For this reason alone you should never handle a molting tarantula. Molting may occur at a specific time of the year or it may occur at a specific point in the life cycle of the spider. This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, Checklist for the Beginner Tarantula Keeper, Old World vs. New World Tarantula Defenses. I've had a few only molt once when they were fairly young and still small, and then never again. Todd. It then will slowly pull itself out of the old exoskeleton through this opening. Time lapse of molting giant spider crab. Is a praying mantis the right pet for you? Unlike tarantulas, most true spiders (including jumpers) stop molting once they reach maturity. What to do if your tarantula gets stuck in the old exoskeleton during a molt? Most tarantulas will molt while laying on their backs (though some will molt on their sides). A good way to check to see if a spider is ready to be fed following a molt is to do something called a “water droplet test”. Like other arthropods, spiders has a protective hard exoskeleton that they have to shed periodically throughout their lives as they grow. Personally I would give my tarantula spider at least a full day to complete the molt on its own. This is not the case, and it is quite rare that a tarantula would ever be found dead upside down. Another test one can do is to look at the spider’s fangs and check their coloration. If your tarantula still retains part of the old exoskeleton after a moult but appears to be able to move around freely and has unobstructed ability to eat and drink, this is usually fine but indicates that the moulting conditions were not optimum, something that you should take care to address before the next moult. It varies with the species, age, and amount of food they get. //
In the stages leading up to a moult, be on the lookout for the following signs in the days leading up to moulting: Once moulting itself begins, it is usually all over and done with relatively quickly. Moulting usually happens naturally and without incident, although it is important for the owner of the pet tarantula to understand what happens during moulting, know how to identify an impending moult, and how to recognise any potential problems along the way. Tarantula fangs are soft and white initially after molting, and as they harden they turn red and then ultimately black.