Is my tarantula shedding or is it doing something else?

Question

Well, here's the story. My tarantula seems to have been losing much of its top coating of hair. What is being exposed is a light pink spot that is hairless. My tarantula has had this condition for quite a few weeks and I was very curious of what to do about it. I do know that tarantuals shed, but I recall many of the pictures I've seen them shedding are them lying on their back and shedding their whole exoskeleton at once. I don't know if theres a vet I could relly turn to anywhere around Long Island for a tarantula, so i was wondering if i could get some insight of what to do with him/her before i start looking around for a vet. My tarantula eats ok, and I feed him two crickets a week. He is nocturnal like any other normal tarantula.

Please, can some tell me what to do about this problem, unless this kind of shedding activity happens for some certain breeds of tarantula.

Answer 1

Many tarantulas, especially New World types which shed 'hairs' more properly known as urticating bristles, develop pink (yes, tarantula skin is often as pink as a baby's bottom) bald patches on their behinds. We call this the 'window to the soul' of such tarantulas. The reason we say this is that as a molt is impending, one will often notice a gray stripe appear in the middle of the 'window'. Slowly and surely this patch will enlarge to take up the entire window. Shortly thereafter, the window itself will become black. This color means that the molt is VERY near, and is the result of the tarantula growing a new skin, along with an entirely new set of bristles, beneath the existing one. The blackness you see are the new bristles yet to be uncovered. Most, but not all tarantulas are soon to be found flipped over onto their backs, the typical molting position.

=)

Answer 2

Sounds like he may be dying...I am sorry. I will pray to allah.

Answer 3

Sounds like he may be dying...I am sorry. I will pray to Jesus