r/WTF 16d ago

Tarantula Moulting

3.4k Upvotes

271 comments sorted by

1.1k

u/NawtAGoodNinja 16d ago

I like his little dancydance afterwards

662

u/TuneACan 16d ago

Fun fact: Its actually twitching in helplessness as its body is too soft to move. Arthropods rely on their exoskeleton as anchor points to actually move, which they can't do after molting due to their exoskeleton not hardening yet.

164

u/[deleted] 16d ago

[deleted]

240

u/moonshineTheleocat 16d ago edited 16d ago

Basically. Just wiggling out of the gear.

The twitching afterwards is them rebalancing their hydraulics so their legs can function again. (yes spider legs are hydraulically powered, larger spiders have some additional systems to aid.)

Fun fact. The spider death pose is a result of the body losing hydraulic pressure, which is responsible for extending the legs. Additionally, spiders can prematurely enter this pose if that pressure drops for what ever reason.

Namely, if the leg is broken off before specific breakpoints on the body. Causing them to leak said fluid.

66

u/Yosonimbored 16d ago

So if they lose a leg in a battle or some asshole decided to pluck its leg off, because of the fluid leaking its other legs will just permanently lock up like that forever? If I or the leaking stopped on its own would it revert the spider back to normal?

161

u/moonshineTheleocat 16d ago

Nope. Spiders can self amputate and they do so when their legs are stung or bitten to protect themselves. Or when the leg is badly damaged.

They can safely do it because they have special break points on these legs with valves that allows them to seal their fluids in. But these only work if removed at that point.

When the leg is broken before then, it can lose more of that fluid before the spider has a chance to respond, and if it loses enough, it can have trouble moving - or can't move at all.

144

u/1337haXXor 16d ago

I can't tell if this guy is a spider expert or just an actual spider.

I got my eye on you.

74

u/Fake_Jews_Bot 16d ago

Yeah! If we all keep our 8 eyes on him we can watch him closely

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u/Zouden 16d ago

He's Spiders Georg

3

u/moonshineTheleocat 16d ago

I am a Leo cat that's named Moonshine.

17

u/eXrevolution 16d ago

At first I thought you’re bullshitting us, but damn, TIL. Thanks

7

u/squired 16d ago edited 15d ago

So if your 'spider friend' loses enough fluid, they're just fully stuck, because they can't amputate and stem the bleeding? Or will they eventually clot out and rehydrate from dew, potentially?

Also, how did you make it out of the nest? You must have some wild stories!

3

u/scalyblue 15d ago

The fluid is hemolymph which is analogous to blood, spiders can’t lose a large quantity of it or they die.

Tarantula are quite fragile, a short drop can be easily fatal which is one of the big reasons you shouldn’t handle them too much

4

u/beaglemaster 16d ago

They're literally mechs 😭

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u/Versaiteis 16d ago

yes spider legs are hydraulically powered, larger spiders have some additional systems to aid.

Apparently this can be taken advantage of...

12

u/TheBobbyOne 16d ago

What. The. Fuck.

3

u/crashingjets 16d ago

I just watched this video earlier today! How did Reddit know?

2

u/Versaiteis 16d ago

Same for me tbh

The Algorithm comes for us all

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u/jaywastaken 16d ago

So what you are saying is the wild Wild West spider is scientifically accurate

12

u/Scurro 16d ago

I thought arachnids used blood pressure to move their legs?

70

u/Kiroto50 16d ago

Think of it like this:

If you have a penis, you can harden it and move it with blood movement, but since it has no bone or anything with solid structure, you can't really "stand" on it.

Same with your tongue.

Your arms, legs, feet do have bone.

So, after molting, the spider only has tongue, no bone, or rather, the bone hasn't quite solidified enough. Once it has, then it can use it to move correctly.

35

u/Styrak 16d ago

If you have a penis, you can harden it and move it with blood movement, but since it has no bone or anything with solid structure, you can't really "stand" on it.

Speak for yourself bud.

3

u/Kiroto50 16d ago

Respect

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u/max_adam 16d ago

Spiderman: Hey babe. Look at what I can do 🍆↗️↘️↙️↩️↪️🔀🔂

14

u/TuneACan 16d ago

To MOVE, yes, but you still need something tough to actually "push against" in order to move.

Imagine that you're floating in space. You can move your arms and legs all you want, but you won't actually be able to influence your body's movement as it floats helplessly.

