What to Do when Your Pet Tarantula Molts Their Skin

Most first time tarantula owners are shocked when they see their tarantula shed their skin, and some are not even aware of the fact that they do. The process is one of the miracles of nature, and much like a snake shedding their skin, a tarantula molt is absolutely necessary to their survival. This means that you need to know what to do, and sometimes what not to do, to ensure that your pet tarantula is safe while molting. Your pet tarantula's life may depend upon it.

The first thing you should know is a basic understanding of what molting is. Molting is how a spider grows, and they do it at different speeds depending upon the spider. Some of them will molt quickly while others will molt slowly. Regardless, you can expect your pet tarantula to molt fairly often when they are young because they are still growing. Some tarantulas molt monthly during their most aggressive growth periods.

Tarantulas that are about to molt will show some specific behaviors, and these are important to understand. They will often begin to show a liquid like drop around their legs, and they will become sluggish and drab colored. They will not want to eat at all, and they will most likely spend the majority of their time using extra webbing to build a mat. They also will develop a bald place on their abdomens. When the spider begins to molt, they will then lay on their backs.

When you begin to see signs of an impending molt, it is very important that you clear the cage of any food that the spider has not already consumed. The smallest prey items can cause a tarantula to die when they are molting, as the spider will be very easily injured before and after the molt. Also, make certain that your spider has the right humidity in their cage, as this will aid them in their molting.

Once the spider is on their back, do not disturb the spider in any way. Molting is a very stressful time for a spider, and any interference can cause the death of your tarantula. Make sure you leave the spider alone and keep an eye on them from a distance.

After the tarantula completes their molt, they will be very sensitive and at risk. For this reason, you want to give the spider a chance to recover before interacting with them at all. Do not feed them, and most assuredly do not handle them during this time period. Their skin has to have time to harden up and you can kill them by moving too quickly with these things.

Give a pet tarantula plenty of space when they molt, give them time to recover, and keep your distance as you observe this natural miracle of nature, and you will witness one of the most amazing things on earth. The best part is, your spider will survive to do it all over again the next time they molt.