A wide variety of tarantulas are considered to be nocturnal in nature. They are found all across the globe especially in the tropical, subtropical, and arid zones. They are considered to have a silk-like formation in the form of webs and are mostly burrowers in the ground. Over the last few decades, they are considered to be exotic pets and are often considered friendly creatures except for the fact that they do not show any emotions towards each other or the owners.
How Often do Tarantulas Molt? Tarantulas usually molt every six month according to the data available.
What is molting?
Snakes are common creatures that shed their skin occasionally. The whole act of shedding old skin might be fascinating for us but there is a significant reason behind it. The spiders do not have an internal skeleton like us. The exoskeleton of spiders has a very limited capacity to stretch which means that it should be discarded occasionally.
The whole process of molting the outside skin can be stressful for them as it takes a lot of energy to remove the whole outer skin. Time is also considered an important factor as the tarantulas might die if it takes more than 24 hours to discard their outer skin. The outer skin tends to harden leading it into an uncomfortable position which will eventually kill the poor creature.
The tarantulas are considered to be a bad molt as it has a hairy covering all over it. The tarantulas owned by the owners often have to help them with molting by using scissors to help them survive as it can be life-threatening for them.
Is molting painful for tarantulas?
The answer to this question is not known. The tarantulas have small brains and they don’t show any sign of emotions or affection towards each other. However, they do have a strong neurological system that enables them to act accordingly. They show significant defense mechanism techniques which are known to everyone.
Tarantulas while molting don’t show any sign that is alarming as it has to stay calm to be able to shed its exoskeleton. The process might not be painful but it becomes very sensitive after the whole act of molting. They do not tend to eat anything during this whole process and are very vulnerable to other predators as an insect without an exoskeleton can easily be trapped.
Over the last few decades, tarantulas are considered exotic pets and the owners sometimes do not feed them with insects as the “supposed to be food” for tarantulas might kill them. The new exoskeleton takes time to harden and they should be left untouched till then. The venom secreted by them is believed to be more potent during the period of molting. The venom is a part of their defense mechanism which is why it might be concentrated during that time.
Once the whole act of molting is over, they should be left undisturbed for a few days as they are still sensitive and the exoskeleton takes time to harden. It is a beauty in itself and should be left alone.