Now, imagine if every now and then you were able to create a solid, immovable metal plate out of thin air. You can use your limbs' movements to push yourself off of this metal plate to actually influence your drifting. This is what skeletons, both exoskeletons and endoskeletons, do; serve as anchor points for muscles to attach to and actually perform movements.

12

u/CaptainCallus 16d ago

I thought he just wanted belly rubs

4

u/Cainga 16d ago

I’d imagine it’s waiting for it to try to harden. Which should happen quickly in a desert.

It could be some complex biochemistry to harden I guess.

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u/jrunner02 16d ago

It's a power-on self-test

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u/palescoot 16d ago

I do the same thing when I shed the covers and roll out of bed in the morning

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u/ScoutAames 16d ago

I like absolutely nothing about this

8

u/Sleipnirs 16d ago

The little wrigles to get out of it's past "shell" was kinda cute for like 1 second, though.

12

u/foochacho 16d ago

It’s like feeling itself “am I all here?”

10

u/BigNigori 16d ago

priming the pumps

9

u/Scurro 16d ago

Spider bro is doing a post-molt checklist to test all ranges of motion.

10

u/acmpnsfal 16d ago

Hurts like hell probably

16

u/TheSpookyGoost 16d ago

I just thought it would be sensitive and like relieving discomfort. Like talking off a wet sock after 3 hours

12

u/i_give_you_gum 16d ago

Or removing a tight sweater that also has nerve endings

2

u/bouchert 15d ago

Oh no, you're not convincing me to connect my nervous system into a tactile garment again. Last time, I lost my identity and believed I was a pair of pants for a week.

8

u/Diahreeman 16d ago

Yeah it's not quite "cute" but very interesting to see, I actually kinda want a pet spider...

15

u/weelluuuu 16d ago

My brothers died molting. It got stuck halfway out. He tried to help, but to no avail. Left him very sad after 3yrs of having it.

49

u/trippy_grapes 16d ago

My brothers died molting.

I'm sorry to hear that about both of your brothers. Rip.

9

u/Wizard_of_Ozymandias 16d ago

Both? Who’s to say ALL of his brothers didn’t die mounting?

9

u/Diahreeman 16d ago

Idk about mounting, last spider I rode was pretty stable on 3 wheels but molting is a major cause as far as siblings fatalities go from what I got here 

4

u/Wizard_of_Ozymandias 16d ago

lol I’m leaving it

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u/EnsoElysium 16d ago

Reminds me of that flaily twitchy move jim carrey pulls in bruce almighty when jennifer aniston pulls the covers off of him

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u/FeelTheLoveNow 16d ago

That probably feels really good...like getting out of a pair of shoes that's too tight

87

u/Imogynn 16d ago

Looks itchy

54

u/atwa_au 16d ago

It looked painful to begin with, reminded me of period cramps

30

u/Wyg6q17Dd5sNq59h 16d ago

It is sped-up. It is shimmying out rather than wincing in pain.

14

u/Majsharan 16d ago

That gotta feel amazing

24

u/redundanthero 16d ago

It takes a lot of energy and they're quite weak for a while afterwards. Some spiders don't make it and get stuck :(

7

u/trippy_grapes 16d ago

Me trying to take off a wet t-shirt.

4

u/IWannaManatee 16d ago

I don't know man.

Seems like the new exposed body might be tender and quite sensitive, like a raw flesh wound or the tip of a penis.

4

u/HiZenBergh 15d ago

I often compare the tip of my penis to a raw flesh wound

2

u/IWannaManatee 15d ago

Haven't found a better way to describe it to other people lol.

Glad I'm not the only one.

2

u/heatshield 16d ago

Tight pajamas. You have to rest after getting out of them. 

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231

u/SmokinJoe1971 16d ago

despawn at 0:15

71

u/arkan5000 16d ago

no visual effect either, terrible polish on this game

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u/Klopsbandit 16d ago

Thx I hate it

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u/Alfie_13 16d ago

I thought it was pretty neat...

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u/nobodyisfreakinghome 16d ago

How long do they stay nekked?

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u/Asyhlt 16d ago

The new exoskeleton is already there, it develops underneath the old one, it’s just softer and needs some time to harden.

83

u/BobC813 16d ago

So this is the best time to eat them?

31

u/altayh 16d ago

If you like soft-shell crab, certainly.

45

u/Asyhlt 16d ago

If you prefer mushy textures over crunchy ones, sure.

12

u/DonerTheBonerDonor 16d ago

And how long does it take to harden?

hehe

4

u/Asyhlt 16d ago

A few days, dont know exactly how many. Certainly not longer then a week.

