Molt or stress?

I recently rescued this T from someone that I am aquantances with when I found out that they were not properly housing this T. They had a 100 watt bulb on him, hadn't fed him in about 2 months, his cage was filled with dirt and bark from outside that had trash and bugs and beer caps in it and his water bowl had a sponge in it that was beyond disgusting. This is him before cage clean out. see the bald butt?
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/h...etty88/6-2.jpg

the bare butt is because s/he was flicking hairs off of the rear (defense mechanism) which is normal, especially since it sounds like they were in a bad situation...it looks like a mexican red leg (b. emilia) which is one of the t's i have...
mine likes to flick hairs occasionally and that's what her butt currently looks like... there's nothing wrong, just needs a better environment and a chance to molt.

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Originally Posted by tosha

the bare butt is because s/he was flicking hairs off of the rear (defense mechanism) which is normal, especially since it sounds like they were in a bad situation...it looks like a mexican red leg (b. emilia) which is one of the t's i have...
mine likes to flick hairs occasionally and that's what her butt currently looks like... there's nothing wrong, just needs a better environment and a chance to molt.

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he does have red on legs! Thanks!

no prob... enjoy they are interesting creatures...

IMO it looks more like a Aphonopelma hentzi. A Brachypelma emilia's carapace isn't a solid color. Google the two images and see if either of them look like yours :gj:

Your tarantula has just gotten irritated a lot and kicked all of the hairs off of its abdomen. Don't worry, they will all come back the next time it moults. Plus you now have a good way to tell when its getting ready to moult. When it starts refusing food and the bald patch turns black, he or she will be getting ready to moult.
By the way, I don't think that is a B. emilia. They have a black chevron on an orange/rust/red carapace. That T doesn't.
Can you get a clearer picture?
Thank you for rescuing that poor baby and giving it a good home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's doesn't look like a B. emilia in that photo, and the leg coloration is too solid to be B. boehmei Without a better picture, it's hard to tell. I agree that it maybe looks like an Aphonopelma sp. but I think A. anax tend to have redder hairs than A. hentzi, so maybe it's that?

I'm happy to hear that it's going to a better home!