Few Questions

[ryunwoofie]

I have a few questions. Lets start out mentioning I'm a fairly new T owner. My first T was a Rose Hair that I got for Christmas this past year.
He is always pleasant, lets me hold him, does spidery things. Only true problem was that he hasn't eaten since before last December. He JUST molted today. My mom owns some smaller T's that have shed and came

Comments

[purpurealuna]

All I can say is he's definitely over a year old, Male rosies don't grow THAT fast. Size doesn't always mean age, it depends on how well they've been fed and temp as to how fast they grow.

[ryunwoofie]

I figured it was bull that id' be that age. It's so hard to find pet shop owners who know what they are getting. :C

[vurmie]

...Sounds like he just had his final molt. Definitely older than a year. He may live for up to three years after this molt, and he may even have some more molts after this. Rosie males are surprisingly resilient!

[ryunwoofie]

He lasted so long w/o food I hope he will last longer. He is my first! I don't know what I'd do w/o him.

[vurmie]

I understand. Male T lifespans are so unfair. That is why I intend on buying a sling, to maximize my time with them. Sigh.

[ryunwoofie]

I tend to try to get Females in general because of that. :C
But since this was a Christmas present, can't really complain.

[kiffie]

Final molt males are typically gangly and noodly, so a lot of that is just par for the course. However, know that males at this stage may not eat for the rest of the lives -- they sometimes get so interested in mating that food and water take a backseat. I'd say, give him a week or so for his fangs to harden up, then offer a cricket. If he strikes, hooray! If not, make sure he's at least drinking.

[ryunwoofie]

Thanks. I will keep a close eye on him.

[edward_hyde]

Usually when T's molt they are double the size

Incorrect, actually. It is dependent on both species and...well, not age, because time has surprisingly little influence on the tarantula aging process (food and warmth are more important, which is why you can never tell age without knowing already) - it's more like life stage, maybe.

So a tiny baby L. parahybana may double from 1" to 2", but the average Grammostola species (like yours) has all the growth rate of a glacier. And it gets slower when they're already adult size, which yours clearly is since he's matured.

due to his lack of eating his abdomen is small and he seems weak. I'm not planning on feeding him till he looks more sturdy, but could this add to his "floppy-ness?"No, that is normal. Tarantulas are not SUPPOSED to eat in premolt, although some individuals can and do. The abdomen shrinks in the molting process because they burn off so much stored energy doing their thing. You'd be tired out too, if you didn't grow at all from age 12 to age 18 and then suddenly caught up

[ryunwoofie]

That's good to know. Thanks for the advice.

[mrzombie9]

I second edward_hyde's post. G. roseas have such hit and miss behaviors that they can be daunting to a beginning T owner. Hence why I never recommend them as "starter" T's, despite having a wonderful girl of my own who I lurve

[ryunwoofie]

I have no idea what a 50/50 trade is. And since he was my first I'm gonna keep him. He is the love of my life, even if I thought he was a girl till this molt. XP It's all relivant.

But yes, thanks for your advice. I will be back later I'm sure about my other 3. :3

Thanks again!

[ldygrinningsoul]

I noticed that my males, once they got spurs, ate much less and looked underfed. Sometimes I noticed the lean look before I saw the spurs. Mine got kind of hyperactive at the very end of their lives and spent all their time wandering and climbing. They do stay floppy longer the older they get, and molts become much less frequent.