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Molting Success

Success! Winnie appears to have finally molted. Not that it's easy to see in the photograph, but there is both a Winnie, and a Winnie-skin sitting separately in her nest. She hasn't come out yet, and from what I've read, she probably won't come out for several days while her new exoskeleton hardens up. But seeing two shadows inside the molting hammock is a big step forward - I have been spritzing her enclosure daily with water to ensure that there is enough moisture in the air to facilitate her molting. Spiders which don't have enough moisture often have difficulties getting out of their old skin before the new one has hardened, and they get trapped. This can be lethal for the spider, so even though I don't know whether or not Winnie has had a completely successful molt (i.e. has come out of it with the requisite number of limbs) I can at least relax on the "oh no, she might get trapped in the skin" front. She is also reacting to light, so I know she's alive. Some of the anxiety can now ease off, and I am just waiting for her to come out and show off her new clothes now.
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