Did my tarantula just molt without a trace?

[Allthingsterrarium]

Hey guys! This is probably the dumbest question you'll read in quite a while but I'm at a loss for explanations. So October, my Mexican fire-leg, has officially been "about to molt for weeks on end. I know it's impossible to predict exactly when a tarantula will molt but come on the signs have just been getting clearer and I've been saying "he should probably molt within the week" over and over again. Well, yeah, he'll molt when God tells him it's time. His lack of molting however isn't the weird part. The strange part is this. He had all the trademark molting symptoms. He stopped eating a couple months ago, he's been hiding more and drinking more water, the underside of his abdomen is free of any hairs and recently he's developed a clear bald spot on the back of his abdomen. By all means he should have been molting in a matter of days. Here's the thing though. Somehow I think he might have molted already because even though the outline of the bald spot is just visible there are now hairs where it should be. I heard tarantulas don't regrow new hairs and only replace them upon molting. However unless he buried it or something which I don't see any need to do, there is no molt in there and he doesn't look any bigger. Again I can see some slight bald patches and a possible crack in the exoskeleton suggesting molting will happen soon but the vivid bald spot is not there anymore. I'm officially stumped.

 

[kormath]

Pictures.

What size is he? Slings tend to burrow and molt in the tunnels. Then push the exuvium out with dirt burying it, or tearing it to pieces in the process. I've found legs from one molt scattered around the cage, like it flung them off in all directions instead of slowly pushing the molt off.

Now wouldn't that be cool. A self defense mechanism while molting. Legs become javelins, then they have skewered prey to eat after they recover.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Pictures.

What size is he? Slings tend to burrow and molt in the tunnels. Then push the exuvium out with dirt burying it, or tearing it to pieces in the process. I've found legs from one molt scattered around the cage, like it flung them off in all directions instead of slowly pushing the molt off.

Now wouldn't that be cool. A self defense mechanism while molting. Legs become javelins, then they have skewered prey to eat after they recover.

Oh.....that's.......kinda horrifying

He has about a three inch leg span and has molted once since I got him so he has grown maybe a few centimeters since then. Here's two pictures I took a few months ago. He's certainly bigger than a sling and the substrate is way to shallow for him to make a burrow. It's all pretty confusing. Should I try giving him a cricket? Maybe if he eats I'll know he molted.

 

[Kymura]

Can you see what color its fangs are?
They are extremely light, a sort of bone white after they molt slowly darkening to a sort of red then the normal black (or reddish black)?

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Can you see what color its fangs are?
They are extremely light, a sort of bone white after they molt slowly darkening to a sort of red then the normal black (or reddish black)?

Thanks Kymura! I'll have to take a look at that!

 

[Phil]

I have a fire leg the same size so a couple of things here, at that size, a bald patch is not usually a sign of a molt, more that he/she has just flicked hairs. If there is a bald patch and a molt due, the bald patch will be black (new hairs forming underneath) If there was a black bald patch and now there are hairs with a brown/beige bald patch then he/she has molted and has already flicked hairs post molt. An up to date pic of any bald patch as well as the fangs suggested by others would also help. Personally, I would check for signs of the above before offering food although looks a decent size and would frighten off most crickets anyway

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

I have a fire leg the same size so a couple of things here, at that size, a bald patch is not usually a sign of a molt, more that he/she has just flicked hairs. If there is a bald patch and a molt due, the bald patch will be black (new hairs forming underneath) If there was a black bald patch and now there are hairs with a brown/beige bald patch then he/she has molted and has already flicked hairs post molt. An up to date pic of any bald patch as well as the fangs suggested by others would also help. Personally, I would check for signs of the above before offering food although looks a decent size and would frighten off most crickets anyway

Thanks Phil! He's definitely a hair flicker and can be a little grumpy sometimes but I checked a little while ago and I did notice what looks to be the dark bald spot you mentioned. It's a good sign In fact I did try to give him one of the tiniest crickets in my container and it got right in his face and he got mad and flicked hairs at it but didn't eat it.

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Thanks Phil! He's definitely a hair flicker and can be a little grumpy sometimes but I checked a little while ago and I did notice what looks to be the dark bald spot you mentioned. It's a good sign In fact I did try to give him one of the tiniest crickets in my container and it got right in his face and he got mad and flicked hairs at it but didn't eat it.

I removed the cricket and killed it because it was probably full of hairs and in pain well at least it's not going to bother him now

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Guys! Total Irony lol Get this. I posted this question yesterday and now today, literally, literally the next day. Showing no signs of doing so earlier ,October is lying on his back and about to molt! Isn't it Ironic?

 

[Phil]

Guys! Total Irony lol Get this. I posted this question yesterday and now today, literally, literally the next day. Showing no signs of doing so earlier ,October is lying on his back and about to molt! Isn't it Ironic?

Great news. Mystery solved. Good luck with the molt. Hope you have nice humidity and make sure fresh water available after the event but do not disturb him/her during and just after the process.☺

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Great news. Mystery solved. Good luck with the molt. Hope you have nice humidity and make sure fresh water available after the event but do not disturb him/her during and just after the process.☺

Alright! I know his exoskeleton and fangs needs some time to harden before he can hunt. When do you think it will be safe to drop a cricket in there? Day or two maybe?

 

[Psyrocke]

I'm not sure a day or two will be sufficient. When my Tapinauchenius sp Colombia molted, I waited a week just to be safe. But I would watch the chelceriae. I waited til mine were dark with no signs of pink (because this Tappies are black) before I gave it anything live.

 

[Phil]

Alright! I know his exoskeleton and fangs needs some time to harden before he can hunt. When do you think it will be safe to drop a cricket in there? Day or two maybe?

Longer at that size probaby. Personally I would wait 5 to 7. As long as fresh water there. Everything will be fine.

 

[Psyrocke]

Hah, @Phil jinx-ish

 

[Phil]

Hah, @Phil jinx-ish

Ha ha....yep both saying same thing (ish) ar same time. Think you were just the fastest finger first on that one ☺. Great minds think alike......or 2 idiots seldom differ. Whichever you prefer lol

 

[Psyrocke]

Hah, yeah. I've had good luck with my big molt..not my sling molt (lost my baby Tappi to a wet moult it would seem) sadly..so my word is indeed good on the larger specimens at least!

 

[Phil]

Hah, yeah. I've had good luck with my big molt..not my sling molt (lost my baby Tappi to a wet moult it would seem) sadly..so my word is indeed good on the larger specimens at least!

That's sad. Sorry Hun. I think my GBB is not long for this earth. She molted a few weeks ago now but the old girl really really struggled, conditions were perfect but she is a pensioner so just too much for her I reckon. Only ever had one death in molt, but had to be a flamin expensive one tho didn't it...,P.Metallica

 

[Phil]

Perfect timing...... my B. Boheimi has just flipped over too

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Longer at that size probaby. Personally I would wait 5 to 7. As long as fresh water there. Everything will be fine.

Thanks Phil and Psyrocke! Yeah, his mind's probably on other things right now, like the natural instinct of trying not be eaten by a hawk or a lizard or a coyote fresh after molting I'll offer him some dinner on April 1st since it's about a week from now. I feel like not only will it give his body time to harden but it will get him hungry in the mean time lol!

 

[Allthingsterrarium]

Perfect timing...... my B. Boheimi has just flipped over too
View attachment 15328

Lol! Irony is abundant today huh?