Concerned out balding

[April]

I've had my Rosehair for quite a few months now. She was bred and raised in a pet store. Ever since I brought her home she began to go bald on the abdomen. I know that can be normal but it's had grown significantly worse. Her back legs have no hairs on them and she's always quite reserved. She has not molted with me and I've had her for about a year now. Any advice?

 

[tcrave]

can you post a picture of your rosehair

 

[FaaFaa]

Is this your first Tarantula?

Along with the picture of the T a good picture and description on your enclosure and husbandry will also be helpful.

Without seeing your T a few things come to mind, but these are pure speculation at this point. Some Ts will cover their feeding/molt mats with their hairs. Also some Ts will look pretty scruffy as they get closer to a molt. Or there could be things in the Ts enclosure that it is rubbing againt as it is moving around that will cause the hairs to fall off.

 

[April]

When I get home today I will post a picture of her and her enclosure.

 

[Josh]

Hoping we can help you once we have a couple photos to see exactly what's going on

 

[April]

Thank you everyone for willingness to help! Sorry it took a bit to reply. Here the best pictures I could get if her.

 

[Morgan94]

IMO from the looks of it she's just nervous and flicking her hairs.. Or she's in premolt
Very pretty T by the way....

 

[Morgan94]

Just curious but what kind of substrate are you using?

 

[April]

Thank you! I'm trying to get her back to herself lol. It's a coconut substrate. It's like the kind that's tight packed then you soak it in water. I never really keep her cage moist cause I've been told rosehairs don't need high humidity. Is this wrong? We normally keep our house about 75 degrees

 

[tcrave]

Looks to me like you have a mature male. the last pic i can see the hooks. once a male tarantula matures its there last molt life span for a mature male is 1 -2 years some occasions 3.

 

[tcrave]

not my pictures. circle 1 is the tibial hooks. circle two the emboli and bulbs are present on the pedipalps

 

[FaaFaa]

Other than the lack of hair your T looks VERY healthy. I wouldn't really worry about it. Your enclosure looks great, nice and dry.

Can I suggest adding about 5 more inches of eco earth? This way your T can burrow AND if it climbs there is less of a chance of injuries due to a fall.

As far as the MM male thing goes IDK how in the heck tcrave can see that, I can't. Tcrave must have super duper eye sight! Let us know if he is right!

 

[Poec54]

Can I suggest adding about 5 more inches of eco earth? This way your T can burrow AND if it climbs there is less of a chance of injuries due to a fall.

As far as the MM male thing goes IDK how in the heck tcrave can see that, I can't. Tcrave must have super duper eye sight! Let us know if he is right!

- Yes, unfortunately as nice as it looks, that cage can be a death trap for a terrestrial tarantula the way it's set up now. Too many hard objects for the spider to fall on.

- If you buy and own tarantulas, you need to be able to identify adult males. I don't look for tibial spurs as about 30 genera don't have them. Adult males are always skinny and leggy compared to females, I can almost always tell them by that alone (I've been doing this for 42 years). The thing all of us need to know is to check the last palp segment for emboli, that's the reproduction organs. They're shiny and red/black, folded under like a pocket knife. Adult males don't have a normal tarsi on their palps.

 

[April]

I was planning on redoing (his) cage soon anyway so I will definitely add more substrate and he doesn't even use the hide hardly ever so you suggest I get rid of it? What else could I include to make this a better habitat for him? Does it need to be humid at all? I've been told no. And I will post a better picture when I get home in hopes to confirm it's a male.

 

[Morgan94]

Thank you! I'm trying to get her back to herself lol. It's a coconut substrate. It's like the kind that's tight packed then you soak it in water. I never really keep her cage moist cause I've been told rosehairs don't need high humidity. Is this wrong? We normally keep our house about 75 degrees

the substrates fine it just looked weird in the picture that's why I asked and they do like it dry there's not really a specific temp for these guys but 75 is good. and it does look like a male now that its not 2 in the morning and I look at it again..

 

[Poec54]

I was planning on redoing (his) cage soon anyway so I will definitely add more substrate and he doesn't even use the hide hardly ever so you suggest I get rid of it? What else could I include to make this a better habitat for him? Does it need to be humid at all? I've been told no. And I will post a better picture when I get home in hopes to confirm it's a male.

Roseas are from a dry, harsh climate and don't like high humidity. You don't want moist substrate.