My spider, Lachesis is molting right now (just flipped over on her back). It takes awhile, but I have a camera set up on a tripod to take pictures of it.
Her last molt she grew from about 3" to 3.5", so she might be around 4" at the end of this molt? For reference, the picture above she's only 2.5" or so (two molts ago).
For those of you who haven't ever seen a spider molt, it's about one of neatest things to watch. Pics when she's all done!!
Update - She finished the molt in pretty good time, about 10 hours from the first picture to the last. Once she hardens up and starts to take food, I'll take a movie of her vs. a cricket.
Picture 1) Flipped over and ready to begin the molt.
Picture 2) - Just a small twitch, compare it to the first picture to tell.
Picture 3 - Separated from the old shell. Her fangs are a very different color as well as her joints. She'll get darker over the next few days.
Picture 4 - Fully extracted from the old skin, she can now flip over and remove the old abdomen skin. The molt skin is nearly weightless.
Picture 5 - Her old skin is fully removed and left crumpled on the side.
Picture 6 - Another closeup of her & the old skin
Molt - Here's what her molt looks like. Notice the holes that her new legs had to be pulled through.
Palmed - Here's what she looks like now.
Palmed 2 - A little more stretched out.
Crawling - Crawling along my arm.
Just in case anyone is curious, she's extremely tame and has never bit me or kicked up hairs (although a bit quick on her feet right after her molt).
Her last molt she grew from about 3" to 3.5", so she might be around 4" at the end of this molt? For reference, the picture above she's only 2.5" or so (two molts ago).
For those of you who haven't ever seen a spider molt, it's about one of neatest things to watch. Pics when she's all done!!
Update - She finished the molt in pretty good time, about 10 hours from the first picture to the last. Once she hardens up and starts to take food, I'll take a movie of her vs. a cricket.
Picture 1) Flipped over and ready to begin the molt.
Picture 2) - Just a small twitch, compare it to the first picture to tell.
Picture 3 - Separated from the old shell. Her fangs are a very different color as well as her joints. She'll get darker over the next few days.
Picture 4 - Fully extracted from the old skin, she can now flip over and remove the old abdomen skin. The molt skin is nearly weightless.
Picture 5 - Her old skin is fully removed and left crumpled on the side.
Picture 6 - Another closeup of her & the old skin
Molt - Here's what her molt looks like. Notice the holes that her new legs had to be pulled through.
Palmed - Here's what she looks like now.
Palmed 2 - A little more stretched out.
Crawling - Crawling along my arm.
Just in case anyone is curious, she's extremely tame and has never bit me or kicked up hairs (although a bit quick on her feet right after her molt).
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