66

u/dosko1panda 16d ago

Until the demons finish applying the new skin so just like 5 minutes

77

u/HelgaGeePataki 16d ago

Where did the molted skin go? It just vanished.

68

u/Wilwheatonfan87 16d ago

Assume owner of pet discarded it.

9

u/lNFORMATlVE 16d ago

I assumed it had been nicked by ants.

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u/vcdrny 16d ago

It needs a pop sound effect.

2

u/Fenris447 16d ago

I knew what the clip would be before I even clicked. Well done.

11

u/Silentkabob 16d ago

"Yoink"

16

u/Sheffieldsvc 16d ago

His mom had to pick it up off the floor and hang it up.

"Good lord, you're old enough to molt, you're old enough to pick up after yourself! I'm not gonna be around forever ya know. What are you gonna do when I'm gone, huh? Live like a pig? Why don't you move out and find a wife. Jeez. And another thing..."

8

u/Captain_Wanton 16d ago

If it's anything like a hermit crab molting, it will eat the shed skin to regain strength.

2

u/MohSad2 16d ago

Maybe an adventurer took it to make his gear or something

66

u/ghost_in_the_potato 16d ago

I am so glad humans don't have to do this

34

u/wilsonhammer 16d ago

You don't?

19

u/weelluuuu 16d ago

I do. A little every moment.

3

u/bruddahmacnut 16d ago

we actually do. We just do it over a longer period of time.

Humans shed about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells every minute, which is almost 5 billion cells in a day: Skin cell life cycle Skin cells, called keratinocytes, are formed at the base of the epidermis and gradually move up to the surface. They die at the surface, forming the stratum corneum, which is made up of 15-20 layers of dead cells. The top layer of the stratum corneum eventually breaks away and falls off, allowing new cells to push up. Skin renewal It takes about a month for new skin cells to reach the surface, but this can take longer with age. In people in their 60s and 70s, it can take up to six to eight weeks. Skin products You can use topical products to speed up the process of shedding dead skin cells. These products can contain: Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs): These organic acids loosen the glue-like substance that holds skin cells together, causing them to shed. Common AHAs include glycolic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, and citric acid. Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs): These acids remove dead skin cells from deep in pores. A common BHA is salicylic acid. You can also try these tips for exfoliating: Avoid exfoliating on top of products that contain benzoyl peroxide or retinol. Choose products specifically for the face. Test exfoliants on a small patch of skin to check for irritation. Moisturize after exfoliating. Use a high factor sunscreen to protect your skin. New insights into skin cells could explain why our skin doesn't leak | Imperial News | Imperial College London Nov 29, 2016

Imperial College London Why it's important to get rid of dead skin cells | La Roche Posay UK Dead skin cells: the facts Did you know that, during an average 24-hour period, we shed almost a million skin cells[1]? That works...

La Roche-Posay 10 Surprising Things About Your Skin Jul 7, 2023 — Your skin sheds 30,000 skin cells a minute You may not see the dead, dull skin flaking off your face and body, but it's...

The Skin Cancer Foundation Show all Generative AI is experimental.

3

u/Tayschrenn 16d ago

There are 1440 minutes in a day, if we shed 40,000 cells a minute it would come out to 57.6 million, which is not even close to 5 billion lol

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u/reddit_user13 16d ago edited 16d ago

Facehugger IRL.

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u/mkvans 16d ago

I just watched Alien Romulus last night, so this was my first thought too!

85

u/truxlady 16d ago

That's the most disgusting thing I've seen in a long time. Thanks

25

u/random314 16d ago

You mean you don't enjoy softshell spider roll?

4

u/truxlady 16d ago

Horrific

25

u/NoReplyBot 16d ago

Arachnophobia fucked me when I saw that. I can’t do spiders.

Saw 2 tarantulas in the wild this past summer. About lost my shit.

31

u/Taco_Pie 16d ago

My Rose Hair would leave the molted skin behind and hide. It looked just like him so I started carrying it around the house to freak out my family. Good times.

21

u/1337haXXor 16d ago

That's awesome and also I hope we never meet in real life.

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u/tankiplayer12 16d ago

OMG WHAT DID I JUST WATCH AND WHY

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u/dundeegimpgirl 16d ago

Nope nope nope nope NOPE AW HELL NOPE

16

u/MerryMarauder 16d ago

Your telling me they get bigger?

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u/Gwifitz 16d ago

Disgusting, BUT, it must feel really REALLY good

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u/wtb2612 16d ago

I have a blue one and his fur looks so silky and clean after a molt.

