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Molting
In order to grow, spiders must molt or shed their hard outer skin. Just before a spider sheds its skin, it hangs upside down and secures itself with a silk thread. (hanging upside down only applies to some species of spiders.) It's skin splits around the sides of its cephalothorax of the old skin, when its body is free, it hangs from the thread, and expands to its new size.
In species like tarantulas, they will build a web on the ground, then flip over on their back to shed their skin. During molting, tarantulas are rejuvenated. All missing limbs are replaced. The lining of the sucking stomach, the book lungs and the females genital organs are also shed and replaced. Molting is triggered by hormones, they force blood out of their abdomen and into the cephalothorax until the old
exo-skeleton rips open. When they come out of their old skin it's like seeing a brand new spider. All spiders must molt at least once a year until they reach adulthood, but for female tarantulas the process may continue for a lifetime, maybe even more than 20 years. I have seen all of my spiders shed their skin and I've got to say that its an awesome experience to witness. It can also be sad, if enough moisture and humidity are not provided at the time of molt, your spider can die.
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