The Hidden Ones

[PamCz]

How do you all tell if your T's that are ALWAYS hidden have molted? My Poecilotherias are always in their burrows. I haven't seen my 2.5" striata in over a month. I do see its poo everywhere tho, so I know it's alive! I had my regalis molt and I was able to remove the exuvia because it happened outside the cork tube...but the striata and my (1.5") rufilata? Never see them--even in the middle of the night! If I turn on the lights...I see a shuffling of substrate down in the tube, might catch site of a foot...but that's it. I figure they do molt (lol), but I never find the exuvia. What I'm saying is....I don't know when to feed them and when not to. I get NO indication on their molts, whatsoever. Sometimes, they don't eat, which is molting behavior, of course...but that's it. I don't know when molting occurs, or when they'll be hardened up enough for eating again. God forbid I put a bitey little cricket in there while my T is molting & defenseless.

 

[Enn49]

With some of my burrowers the only way I know is when they kick the old exo out of their burrows. My OBT is the classic example, she kicks hers out in bits or uses them to adorn her burrow.

 

[PamCz]

I *wish* mine would kick out their molts!!! But, noooooo...gotta be difficult.

 

[Enn49]

That's Ts for you, they like to keep you guessing

 

[PamCz]

Guess who showed up to the watering hole!! One of my hidden T's. My 1.5" freshly molted P. rufilata! It's definitely getting more confident. I opened the enclosure to get a pic & at first it ran towards the burrow...then stopped, turned around & went back to the water dish. As if to say, "I'm not afraid of you!" Lol...

 

[Enn49]

And wasn't it worth waiting for?

 

[PamCz]

Yup. Love seeing my T's.

 

[Tomoran]

Some will be kind enough to deposit their molts outside of their dens. Others, I have to guess. In some cases, I will drop a cricket in overnight. If it's still there in the morning, it usually means that the spider is in premolt. As I get up very early in the morning, I'm also fortunate in that I get to catch most of my shyer Ts out and about. That affords me the opportunity to see who might be sporting a plump abdomen and getting ready for a molt.

You can always mark molts down on a calendar, which can at least give you somewhat of an idea of when they might be ready to molt. It's an imperfect science, however, as so many factors can impact the time between molts, and it can be a bit time intensive if you have a larger collection.

 

[PamCz]

@Tomoran Yes, I keep a notebook for my T's -- very helpful. One page for each that lists all the details...molts, rehousings, purchase date, price, etc... This is the first molt for this rufilata in my care, so I didn't know it's basic schedule. I think it'll get easier to tell now that it's starting to hang out in view. But...since it's a fast grower, I'm thinking a molt every 4-6 weeks.

I'll be watching for the uneaten cricket as a sign pointing to the next molt.

 

[Fuzzball79]

I'm pretty sure my T. Gigas has molted inside its burrow (it's the first time it's made a burrow rather than a web funnel up the way). The only leg that I can see looks see through(ish). But it's not showing itself nor putting the exo out, arrgh!

 

[PamCz]

I'm pretty sure my T. Gigas has molted inside its burrow (it's the first time it's made a burrow rather than a web funnel up the way). The only leg that I can see looks see through(ish). But it's not showing itself nor putting the exo out, arrgh!

I know....it's so frustrating when they do that.

 

[Enn49]

Looks like I've got another 2 that I'm not going to see much of, my new 2 have both made burrows overnight and vanished

 

[PamCz]

LOL....sounds about right!