Why won't my spider moult? (Mexican Red Knee)

[Karen McGoldrick]

Hello all, this is my first post. Looking for some well needed advice/reassurance.

I've had my first spider for 18 months, she has moulted four times so far. After the last moult we were able to tell that Bob is actually a girl (Bob as in Kate, for any Blackadder fans).

About two months after her last moult, Bob developed the largest bald spot she's ever had on her rump. I've tried to attach a picture HERE. That picture is just over 2 months old. I was convinced she was pre-moult. In the past when she's looked like that, she's moulted within 10 days.

She's not a very temperamental spider - loves coming out of her tank (unaided) for walks - she's very calm when handled (no more than once per week), so I am pretty sure she has not kicked off the hairs.

Her tank is warm and at 70% humidity. She is still very active and will accept food, but is down from x4 large crickets a week to maybe one per fortnight.

The spot is now VERY dark around the edges, but is till quite pale in the centre. The bit that is worrying me most are her legs - she looks to be almost bursting out of her old skin, especially around the knees. WHY WON'T SHE MOULT????

Please let me know if I should be worried..... Thank you..

[Mark Pennell]

Hello all, this is my first post. Looking for some well needed advice/reassurance.

I've had my first spider for 18 months, she has moulted four times so far. After the last moult we were able to tell that Bob is actually a girl (Bob as in Kate, for any Blackadder fans).

About two months after her last moult, Bob developed the largest bald spot she's ever had on her rump. I've tried to attach a picture HERE. That picture is just over 2 months old. I was convinced she was pre-moult. In the past when she's looked like that, she's moulted within 10 days.

She's not a very temperamental spider - loves coming out of her tank (unaided) for walks - she's very calm when handled (no more than once per week), so I am pretty sure she has not kicked off the hairs.

Her tank is warm and at 70% humidity. She is still very active and will accept food, but is down from x4 large crickets a week to maybe one per fortnight.

The spot is now VERY dark around the edges, but is till quite pale in the centre. The bit that is worrying me most are her legs - she looks to be almost bursting out of her old skin, especially around the knees. WHY WON'T SHE MOULT????

Please let me know if I should be worried..... Thank you..

Karen
having looked at the images you have on here http://www.flickr.com/photos/3850457...in/photostream

Bob is a mature male... not a girl.. This will explain why its not moulted matures very rarely moult once mature.

Hope this helps

mark

[Karen McGoldrick]

Hi Mark - thanks for your reply

I don't mind either way, but I took Bob's last moult to a local breeder who told me (quote) she had clearly "shed her spremathecae lining". Doesn't mean very much to me I'm afraid, but he was convinced that Bob was female.

Could he be mature already? He was about 3/4 months old when I got him a year and a half ago. He's not quite 2 years old yet.

[Mark Pennell]

Hi
The images of a tarantula called bob on your images site are of a clearly fully mature male.

The tibial spurs and embolus's on the pedipalps are there.

A B,smithi will mature anywhere between 1.5 and 7 years depending on environment and conditions. Etc

Typically a at the ages of 3-4 months they would be around 1-1.5 inches in span.

Cheers
Mark

[Andrew Oels-Wallis]

He's obviously large enough to knock over your wall at any rate!

[Leon Lane]

Mark is right - Bob is a boy and he is now on a countdown and looking for love!

Time to find him a Mrs

[stuart longhorn]

Hi, i agree with all this....

So indeed, bob is actually bob, despite what your local 'breeder' said, they were wrong, bob is 100% male. Sorry to you if this is bad news, because, this does mean his future is not long. Adult males like this do not live longer than about 1 year maximum. They have one goal in life now, to find a female. You might have notice bob walking alot more since his moult. The mature males naturally walk long distances to find females.

The bald patch is nothing to worry about, it just means its flicked away the hairs from the abdomen. You were right this pretty much always happens before a moult with redknees, but such balding can happen anytime, it just means its flicked away the hairs with its back legs, rather than them falling out as the skin begins to separate layers in the final run up to a moult. I'm not sure what you mean now the spot is dark around the edges. Are you looking at actually skin or the hairs around, which are always black. The skin must go dark before a moult, so that means the whole of the skin within the bald patch, not the remaining hairs around. Anyway, no matter, as bob is a mature and healthy adult male, so he will not moult again. (well, as mark said it rarely happens, but it normally doesnt go well for the spider, as its unnatural for mature males to moult again)

So for large female redknees, they should begin to get into a cycle of moulting about once a year as they age. Juveniles moult more frequently. But as the spiders age, the gap between each moult will widen, so a young juvenile moulting say every 2-4 months, to an older juvenile every 4-6 months, to sub adult every 6-8 months or so. These are not accurate numbers just an approximate to explain. As yours moulted i think november-december, that means that if it were female, it wouldnt moult until much later in the year again whether it was bald on the abdomen or not.

