Honduran curlyhai

[Mark Taylor]

My Honduran curly hair tarantula has started molting.

So how long does it usually take?

I will take pics of new outfit and the molt once finished

Here is one when I got it to be going on with.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tss003_zpsb219bbee.jpg

[Starbuck]

It generally takes over an hour for them to molt, mine sometimes took up to 6 hours.
They will spin a mat of webbing on the substrate, flip off the carapace, then flip themselves upside down, with their legs in the air. Then they will be seen pumping their legs rhythmically, as they push the old skin off. The abdomen will split on its own and shrivel considerably.
After they shed completely, they may remain upside down for several areas, waving their legs about as the cuticle hardens.

They should NOT be fed for the 2-3 days after shed, as their fangs and cuticle are still hardening, and they may not be able to apprehend their prey and could instead be damaged by the prey insects.
Best of luck, let us know how it goes!

[Mark Taylor]

What do you do with the molt leave it in or take it out.

I was thinking taking it out would wreck the web?

[Starbuck]

I take mine out after a day or two. Sometimes it wrecks the web, but the spiders rebuild them pretty quickly :)
You'll be surprised at how little the molt sticks to the web. Tarantula silk is not very sticky anyways, they mostly use it as extra 'feelers' in their environment.

If the molt comes off really clean, you can soak it for ~30 seconds in warm slightly soapy water, then pose it however you want, and let it dry for a day. After, it becomes a nice little memento to your spider's growth :) I have a few of mine framed.

[Mark Taylor]

Thanks I will remove the molt once I have seen her moving around a bit more looks like it came of well, I can't see it that well with the top on and don't want to disturb her to much.

I will be keeping and making a nice pose from the molt.

How do you make the pose with pins? any pics?

[Starbuck]

all you need is something to support the legs/body etc while it is wet, try not to poke holes through any parts of the legs/body. I also normally separate the carapace, and either glue/place it over the chelicerae.
you could use stacked tiny pieces of cardboard to get the legs to support the body (i.e. cardboard under the body) etc.


I would go for a simple standing pose at first, as she will keep molting and you can play with her other molts when they get bigger ;) I'm going to try a fangs up, legs out 'attack' pose when my Flame Leg molts next ;)

i might have pics when i get home from work today, not sure.

[Mark Taylor]

Cool the front legs up an fangs showing is what I was thinking but I will just see how it goes I have big fingers and no nails. So I will be using tweezers lol.

[Mark Taylor]

So here's a couple of pics.

The molt unfortunately one of the legs came of after the pic I might glue it back on.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Molt1009_zps1b45a7ef.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Molt1009_zps1b45a7ef.jpg.html)

Looking bigger to me anyway and hairier.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Molt1003_zpsb26b8278.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Molt1003_zpsb26b8278.jpg.html)

Thanks for looking.

[Mark Taylor]

So I made her a new den and she is making it her own lol.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv004_zps0a1b8c7f.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv004_zps0a1b8c7f.jpg.html)

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv003_zps8439828a.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv003_zps8439828a.jpg.html)

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv001_zpsaaf568ed.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv001_zpsaaf568ed.jpg.html)

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv002_zps35d289c3.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv002_zps35d289c3.jpg.html)

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv007_zpsda54bb9f.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv007_zpsda54bb9f.jpg.html)

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae45/MarkSparks2009/Tsviv005_zps30353606.jpg (http://s956.photobucket.com/user/MarkSparks2009/media/Tsviv005_zps30353606.jpg.html)

She has made a little cave under the wood hide it goes all the way back I could just about see her legs with the light but can't make them out in the pics. She has been busy lol.

[Starbuck]

hahahaha yup, they are industrious little guys :) Glad she is doing well. How did your molt come out?

[Mark Taylor]

The pose went wrong think I left it to long and it dried up so when I went to pose it just broke up lol. I will try again with the next one thanks for asking. Next time I see her out Ill get pics of her instead of dirt lol.