an upcoming moult!

[Nicola Dolby]

To be honest I didn't mind her moulting on my hand, it was more how to move her afterward without damaging her. Thats whilst I had to act asap. A total "Don't Panic!" moment. She's fine now, all is done and I've put the girl in a warm, dark cupboard with some water to convalesce for a couple of days. Thanks!!

[Garth Massey]

@ nicoladolby Good Luck on the recovery keep us updated but @ least she is ok.


@K Smith I am sitting in the same boat with my Chile Rose lets just wait and see...

[JensFalk]

Never ever touch a molting spider!!! Be glad you didnt stress her to death.

[Nicola Dolby]

If you read my write up Jens you would see I thought she WAS dead, had I put her back in her container the crickets would have got her (or the stress of removing them killed her). Still you are right, people should never touch a moulting spider.

Garth I'll get a couple of pics later today and put them on my Flickr link (for some reason they won't load directly on here).
Speak Soon!

[Nicola Dolby]

Here's a couple of pics of her now:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58318836@N04/5713144992/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58318836@N04/5713143212/in/photostream/

Any name suggestions?

[Colin D Wilson]

how about "Eva" named after Eva Petulengro ....... after all she's a famous Romany PALM reader .......

[James Box]

Never ever touch a molting spider!!! Be glad you didnt stress her to death.

try reading the original post properly.

[Nicola Dolby]

Eve is a lovely name! Thats decided then, Thanks Colin!