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- The Oregon rain forest
Everyone gets excited to have their spider finally molt and examine it for its sex. Theres one other thing you should be looking for and it's super easy to spot...the sucking stomach.
I recently had a already sexed juvenile Tliltocatl Sabulosum molt so I just tossed her molt in the trash. A few weeks later I noticed she was looking very thin. Upon inspection of her burrow I found dead whole carcasses. I tossed her a roach and watched her. She nailed it and began stuffing it in her mouth. The next day I found her in her water dish and the roach was uneaten. I tried everything to get her to eat...even blended up roaches and superworms into soup. She always tried to eat but it nothing would work. I was constantly retrieving her out of her water dish. She eventually passed away...dehydration/drowning. (Photo of her trying to eat smashed superworms)
Even if I had seen it before I threw the molt away there was nothing I could have done.
Losing a sucking stomach is basically a death sentence for a tarantula. Chances of them surviving to the next molt is slim to none. There is no cure for it besides another molt. So dont get all stressed out and worried...it does happen but it's not that common.
I thought I would share what you should look for every time you get a molt. No magnification needed...easy to spot everytime. This an example a successful molt of the sucking stomach.
I recently had a already sexed juvenile Tliltocatl Sabulosum molt so I just tossed her molt in the trash. A few weeks later I noticed she was looking very thin. Upon inspection of her burrow I found dead whole carcasses. I tossed her a roach and watched her. She nailed it and began stuffing it in her mouth. The next day I found her in her water dish and the roach was uneaten. I tried everything to get her to eat...even blended up roaches and superworms into soup. She always tried to eat but it nothing would work. I was constantly retrieving her out of her water dish. She eventually passed away...dehydration/drowning. (Photo of her trying to eat smashed superworms)
Even if I had seen it before I threw the molt away there was nothing I could have done.
Losing a sucking stomach is basically a death sentence for a tarantula. Chances of them surviving to the next molt is slim to none. There is no cure for it besides another molt. So dont get all stressed out and worried...it does happen but it's not that common.
I thought I would share what you should look for every time you get a molt. No magnification needed...easy to spot everytime. This an example a successful molt of the sucking stomach.
