Mystery unraveled

[peterbourbon]

Captive mated with 1st male 10/2009.
Captive mated with 2nd male 03/2010

Thanks for your patience, support and discussions since October.
Good luck with your clutches, especially Steven and Peter.

file hardwickei </closed>

Cheers
Turgut

 

[Galapoheros]

Wow!, that's a great pic! I'm a little curious if the banding is basically the same on all the plings. I think I've seen a pic of one with a black head(?) Congrats Turgut. Btw, the "tail rubbing", I have seen that with heros too, have some bad quality vid and the female didn't seem nearly as impressed as the hardwickei female in the vids. To her is seemed more like, "hey!, cut that out!" The hardwickei seem to get along much better.

 

[Crysta]

oh wow congrats!! those look beautiful
sorry for not replying to your e-mail i just remembered you sent me one ahah xD ill do that now!!

 

[peterbourbon]

To her is seemed more like, "hey!, cut that out!" The hardwickei seem to get along much better.

Nothing to worry about and it's not basically true about hardwickei.
Of course people don't post everytime when they don't have success - that's quite boring.

In some species it's a bit easier, but with hardwickei it wasn't that easy in my opinion. But it depends on the individuals.

She is my "golden female". Everything worked out well with her, but I had a lot of aggressive females that even sticked into coursthip and then attacked the male when I was 5 min. away for smoking a cigarette.

I always witnessed females to be more active in every species when it comes to mating except S. cingulata where it's often vice versa (male taps female instead of female taps male). I think it's quite different in Ethmostigmus as well (patience alarm: They need such a long time to start laying eggs, of course I talk about captive mating, not wild caught specimen).

Usually I find myself watching a 12-hour session where the female constantly taps the males' terminals, but the male doesn't bother to web. S. cingulata is a bit more "special". They are (I name it that way) "frigid". . Suppose they need a different climatical cycle with hibernation and stuff like that.

regarding heros: Never had problems with mating heros, but in one case 2 months after mating my female died. But I can't judge on it. I never had a breeding group of heros that enables some experiments - so I usually had to be confident with one random couple at a time (and even different colorforms).
I think this is more up to you, you're doing a fantastic job!

Cheers
Turgut

 

[Draiman]

Congrats Turgut! :worship:

Now I know why you mentioned stable color patterns in pedelings might be more important than we think (this and the Malaysian Jewel).

 

[thebugfreak]

i wish you were in the u.s. i want one soooo bad.

 

[bengerno]

A big congrats to you guys! Nice to see cb hardwickeis.

 

[Steven]

to be honest,
i'm a little bit disapointed

i was hoping on some really striking color-combinations,...
pfffff, they just look like their mother




Anyway GREAT job Turgut !!! congratz :clap::clap::clap:

 

[bengerno]

to be honest,
i'm a little bit disapointed

i was hoping on some really striking color-combinations,...
pfffff, they just look like their mother




Anyway GREAT job Turgut !!! congratz :clap::clap::clap:

Haha, yep real boring stuff...

 

[peterbourbon]

i was hoping on some really striking color-combinations,...
pfffff, they just look like their mother

You are absolutely right. But on the other hand it's a proof you never painted the tergites with a marker.

Cheers
Turgut

 

[ragnew]

Congrats Turgut!

 

[bengerno]

What do you think Turgut, how many babies she had? Looks like a big batch..

 

[peterbourbon]

Hm, not more than 30 I guess though she had a good double-load.

If it's not more than 30 I am curious if she lays more times a year or maybe next year without mating again.
Worth an experiment.
Might be a chance, cause they have very rough dry periods in their habitate, so chances are higher that they are only few but stable juveniles.

My mutilans set her pedelings free one day after they molt into coloration, it was very quick.

The hardwickei still holds her babies and they don't make any attempt to explore the outside world. Must have been 5 days now since their final molt in mother's arms.

Let's wait and see.

Cheers
Turgut

 

[Galapoheros]

I hope to see at least one "plings running around" pic. So you think some environmental stimuli will encourage her and the babies to take off and go their way eventually? I know they will regardless but sounds like you were thinking a rain after a dry spell would trigger a release in the wild(?), maybe cooler weather or something like that..

 

[Raventears]

Awesome!

Congrats! They are so cute! Great photo, also!

 

[bengerno]

Hm, not more than 30 I guess though she had a good double-load.

If it's not more than 30 I am curious if she lays more times a year or maybe next year without mating again.
Worth an experiment.
Might be a chance, cause they have very rough dry periods in their habitate, so chances are higher that they are only few but stable juveniles.

My mutilans set her pedelings free one day after they molt into coloration, it was very quick.

The hardwickei still holds her babies and they don't make any attempt to explore the outside world. Must have been 5 days now since their final molt in mother's arms.

Let's wait and see.

Cheers
Turgut

Very interesting. The multiple smaller clutches theory make sense.
Maybe the pedelings will stay with mom until they become hungry. There must be a trigger..
Are they active during the dry season or moving deep underground? In that case the dry season is not as dry as the humidity is higher underground anyway..
Breeding was a big step but still more to come If you would like to really know these fascinating pedes. (and I know you would ) ...It definitely shows you are going to the right direction.

This is some really exciting stuff, well done and keep up the good work! (omg I sound like my manager )

 

[peterbourbon]

2010/07/27 Starting to leave

 

[Galapoheros]

It's my telekinesis, trying to call them to my house. I'd like 5 of those little things.

 

[peterbourbon]

Hey guys,

sometimes I really feel sorry about the situation you US hobbyists have to face.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=187018

If I'd sell any of them (I won't, cause someone has to keep this species with 2nd gen breedings in hobby, I fear there will be a time when this species is going to be lost in hobby), the price should be fair. Guess approx. 35€ per pling (and that's still not cheap) is a good way to go.

I hope there will be some more clutches in your country the next years, so price should be quite okay/fair and affordable.

I just imagine if anybody would sell plings of S. hardwickei for $1500 (or even $150) here in Europe people would simply laugh.

Of course I know you have way less taxes compared to Germany, but still...now I understand why you simply have not many chances to breed rare species in captivity. You could never afford a breeding group of - let's say - 10 hardwickei to start thinking about a real breeding plan or setup.
At least if you are not a dealer and have premium contacts.

Even if I had a gigantea clutch (the most requested pede in hobby world) 65€ per pling should be fair.

Again: I'm really sorry, I mean it.

Cheers
Turgut

 

[peterbourbon]

07/27/2010 Last picture

I have the feeling there are approx. 40 pedelings.

Thanks for discussing and watching.

Cheers
Turgut