Relationship between moulting and environment

[Ben Cook]

Is there a relationship between moulting and environmental changes/conditions? The reason I ask is because I see a lot of people seem to get spiders of different ages and species moulting at the same time. Also, 10 days ago I changed the heat mat I was heating my L. Parahybana and B.vagans spiderlings due to the cold weather, the temperature increased by 2 degrees, I also upped the humidity in both enclosures by about 10%. The parahybana moulted 2 days ago and the vagans has just moulted last night.

Has the change in humidity and temperature "triggered" this? Seems very coincidental that two seperate species of different ages, sixes and growth rates would do this at exactly the same time.

Also, is there a danger that if this is the cause it has resulted in premature moults? or indeed the previous conditions have held back the moult? Interestingly both have been active and feeding as little as 24 hours prior to the moult with the vagans taking a meal only 2 hours before i noticed it had plugged its burrow.

[Ray Hale]

Hi Ben, although theer is no hard evidence to show that a change in environment can bring on a moult there is ceratinly a feeling that subtle changes will hasten a moult . My own experience and records show that a tarantula will often wait until it feels secure and safe in its environment before it innitiates the moulting process. I base this on whenver I bought tarantulas in the past from shows and then set them up in new environments I noticed that they would moult. So confidant am I of this that if I feel a taranrulal should have shed I change the set up completly using new substrate and change the temperature slightly alonng with the humidity. Within days the spider has moulted. I am also working on research to assess if other external factors have any effect on the spiders.

Hope this helps

Ray Hale
BTS Committee