Anyway, this is all leading upto the fact that i've got a mature female who is ready to find a mate. (She just moulted herself so is in ideal condition to breed). I nearly got her to breed last year, nearly. I've bred plenty of other species already. But i'd love to try again to breed from my female of this species as she is very ready. Im based in Birmingham UK right now. I'd love to borrow Bob for a short while, like a month or so for mating. Well karen, please think about it, but i expect it depends where you are located, as you clearly care very much about your spider, and have never loaned any for breeding (which is quite common for people to do, typically by sending in the postal system, though must be packed well). Anyway, you might be able to find a female with someone closer to you (though again, mine is in optimum condition for breeding right now, others might not be). Or you might choose to let him live out his life where he is. But, as a mature male this will be less than 1 year now, and i personally think its a shame when people leave mature males unmated, especially ones like these considered by some to be 'endangered species' in the wild (hence alot more captive breeding could be really useful).

Anyway, lots to think on. Best Wishes.
stuart

----
Mark, i also think there is some overestimation how quickly it is possible to get a male, i would say takes a minimum of 3-5 years if you powerfeed, and over 5 years before most would mature. So i struggle to also believe it was 3/4 months old when you got it, especially if you tell us it had any colour markings on the legs. The young start off very small and no markings, just plain greyish. And its not possible to get a mature spider from 4 or 5 moults you tell us you've had (it takes about 10-15 moults in these), all leading me to suspect that 'bob' was actually few years old when you got him. I've had several of this species that have taken more than 5 years to become mature males. Im thinking that Mark's numbers are biased by keeping/bredding lots of quick growing asian species!! I'd love to see a male mature in such a short time, as mark suggests is possible.

[Mark Pennell]

Mark, i also think there is some overestimation how quickly it is possible to get a male, i would say takes a minimum of 3-5 years if you powerfeed, and over 5 years before most would mature. So i struggle to also believe it was 3/4 months old when you got it, especially if you tell us it had any colour markings on the legs. The young start off very small and no markings, just plain greyish. And its not possible to get a mature spider from 4 or 5 moults you tell us you've had (it takes about 10-15 moults in these), all leading me to suspect that 'bob' was actually few years old when you got him. I've had several of this species that have taken more than 5 years to become mature males. Im thinking that Mark's numbers are biased by keeping/bredding lots of quick growing asian species!! I'd love to see a male mature in such a short time, as mark suggests is possible.

Stu
excellent and wonderfull reply... I have a mature male if you need one.
Oh BTW I had a B, smithi mature in 1.5 years. It was really small but amazingly a fastastic male and really did the business. Although as stated I really only keep Asian sp now. Stuarts estimation on true growth rates is more likely closer to the normal...


Cheers
Mark

[Richard Horrigan]

Bob is a pretty damn handsome fellow!

[stuart longhorn]

He is a fine fellow indeed !.

Hi Karen, ok i got your private message. My suggestion is to perhaps talk with some of those nearer to your location (which i wont disclose, thats your choice), but i point you towards Invicta Arachnid Club, who are based in and around Kent. They have a webpage you should be able to find online easily, with some contact emails on it. Also, i found they have a facebook group, so i posted a message on their asking anyone there with a mature female to come and check out this thread, and perhaps get in contact with you.

Mark, if you had a male mature in 1.5 years, then i'm very impressed, and i learn't. I prefer to feed mine much less than some do, which is closer to natural. In the wild though, i've seen several that i would consider 'skinny', so i think i actually feed mine more than natural, as mine never go skinny. I might also start feeding my spiders more now, see if i can get mine to mature quicker! Yes Mark, if you have a mature male too, then i'd like to borrow him please, my female is perfect now - i think you can find my address somehow....

[Peter Roach]

i point you towards Invicta Arachnid Club, who are based in and around Kent. They have a webpage you should be able to find online easily, with some contact emails on it. Also, i found they have a facebook group, so i posted a message on their asking anyone there with a mature female to come and check out this thread, and perhaps get in contact with you.

..

Maybe get in touch through Invicta's website which is http://www.invicta-arachnid-club.co.uk/.

I was at the club meeting tonight and Chris (Chairman of Invicta) was talking about his large AF B smithi that needed mating. . . a match made in heaven

Chris's email is . . . . ChrisCarter_InvictaArachnids@Hotmail.co.uk

[Mark Pennell]

Stu
I'll try and get him posted to you on Monday ok

Pm me your address. Ok.
Will send special delivery.

Mark