My Charlotte's last molt. Warning: LOTS of pics!!

[Pixie]

Charlotte was the first tarantula I ever got and she has been a total joy to have around. She has a great disposition and doesn't flick much hair. Here are some pics of her last molt, she was very nice and did it out in the open so I could snap a bunch of pics :D

I found her mid morning like this:
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt01.jpg

She stayed in that position for quite some time without much movement, approx. 4 to 6 hours.
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt02.jpg

I came back a while later and saw that the process was under way, she was already starting to pull out of her old skin:
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt03.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt04.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt05.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt06.jpg

Here's a nice shot of her new fangs:
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt07.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt08.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt09.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt10.jpg

She was pretty much done with the molt and was now resting.
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt11.jpg

I gently pulled her molted skin off her so I can admire her better :)
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt12.jpg

These next pics are the neatest ones I've ever taken. After finishing her molt, I swear that I saw her take a few deep breaths! She might have just been stretching a little but it didn't seem like that at all. Her thorax and abdomen raised slightly for a couple seconds very slowly before decending. It really looked as if Charlotte was taking a deep breath or two.
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt13.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt14.jpg

She stayed on her back resting for a good half hour before getting back on her feet. I got some great shots of her mouth and a little inside:
http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt15.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt16.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt17.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt18.jpg

http://www.pixiecreatures.com/photos/charmolt19.jpg

Hope you enjoy :)

Pixie

[drewlowe]

WOW, Those were some of the best pics i've seen!!! I wish i could catch my girl in molt but she is sooooo secretive.

[djc3674]

FASCINATING!!!! GREAT PICS...I can't wait to show my 5 yr old. He wants a T badly...but not yet, he is too young...and I am too scared..lol One day maybe.

[CDN-Cresties]

Those are some amazing pics that you have taken, thanks for sharing :)

[sleddergirl]

Thank you soooo much for the great pics............One of the reasons I got MJ is because I was so intigued by the molting process.............well here we are, a year and a half later, still hasn't molted........:rolleyes: I have been dying to see it happen!

Question: Is there a certain way to "preserve" the molt?.....will it decay or can you just leave it?......when it does eventually happen I would like to keep it if thats possible............

[Yve]

once again...great pics:)

[Pixie]

You can keep a tarantula's molted skin for a long time without it degrading in any way. As long as you don't fiddle with it too much or place it in a nice glass display, it will last forever.

I still have Charlotte's first molt that she did with me and it's at least 2 years old and in as good of a condition as the day she molted out of it.

Thanks for all the compliments guys :)

Pixie

[Emily-Fisher]

Those are some sweet pics! Heh... coincidence... my red knee, Kesare, is on my knee right now and has a big bald spot on her abdomen... hopefully I'll be lucky enough to catch her molting too! It'll be her 2nd molt..

I wish that I still had her first molt... eh I've got a story! I was so proud of it so I stuck it to the outside of Kesare's enclosure. Then genius mom comes in to the room, sees the molt on the glass, and tries to catch it with a yogurt container(thinking that it was the actualy tarantula who had escaped.) Since the molt wasn't moving, mom tried to scoop it up in to the yogurt container only to squish the molt in to a million pieces. She thought that she killed Kesare so when I got home from school, she was being so nice to me. When she said "Red knees are such nice animals... you should get another... I'll pay!" Then she explained that she accidently killed Kesare and I explained that it was only Kesare's molt. Damn it... I could have got another red knee!! :P

[Pixie]

LOL! Emily, that his a hilarious story!!!

[Optimus Prime]

Wow pixie those are some excellent shots bang up job :)

[Linds]

What an awesome set of pics! :D

[TheRedDragon]

Wow! Those pics are awesome! I've never had the privelage of catching mine in a molt yet. Very beautiful tarantula too. :)

[susan]

WOW my rose haired just molted about a week ago,i didnt get to see it awesome pics,ive had her since last year so it took awhile.i gave the skin to my 6 yrs old class in school for display