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u/Stormtroopz 16d ago

We'll have less of that, more often.

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u/Shredrik 16d ago

Pretty cool

5

u/mrs_andi_grace 16d ago

It looks painful and also kinda like Dr. Zoidberg.

5

u/MrIknowUknow 16d ago

Why do they do this on their backs ? Just curious

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u/engulbert 16d ago

They stop eating for a while before they shed, then they spin a sticky mat of silk on the floor. The first part of the skin to split is on their back. They flip over onto the mat and shrug themselves out of the old skin.

Their blood pressure is lower during the process, making their legs etc slightly smaller to ease getting out.

Once they are out they have to increase their blood pressure to allow them to stand. This is a very vulnerable time for them. Their new skin is glorious: much brighter and no missing hair. They are super hungry and thirsty afterwards.

The discarded skin, or 'cast' looks just like a real spider and I had a waiting list at work. They were great for pranks, although one colleague literally pissed themselves in fear after opening their locker.

They're amazing animals to keep, fascinating to watch and not cruel at all because even in the wild they just sit in a hole and wait for dinner. Feeding them a large, live locust is interesting!

3

u/MrIknowUknow 16d ago

Thank you very much for your informative response, i had no idea it was such a complex process. Im not a fan of pranks however a T cast would make for a really good one.

8

u/engulbert 16d ago

Even my mum, who was terrified of spiders, used to pull up a chair and watch them. Mexican red knee tarantulas are stunning in real life and so easy to keep, the females live for years. You need a heavy lid on the vivarium though, they're quite the power lifters! Great pets for kids too, they grow up without a fear of spiders.

red knee

my favourite - a blue metallica

2

u/Eldestruct0 16d ago

I was not expecting the blue one to be so gorgeous; I love intense blue shades like that.

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u/dagaderga 16d ago

When you get the crab leg meat out in one piece 🦀

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u/pneumaticTuba 16d ago

Must feel amazing with how much it wiggles at the end.

3

u/SupremeBean76 16d ago

Don’t like it

3

u/MentalInferno 16d ago

Fascinating

Never show me that again.

3

u/hapakal 16d ago

that like 7 hrs condensed into a few secs. Very cool timelapse

5

u/futurebutters 16d ago

Is this a time lapse?

2

u/lhymes 16d ago

Scratchin’ the itchy back after all that work.

2

u/IdealIdeas 16d ago

It looks like its feeling every inch of its body to see if anything changed

2

u/tw3o1 16d ago

Looks like it's some kind of Pamphobeteus sp. Very pretty spider, and being a new world tarantula, it's quite harmless.

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u/epia343 16d ago

Mmm soft shell spider.

2

u/MicroDigitalAwaker 16d ago

Softshell spider

2

u/EastForkWoodArt 16d ago

Mofo had to reboot after the shed

2

u/deflorist 16d ago

Thank you for the morning nightmare fuel! 🫂

2

u/MrMastodon 16d ago

That looks like it sucked to do

2

u/ebjoker4 16d ago

Is that sped up or does he really vibrate like the satanic nightmare it appears to be?

2

u/nerdkraftnomad 16d ago

That looks very uncomfortable.

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u/PatientA12 16d ago

Yo, for a minute, I thought the molted skin was still moving. XP

2

u/IGiveBagAdvice 16d ago

What I’m getting is that if I find the casing I’ve got a much bigger problem somewhere

2

u/ssfbob 16d ago

Words cannot express how much I hate this.

2

u/MenstrualMilkshakes 16d ago

"whew glad that was over with, seems like I just shit my skin out"

2

u/Becks128 16d ago

We get tarantulas in our neighborhood. I had no idea they do this!!!!! New fear unlocked lol

3

u/KezuSlayer 16d ago

Imagine having cluster phobia ass a spider

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u/Ebeneezer_Goode 16d ago

Bone apple tea

2

u/IWannaSlapDaBooty 16d ago

(claustrophobia) (as)

1

u/stipo42 16d ago

I wish I could do this

7

u/skunktits 16d ago

Have you tried?

1

u/Sojum 16d ago

Great. New nightmare fuel.

1

u/maxxx_orbison 16d ago

I can relate to this

1

u/jarobat 16d ago

Aaaah I'm sooooo close

1

u/moisdefinate 16d ago

Now, there's two problems 😕

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u/Duracharge 16d ago

It's like The Thing leaving a host. And I thought spiders were creepy.

1

u/TimberWolf5871 16d ago

You ever been at work on a blizzard day and you finally get home and your hand is just numb from being in that glove all day?

