To molt or not to molt, that is the question.

[DustyD]

Hello everyone, this is my 2"+ G. Rosea named Harrison (Harry) Bottom and I suspect he is in premolt.

He has not eaten for 15 days and his darkened abdomen hasn't shrunk. He has refused food, including the cricket in the picture. A slightly smaller cricket that entered his den days earlier, he simply booted out of the hide.

In recent days he has blocked off one end of the hide that I used to check on him through, although in the past he had spend very little time inside.

My other three Ts have all been secretive and spent weeks/ months hold up underground with the molt appearing outside eventually.

 

[timc]

Probably premolt, but 15 days without food is literally nothing to this species. At that size I might only attempt to feed every 15 days, so as to avoid long fasts.
If her hide is blocked off not much else to do but enjoy your other Ts!

 

[DustyD]

Thanks!
I think I may try the longer periods between feedings, although my Ts seem a little more active in the summer heat.

 

[timc]

Thanks!
I think I may try the longer periods between feedings, although my Ts seem a little more active in the summer heat.

Oh for sure, it’s a great time to grow them before they shut it down for winter. Just have to be careful to not over do it, especially with Grammostola. When my pulchripes was teeny tiny I tried to fatten her up to get as many molts in as I could before it got cold. Well, her first winter (she was less than an inch still) she neither ate nor molted and I never tried “power feeding” her ever again. (Not that i was power feeding in the sense reptile keepers do it, but that’s a whole different conversation)