First Molt Questions!

[ArvadaLanee]

Hello all! If you missed our introduction, we just just adopted a 5 year old female rose hair tarantula. When we posted a picture, a kind forum user let us know that the dark spot on her back means she is going to Molt soon! This is our first ever tarantula, so we need all the help we can get! We have lots of questions!

I know to remove uneaten food, and be sure she has plenty of water. I know not to mess with her, or attempt to handle her at all. But what else should I do? Would she prefer her tank more on the warm side, or do they like it little cooler for molting? I'm guessing humidity is important to factor in here, so would it be a good idea to lightly mist the tank? If so, should I do just one side, or the whole thing? The air here in Wisconsin gets pretty dry in the winter, so that worry me somewhat. She has been pretty active today, out and about, and moving around. Do they look for specific places to molt? It there anything I could provide her that she might like? Maybe a slightly damp paper towel, or something? Are they shy about molting? Would it make her feel more at ease to cover her tank with a towel or blanket, so she can have darkness?

I don't even know how long it takes to molt, or how to know if things are going alright! Can someone describe the process for me, and tell me what to watch for?

Caesar (my 9 year old son) has a question as well. He wants to know about the hairs on her body when she molts. Will the old hairs stay on the shell, and she will have new hairs, or do the hairs stay on her somehow? Will we need to be careful when we remove her shell from the tank, to not accidentally get hairs in our skin? We are considering learning how to mount and save them.

Sorry for all the questions. We didn't know we would be getting her, so we haven't had a lot of time to research, and we really want to get it right.

 

[kormath]

G. rosea do not like any moisture as they come from one of the most arid places on the planet. If i drip water on the substrate filling my rosea's water dish she'll climb the walls and wait for it to evaporate before coming back down.

Does the tank have a hide? something she can crawl in/under to get away? If so that should be all she needs to molt, she'll dig it out some if she needs to, no need to cover the tank.

Pre-molt can take a few weeks or longer depending on age and type of species. Keep the water dish full and feed her regularly until she quits eating, then sit back and wait. My rosea hasn't molted yet, so i'm not sure if they'll make a molt mat out of web or not. You'll know when she starts as they flip over on their back. The molt could take hours, and she'll need 2 weeks or so to recover. Don't try and move her or anything while molting, just let her do what needs done. When her fangs turn black is the first sign she's through the molt recovery and her exoskeleton is hardened, you can try feeding her then.

The hairs will stay on the discarded exoskeleton and she'll grow new when she molts. Again don't disturb her more than filling the water dish until she's recovered from the molting process. I wouldn't try removing the old exo until she's fully recovered, but if you can do it without disturbing her you might try it. I wouldn't disturb her more than filling the water dish though.

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Thanks so much. That answers a lot. She does have 2 hides. One is a half log, and the one she seems to prefer is a little plastic barrel. We were told she hadn't eaten in about 2 months before we got her, but I was given the impression that this was because her owner forgot about her, and not that she refused to eat. (This was the reason she was rehomed to us, as her owner felt bad that she'd been forgotten about.) I feel bad myself now, because I did put a cricket and wax worm in there, thinking she could be starving, and now I don't want to remove them yet, because she is out and about today. If she goes back in her barrel later, I will try to get them out, if I can do so without disturbing her. Poor baby.

 

[Meludox]

G. roseas are notorious for fasting, 2 months is really nothing for an adult.

My 5" adult female molted on December 28th, and she was in pre-molt for approximately 2 months. She went under her hide and webbed up the entrance and sat under there until she was ready. So it could be a few weeks or months until yours molts, but hopefully not too long.

 

[kormath]

My tiny rosea sling has been fasting for a month now and appears to have been in premolt this whole time. Abdomen was really dark when she arrived and hasn't changed. Still plump though and making no move to hide or webbing a mat or anything so I'm hoping she'll molt soon. I hope.

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Interesting. I had read about them fasting, but since it was my impression that it was less fasting, and that she had been forgotten about, and not offered food, I wasn't sure. In all honesty, I am still unsure because she was pretty active all day today, and when she finally got comfortable in a corner under her plant, I couldn't find that cricket or wax worm anywhere. I did find what looks to be a half eaten, (or maybe shell of?) a cricket in the opposite corner, but I am not sure if this is old, or the cricket we just offered. I didn't open the cage at all, but I used a pen light to look around, being careful not to shine it near Blanche. I really would have done a lot more reading up, had I known we would be getting her, but when her previous owner told me they had forgotten about her, and she had gone 2 months without any care, I figured at least I should try! I will keep updating on what she is doing, and continue to read, both here and other sources. Hopefully, everyone here will forgive my ignorance, and realize that I am doing the best I can to provide good care, and teach my kids about the responsibility involved in caring for a living creature.

 

[kormath]

Hopefully, everyone here will forgive my ignorance, and realize that I am doing the best I can to provide good care, and teach my kids about the responsibility involved in caring for a living creature.

