Our Red-Kneed Tarantula, Ruby, has a fresh look this summer!
When visiting the science centre, you may have noted her rump has been bald and black lately. This indicates her pre-molt condition. Yesterday, one of our Science Facilitators, Iain, found her crumpled and discarded old skin lying on the ground of her tank, with Ruby staying hidden and resting. She is currently in the process of stretching her new soft skin before it hardens into its normal protective exoskeleton.
As an adult tarantula, she only moults once every 12–24 months.
If you'd like to learn more about how spiders moult, come by and ask us a few questions! You can also check out this cool video showing the process that can take hours to complete.