C.lividum egg sack.

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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Its feeding and watering day and I get to my c.lividum enclosure and I use my flashlight to locate my tarantula before opening the lid and notice an egg sack at the very bottom of the enclosure. I have only had this tarantula for maybe 4-6 months tops. I bought the c.lividum from my favorite local pet store as where I buy all my tarantulas. My question to those who have experienced this before is should I pull the sack and put in incubator or should leave with the mother? Any feedback from people with experience with this is appreciated. For now I am just going to leave with the mother. On the plus side I am glad the lividum is female, its hard to know what sex a fossorial tarantula is because getting a molt from these guys is laughable. In my 10 years of keeping I have never gotten a molt from a fossorial tarantula, I just assume they pile them up in a corner deep in their burrows. You can clearly see the egg sack in the pictures provided. Thank you for your responses I really appreciate it have a nice day.
 

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KezyGLA

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I doubt it is viable.

Do you know rough time when it was laid?

Over 4 months from pairing to sac is a long time.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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I doubt it is viable.

Do you know rough time when it was laid?

Over 4 months from pairing to sac is a long time.
It wasn't there the last time I fed and watered. I do that every 2 weeks. That crossed my mind as a dud sack but never have encountered this in my 10 years keeping tarantulas.
 

KezyGLA

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It happens.

You could always open the sac in 2 weeks and place in an incubator. I doubt will be good but its worth a shot.

Here is a link you may find useful


also, where is mom? Is she near the sac?

If she leaves it on its own then it is most likely dud
 
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0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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also, where is mom? Is she near the sac?
No she is not near the sack, she was until I started slowly pouring water onto substrate and dropped in a couple crickets. Now she is at enterance of her burrow system waiting for a cricket to walk by.

It happens.

You could always open the sac in 2 weeks and place in an incubator. I doubt will be good but its worth a shot.

Here is a link you may find useful

Thank you for your responses I would love to have a bunch of c.lividum babies, I would keep at least 5 or so for myself and give the rest to the petstore for in store credit if it was a good sack but I bet you are right and its a dud sack. I know you are a tarantula breeder and know so much more than I do in that area.

also, where is mom? Is she near the sac?

If she leaves it on its own then it is most likely dud
Mom has moved the sack and is hovering over it now
 
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cold blood

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If she's still holding it 3 weeks from now, then take it, open it and if all looks good (if nothing looks bad), incubate. Good luck...doubt its good, but stranger things have certainly happened.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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If she's still holding it 3 weeks from now, then take it, open it and if all looks good (if nothing looks bad), incubate. Good luck...doubt its good, but stranger things have certainly happened.
Thanks alot, I know you also breed tarantulas so I will do what you say if she hasn't eaten it or abandoned it by then. I am very excited and curious as to what will happen with this egg sack. Thanks again.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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It appears that my female C.lividus made another phantom sac. The first sac she made in October 2017 she kicked out of her burrow about a week later and it contained about 15 smelly rotting eggs. Woke up this morning and she has another one, this one is twice the size as the first and she is holding on to it currently.
I am baffled as I have raised many female tarantulas and this is the first one to drop 2 egg sacks with no male interaction. Anyone have ideas at to why?
 

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Teal

Arachnoemperor
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The only spider I ever had make phantom sacs was a Heteropoda female. Maybe you need to find your girl a lad!

Over 4 months from pairing to sac is a long time.
Not at all, in my experience.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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The only spider I ever had make phantom sacs was a Heteropoda female. Maybe you need to find your girl a lad!



Not at all, in my experience.
I think your right she wants babies. How many phantom sacs did you get from her and how much time apart from each other?
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
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I think your right she wants babies. How many phantom sacs did you get from her and how much time apart from each other?
I got two from her (before she was killed in a bizarre chain of events) about 8-9 months apart. The first one, she held onto for about two weeks before eating it. The second one she ate within a few days.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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I got two from her (before she was killed in a bizarre chain of events) about 8-9 months apart. The first one, she held onto for about two weeks before eating it. The second one she ate within a few days.
That's interesting man, makes me wonder if she would have made a third sac if she had lived. Thank you for your replies I sure appreciate it buddy.
 

Teal

Arachnoemperor
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That's interesting man, makes me wonder if she would have made a third sac if she had lived. Thank you for your replies I sure appreciate it buddy.
I wondered that, too... If she would have just continued making phantom sacs forever? You're welcome!
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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I wondered that, too... If she would have just continued making phantom sacs forever? You're welcome!
Me too. I Will be sure to post if she drops a third sack in another year or so.

@cold blood and @KezyGLA I would like to know from you guys how many of your tarantulas have dropped numerous phantom sacks and if they have any actual meaning behind it such as they are sexually mature and are wanting to breed? Thank you both in advance for your replies.
 
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cold blood

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@cold blood and @KezyGLA I would like to know from you guys how many of your tarantulas have dropped numerous phantom sacks and if they have any actual meaning behind it such as they are sexually mature and are wanting to breed? Thank you both in advance for your replies.
Like you, I had heard of phantom sacs all the time, but in like 15 years I never personally saw one...then last spring (maybe 2 springs ago) in a 10 day period I had 3 ts drop phantom sacs. All were ts I hatched out, so I knew they were phantoms. 2 were sibling cambridgei that dropped them like 10 hours apart.

All 3 were very young, just matured females, and I think this, combined with ideal conditions (spring means rain) may have triggered the phenomenon. Kinda like ideal conditions can cause mass molting or cause ts to finally drop sacs.

In my cases, I pulled 2 and left one to see what mom would do. The two I pulled were filled with beautiful eggs, made me regret not pairing them, but I wouldn't have expected they were mature to be honest....the one I left with mom was eventually eaten.
 

0311usmc

Arachnobaron
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Like you, I had heard of phantom sacs all the time, but in like 15 years I never personally saw one...then last spring (maybe 2 springs ago) in a 10 day period I had 3 ts drop phantom sacs. All were ts I hatched out, so I knew they were phantoms. 2 were sibling cambridgei that dropped them like 10 hours apart.

All 3 were very young, just matured females, and I think this, combined with ideal conditions (spring means rain) may have triggered the phenomenon. Kinda like ideal conditions can cause mass molting or cause ts to finally drop sacs.

In my cases, I pulled 2 and left one to see what mom would do. The two I pulled were filled with beautiful eggs, made me regret not pairing them, but I wouldn't have expected they were mature to be honest....the one I left with mom was eventually eaten.
That is really cool, you got 2 sacks in a 10 day period from the same specie. You just never know when keeping tarantulas you have to stay on your toes.
 

Nightstalker47

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Both my AF cams dropped phantoms as well. Just leave it with the female, they almost always end up eating it.
 
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