You've come to the right forum. Out of all of those I watch this had been the most friendly which is why it's the only one I post in

 

[Meludox]

Interesting. I had read about them fasting, but since it was my impression that it was less fasting, and that she had been forgotten about, and not offered food, I wasn't sure. In all honesty, I am still unsure because she was pretty active all day today, and when she finally got comfortable in a corner under her plant, I couldn't find that cricket or wax worm anywhere. I did find what looks to be a half eaten, (or maybe shell of?) a cricket in the opposite corner, but I am not sure if this is old, or the cricket we just offered. I didn't open the cage at all, but I used a pen light to look around, being careful not to shine it near Blanche. I really would have done a lot more reading up, had I known we would be getting her, but when her previous owner told me they had forgotten about her, and she had gone 2 months without any care, I figured at least I should try! I will keep updating on what she is doing, and continue to read, both here and other sources. Hopefully, everyone here will forgive my ignorance, and realize that I am doing the best I can to provide good care, and teach my kids about the responsibility involved in caring for a living creature.

Your care seems to be adequate from what I can tell, and it's great to ask questions!

If you haven't already, I recommend you check out The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. It's a very extensive book, and pretty much the bible of the hobby. I haven't read it cover-to-cover yet, but I find myself flipping through it frequently.

 

[ArvadaLanee]

You've come to the right forum. Out of all of those I watch this had been the most friendly which is why it's the only one I post in

Thank goodness. I have joined other forums, (for our other pets) and found that some people can be quite harsh, and judgmental. I have never been the target, but I still cringe to see a person who took the time to find a forum, post a question, and try their best to be a responsible pet owner, only to be insulted, and made to feel badly. It has made me a bit paranoid, but I have to remind myself, that I have the best of intentions, and most people will see that. I'm happy to know I found a good place for my tarantula questions. I am such a sucker! I am already getting all attached to our new baby!

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Your care seems to be adequate from what I can tell, and it's great to ask questions!

If you haven't already, I recommend you check out The Tarantula Keeper's Guide. It's a very extensive book, and pretty much the bible of the hobby. I haven't read it cover-to-cover yet, but I find myself flipping through it frequently.

Thank you! Is it a book I could find on amazon.com? I would love to have my boys read it to me! That way they could practice their reading as we learn proper care together!

 

[Meludox]

Yup! Pretty cheap on there, too.

 

[ArvadaLanee]

Yup! Pretty cheap on there, too.

Awesome!

 

[Nicolas C]

One truly good care sheet available online is about Grammostola rosea/porteri and written by Stan Schultz, author of the Tarantula Keepers Guide. It's free, worth the reading and really helpful IMHO.

You'll find it here: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

 

[ArvadaLanee]

One truly good care sheet available online is about Grammostola rosea/porteri and written by Stan Schultz, author of the Tarantula Keepers Guide. It's free, worth the reading and really helpful IMHO.

You'll find it here: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/roses.html

Thank you so much for this article! It is much more in depth than the other articles I had been reading. It's also pretty entertaining. It really helped answer some questions I was having on heating. I still plan to do more reading, and hopefully get that book, but this is truly a great start. One of my favorite things about any pet, is learning all I can about it. As a kid, I even dreamed of becoming a nature show host.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Good stuff comes to those who asks. Just keep asking those questions, we can relate as we have been there ourselves.

 

[RedCapTrio]

Though each experience is unique as they come.

 

[Enn49]

Thank goodness. I have joined other forums, (for our other pets) and found that some people can be quite harsh, and judgmental. I have never been the target, but I still cringe to see a person who took the time to find a forum, post a question, and try their best to be a responsible pet owner, only to be insulted, and made to feel badly. It has made me a bit paranoid, but I have to remind myself, that I have the best of intentions, and most people will see that. I'm happy to know I found a good place for my tarantula questions. I am such a sucker! I am already getting all attached to our new baby!

We've all been beginners at some time, I still have a lot to learn, and people on here are always happy to help, it's a great forum.

 

[Phil]

We've all been beginners at some time, I still have a lot to learn, and people on here are always happy to help, it's a great forum.

Here here to all of @Enn49 comments. You never stop learning and the Ts always surprise you (in a good way) and this forum and it's members are head and shoulders above any others I have seen. I have only been on about a month and I am addicted. Wish work would not get in the way then I can be on it longer. If I have not already said hello and welcomed you @ArvadaLanee then a big HELLO

 

[kormath]

We've all been beginners at some time, I still have a lot to learn, and people on here are always happy to help, it's a great forum.

Here here to all of @Enn49 comments. You never stop learning and the Ts always surprise you (in a good way) and this forum and it's members are head and shoulders above any others I have seen. I have only been on about a month and I am addicted. Wish work would not get in the way then I can be on it longer. If I have not already said hello and welcomed you @ArvadaLanee then a big HELLO

Ditto both of these only a month here for myself also (surprised me, i thought i'd been here longer lol). It's the friendliest forum for T's i've found so far. You'll learn a lot from the folks here

 

[Phil]

Yup! Pretty cheap on there, too.

Not a reply as such just wanted to say @Meludox that your profile pic is similar to the GBB that I have posted in the gallery (ie doing acrobatics on front legs). Just thought I would mention as I like your pic.... and yes, the book is one of the best. Not sure how I manged it but for some reason I have 2 copies????