Angry Pre-moult?

[NatashaG]

So its been near enough 4 months since my juvenile b.smithi Zoltan last moulted, and I am pretty certain that he had now hit pre-moult once again. His abdomen is HUGE and now I'm seeing a darker colour change to it. He has also refused to eat for us twice now, and my curiosity has gotten the better of me because both times he has been rather aggressive. The first time was roughly a week ago, when we were attempting to fill up his water bowl, and he reared up at us and then scuttled off. I did toss in a small cricket, which he ate, but it was very small and I had put this down to him being a little bit hangry. I waited a week to try again (because his butt was so big) and yesterday I had to use a soft paint brush to usher him down from the side of his tank (I have done this numerous times without any issue) and he reared up again. Only this time he walked the length of his enclosure still doing the same thing. I left it a few hours and chucked another cricket in, which he left and basically ran away from. I said I would attempt one more feed tonight before leaving him to wallow in his moodiness, and this time no aggression, but no cricket was eaten either. Now I know that not all tarantulas are the same and each one will react differently, but I assumed b.smitis were rather docile and (dare I say it) a little bit on the dopey side. Is this behaviour just because of him still being a juvenile? Or has anyone else experience a little bit of anger when their T's are hitting pre-moult?
Picture is the most recent of how large is abdomen is, and you can kind of see the darkness. Will try and get a better (unedited) snap when he has ventured back out.

 

[Entity]

I don't know....my b. smithi is a huge asshole! he is meaner than my OBT...seems happy in his house till you mess with anything that is his...then its on!

 

[NatashaG]

I don't know....my b. smithi is a huge asshole! he is meaner than my OBT...seems happy in his house till you mess with anything that is his...then its on!

Has your B.Smithi always been that way? Because until the recent behaviour change, Zoltan was rather gentle and was only ever skittish on certain occasions (like moving the water bowl to clean it out or whatever.) I did one last try with a cricket just now and he has avoided it like the plague. Pre-moult is on!!

 

[Entity]

Mine was never aggressive until he got his adult colors....now I guess he thinks he is king! lol I mean if I try to tong feed him he goes past the food to come up the forceps after me....lol like I said huge attitude problem.

But ignoring food....yeah id say that's probably pre molt that's about the only time mine refuses to eat.

 

[Johnnyp1987]

All mine seem to change with molts, my juvi male went from nice, to mean, to nice again after each molt. My juvi female went from mean to nice to mean to nice, shes in premolt again so im guessing she will get her attitude back soon lol

 

[NatashaG]

Mine was never aggressive until he got his adult colors....now I guess he thinks he is king! lol I mean if I try to tong feed him he goes past the food to come up the forceps after me....lol like I said huge attitude problem.

But ignoring food....yeah id say that's probably pre molt that's about the only time mine refuses to eat.

With his last moult, Zoltans colours came through brilliantly, much brighter and way more obvious than before. He is still only 3 inches and has a long way to go yet, but perhaps you are right about that!
I've never tong fed Zoltan, I always prefer to watch the hunt but if he ever came at me like that I think he would be kicked to the curb!

 

[NatashaG]

All mine seem to change with molts, my juvi male went from nice, to mean, to nice again after each molt. My juvi female went from mean to nice to mean to nice, shes in premolt again so im guessing she will get her attitude back soon lol

Oh my goodness, is this what I have to look forward to?? I thought he had settled down with his last one and lost a hell of a lot of his skittish side, but now I just have an asshole T staring me down. That's going to be fun!

 

[Johnnyp1987]

My adult female is really soft, they seem to grow out of the mood swings, they are just like teenagers that become adults, eventually they stop being moody lol

 

[Entity]

With his last moult, Zoltans colours came through brilliantly, much brighter and way more obvious than before. He is still only 3 inches and has a long way to go yet, but perhaps you are right about that!
I've never tong fed Zoltan, I always prefer to watch the hunt but if he ever came at me like that I think he would be kicked to the curb!

aww. u cant kick em to the curb...they just be spiders. they don't know any better. I just think its funny that I have a smithi with an OBT attitude. lol

 

[NatashaG]

My adult female is really soft, they seem to grow out of the mood swings, they are just like teenagers that become adults, eventually they stop being moody lol

I'm hoping that he will turn into a gentle little soul, fingers crossed anyway. I wonder if it is different for males and females?

 

[NatashaG]

aww. u cant kick em to the curb...they just be spiders. they don't know any better. I just think its funny that I have a smithi with an OBT attitude. lol

Nah, I wouldn't have it in me to kick him to the curb. But he will have to learn to be nice with me if he wants another cricket It is funny, I never expected it!!

 

[SpiderDad61]

So its been near enough 4 months since my juvenile b.smithi Zoltan last moulted, and I am pretty certain that he had now hit pre-moult once again. His abdomen is HUGE and now I'm seeing a darker colour change to it. He has also refused to eat for us twice now, and my curiosity has gotten the better of me because both times he has been rather aggressive. The first time was roughly a week ago, when we were attempting to fill up his water bowl, and he reared up at us and then scuttled off. I did toss in a small cricket, which he ate, but it was very small and I had put this down to him being a little bit hangry. I waited a week to try again (because his butt was so big) and yesterday I had to use a soft paint brush to usher him down from the side of his tank (I have done this numerous times without any issue) and he reared up again. Only this time he walked the length of his enclosure still doing the same thing. I left it a few hours and chucked another cricket in, which he left and basically ran away from. I said I would attempt one more feed tonight before leaving him to wallow in his moodiness, and this time no aggression, but no cricket was eaten either. Now I know that not all tarantulas are the same and each one will react differently, but I assumed b.smitis were rather docile and (dare I say it) a little bit on the dopey side. Is this behaviour just because of him still being a juvenile? Or has anyone else experience a little bit of anger when their T's are hitting pre-moult?
Picture is the most recent of how large is abdomen is, and you can kind of see the darkness. Will try and get a better (unedited) snap when he has ventured back out.
View attachment 19834

Mines kind of a prick sometimes.
When close to molt, tho, it's normal for smithis' to have a lil attitude. Mine will rear up if I touch it, and it's mostly to say "leave me alone right now. I'm about to literally crawl out of my freaking skin". I'm sure it's a sensitive situation for them. If u think about it, in the wild, the T would have to defend itself if it were close to molt because it's in a vulnerable stage.

 

[Entity]

well mine must be ready to molt all the time then. lol