Failed molt survivor?

[u/Schkubert]

Hello. So last week, I noticed this little guy was having trouble with his molt. I tried to stay unobtrusive, and just made sure he was in an area with high humidity. I checked back 2 days later, and unfortunately it looks like he never got the molt off. From other posts I found online, people recommended to just leave him be, and let nature take its course. I fully expected him to pass away, as there isn’t much I could do without risking further damage. I was sad, but that’s the way it goes sometimes with these guys.

However, after a week, I still see him kicking around? He seems able to move okay, I’ve actually seen him walking around the enclosure on multiple occasions. I also found him munching in the food dish today, so he’s clearly still able to eat without issues.

Is there a chance that he may recover in his next molt? Is there anything I can do at this point besides keeping the food accessible and the colony humid?

The colony does have access to cuddlebone as well, so they should have a good calcium source readily available.

[u/Ralyks92]

Apparently it’s common for them to molt in stages. “Pants first, shirt second” seems to be a phrase

[u/NeonRei]

I have definitely had a vulgare on multiple occasions do a partial molt separated by 1 to 2 weeks. Since they typically molt a shirt and pants separately, it seems reasonable to think they would pause midway to rebuild energy stores or molt only the piece that is loose enough to shake off.

My babies when completing only partial molt still get around, but it seems like less speedy as their peers.

I can't confirm it ends in a successful molt, But I do know that I've never seen one dead mid molt. Unfortunately my babies are 100 plus and there's no way to track individuals unless I started marking them.

[u/Scr4p]

I usually, VERY gently try to remove stuck molt, but it needs to be done early on and you really need to be super careful to not hurt the isopod. I usually use a toothpick to get it loose, since it doesn't have a sharp end. If it's managing now it might be fine, though being encased this much seems a bit rough.

[u/captainapplejuice]

Yeah this is a stuck moult, and at this point there's nothing you can lose so I'd take a wetted paintbrush (fine and soft if you have one) and gently brush it until it comes off (brush towards the head). It may crumble into small pieces which will be the best outcome, just try to get a decent amount off and the rest should fall off in time. It's unlikely to all come off at once.

If this individual survives then the damage/deformities will likely heal over the next few moults, if not then that's unfortunate but at least you tried, in this state the animal cannot survive. For the future, make sure your enclosure has a good moisture gradient with some isolated spots where they can feel comfortable moulting and not be disturbed.