# Extatosoma tiaratum not shedding (Macleays Spectre)



## Johnald Chaffinch (Feb 21, 2006)

hi, i've had an Extatosoma tiaratum for a few months now and it only molted once, the night i got it. it had a dodgy molt though and it's back legs got all caught up in the skin, so i decided to wet it and help get the skin off. the skin came off but a few weeks later it decided to discard the two back legs. now new legs are growing back.

the thing is it hasnt shed in months!

it hasnt got any wings and it's a female so i'd expect it to have shed more but i'm guessing because of the lack of back legs it cant hang and shed properly. but i dont know because i've never had one of these before.

anyone know what'll happen?


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## Ian (Feb 22, 2006)

I have kept the extats before, and have had great problems with shedding! Due to the fact that they have such a complex structure, when shedding goes wrong, it can be fatal.

Do you spray yours?? Whenever I sprayed mine, they nymphs seemed to die off, although it did reduce the problems in shedding. I then concluded to keep the larger nymphs slightly wetter, and the hatchlings dry.

This kind of overcame my problem with them. But, without the back 2 legs, it could prove a bit of a problem...the thing I have found is they do not hang, and just try to shed on the floor, and of coruse, they die!

So, keep going with it, she might be okay, but you never can tell..

Cheers,

Ian


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## Andrew (Feb 22, 2006)

She may just be taking some extra time to regenerate the legs before molting. This is what happened with one of my young C. Gemmatus nymphs. Due to a feeding accident, he lost two legs. He &amp; his sibling used to molt within a couple days of each other, but after he lost his legs, it took him and extra 2 weeks or so to molt, and when he did, he had his legs back.

This could be the case with your extat.

Thanks,

Andrew


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