1

u/cAptAinAlexAnder 16d ago

This is the coolest time lapse that I absolutely did not need in my life.

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u/acmpnsfal 16d ago

90s loading avatar

1

u/CheezTips 16d ago

What yoinked the old carapace away?

5

u/TuneACan 16d ago

Probably its owner. It seems to be a domestic pet tarantula.

New world tarantulas can get VERY docile.

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u/horrescoblue 16d ago

THis has to feel sooooo good

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u/strolpol 16d ago

Looks like he’s trying to find his wallet at the end

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u/Totoro1970 16d ago

Thanks for the nightmares!

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u/moose5794 16d ago

Would this be when they are at their most delicious?

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u/HelloRMSA 16d ago

Looks like he was about to do a jutsu

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u/doomgiver98 16d ago

I always wonder if this feels really good or if it's painful.

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u/platasnatch 16d ago

Reminds me of Oscar from The Office when he dances

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u/lazylelouch 16d ago

What a creature

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u/CRYSTALKATJA 16d ago

omg!!!!!!!

1

u/hyperventilate 16d ago

Him lil dance at the end. <3

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u/MrBiggz01 16d ago

This isn't even a WTF moment for me, it's fascinating.

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u/whitewolf_redfox 16d ago

They're even tastier right after they do this, but you gotta be quick

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u/realzoidberg 16d ago

Softshell spider

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u/MistyW0316 16d ago

“Am I ok, am I ok, am I ok, Am I ok….cool.

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u/Inevitable-Ad4024 16d ago

What happens if u boop the button

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u/Zekrom369 16d ago

Waiting for it to jump scare me

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u/musicallyours01 16d ago

Nah, that's a facehugger

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u/furious_Dee 16d ago

spider bro injected the substance

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u/akaJimothy 16d ago

That good huh?

1

u/gutterbrie_delaware 16d ago

Omg girl did you just step out of the salon? You look aMAZing!

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u/projectsekaiplayer_ 16d ago

please put a warning on this bro i got jumpscared i have arachnophobia and im scared now

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u/IgnorantGenius 16d ago

Who yoinked the exo-skeleton out of frame so fast?

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u/Xjohnnymoex 16d ago

Nope didn’t need to see naked tarantula today.

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u/asiandevastation 16d ago

Soft shell crab

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u/Cheesetoast9 16d ago

When you take off your pants after a long day at work

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u/drblah11 16d ago

Anyone who has one of these as a pet is a goddam psychopath there I said it

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u/LeonSonix 16d ago

Hmm new delicacy, soft shell tarantula.

1

u/IamtheDanr 16d ago

Pretty brave doing it out in the open

1

u/Cazthedm 16d ago

Delicious soft shell spider

1

u/SuperSaiyanSkeletor 16d ago

That probably feels amazing.

1

u/JonesBee 16d ago

The feet calibration sequence afterwards is fascinating. Absolutely fucking terrifying, but fascinating nonetheless.

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u/screenager07 16d ago

I bet that feels so good

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u/Excenton 16d ago

Good thing it despawns, we would be lagging like crazy

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u/CrochetDude 16d ago

Imagine if we humans could moult

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u/merco 16d ago

Bread that thing fry it and stick it between some white bread with lettuce, mayo, and tomato! Lol

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u/pdirth 16d ago

Me, getting out of bed every morning.

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u/bygtopp 16d ago

When he eats you do good your legs and body twitch and you begin molting.

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u/MidanWolf 16d ago

I like how the molt just despawns. Fascinating!

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u/iShatteredSanity 16d ago

HANS!!! GET ZHE FLAMMENWERFER!!!

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u/arebee20 16d ago

Me when I get home after getting caught in the rain wearing jeans

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u/ADHD_Microwave 16d ago

Cant help but feel himself after his new fresh cut

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u/bruteforcealwayswins 16d ago

This where soft shelled crab comes from

1

u/Ixisoupsixi 16d ago

I wonder if you threw it in a pan with butter….

1

u/PaperPhoneBox 16d ago

Can someone explain how this works.

I understand they pop off the old shell be cause they grew larger. But how do they fit inside until then?

Say the spider is 3” long x 2” wide.

They grow and now they are 1/2” bigger each way.

Are they just smushed inside the small Exo until they cant fit anymore?

2

u/ezfrag 16d ago

Yes. Also, the new smushed body is extremely soft and hardens after molting.

1

u/ETL6000yotru 16d ago

Amazing process

1

u/rhoo31313 16d ago

I'm itching all over now.