Yeah, I only just started feeding her again a few days ago, since she was a little weak/twitchy still from her last molt. So now I'm fairly concerned, since I really don't think she's up to molting again yet. I've never seen anything like this!
Edit: I should note that I'd tried feeding her a little over a week after the first molt, but she rejected food until about four days ago.
Yeah, I thought it was normal, but every once in a while she'd lie flat out with all of her legs splayed and just kind of twitch/jerk all over as if she was stretching out, for a few seconds. Like a person cracking their fingers, toes and neck.
Oh my goodness, I just (very carefully) eased the cage around to check for sure, and it WAS over its abdomen! Is that significant, do I need to do anything?
...And here I've been calling "her" Lily, all this time.
No, you don't need to do anything. :) Your boy is just, uh. "Charging up" in hope of finding a lady tarantula.
You can also ID a mature male because his first pair of legs - his real legs, not the tiny pedipalps by his fangs - will have a little hook on them now. Around the middle of the leg, on the underside, about where the back of the knee would be on a human. And the pedipalps will have gotten bulkier, like boxing gloves.
You may notice him eating less and wandering more, if he is mature. You don't have to breed him if you don't want to (there is always a chance a ladyspider will eat him), it won't affect his health either way.
Unfortunately, a male at sexual maturity is also entering the last stage of his life. :( He could hang around for six months or two years, but then his number's up. I've got a mature male G. aureostriata myself, raised him from a wee little bug. He still eats pretty well, so you never know.
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I wouldn't worry unless s/he comes out looking damaged from the molt. I think you're in the clear, but keep a close eye on him/her.
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Edit: I should note that I'd tried feeding her a little over a week after the first molt, but she rejected food until about four days ago.
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One thought: is the web UNDER the spider, or over it? Because if they've got the web over them like a blanket, it's a sexually mature male.
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...And here I've been calling "her" Lily, all this time.
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You can also ID a mature male because his first pair of legs - his real legs, not the tiny pedipalps by his fangs - will have a little hook on them now. Around the middle of the leg, on the underside, about where the back of the knee would be on a human. And the pedipalps will have gotten bulkier, like boxing gloves.
You may notice him eating less and wandering more, if he is mature. You don't have to breed him if you don't want to (there is always a chance a ladyspider will eat him), it won't affect his health either way.
Unfortunately, a male at sexual maturity is also entering the last stage of his life. :( He could hang around for six months or two years, but then his number's up. I've got a mature male G. aureostriata myself, raised him from a wee little bug. He still eats pretty well, so you never know.
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