Need help with g smithii!

Hutton

New member
their is something wrong with the dactyls of my g. smithii(are dactyls the hiting part, the bony stuff that hits the shells of its prey?) that part of my smithii is all dented and is a darker purple than it used to be, it lookes like a coating was taken off to make a new color, will this be fixed during his next molt? when should he begin his next molt? sorry if this is confusing and doesnt sound right the first time you read it.
 
here is a better way to desribe it if i confused any one.

the part of his arm that comes inot contact with his prey is dented. will this be normal after his next molt, he hasnt been in a molt for about a month and a half, he is 2 inches long.

and is there any way to tell his or her sex without getting a peek at the gonopods(spelling?) he/she will not let me get a close enough look. so far i have been calling it a he.
 
I'm going to guess that none of us "hobbyists" know the answer to your question; therefore, you aren't getting any answers. Just be patient and wait for Gonodactylus to respond. He's on the RC team and he will be around to help soon I'm sure.
 
It is common for the calcified cuticle of the dactyl heal to fracture and flake off. G. smithii often spend a lot of time and effort trying to enlarge their cavity entrances striking and if the rock is hard, wear occurs. As long as the dactyl is not broken off or a hole forms through the dactyl heal, it will usually regenerate to be like new after the next molt. If the dactely is broken off or through, they will have to start over.

Female Gi smithii tend to be lighter mottled green olive and the males a bit darker, but there is tremendous variation and you can't reliably use color to sex them. There is no other sexual dimorphism that I'm aware of, so looking at the genetalia is the only sure way.

Roy
 
thanks Dr. Roy, funny thing is he just started going through his molt last night, when should a 2"-2.5" be finished with a molt?
 
The physical shedding of the old exoskeleton takes only a few minutes at most. Anything longer means that the animal is in trouble. Behaviorally, the older and larger the animal, the longer it will seal up in its cavityl. For an animal the size of yours, 5-10 days would be typical.

Roy
 
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