P. Audax mother behavior Question

[sekmet022]

So the eggs hatched and the babies have gone through their first molt, but havent left the web hammock yet. The mother however (whom ive aptly named Charlotte due to lack of creativity) has left the hammock, ate a mealworm, drank some water (which i gave her through a syringe) and refuses to return to her home. She has instead chosen to explore the butterfly cage ive put the terrarium in (in anticipation of all the babies, which should give me some time in transporting them a few at a time to their own enclosures). I've read that P. Audax mothers wont willingly leave the eggsack like this, so this seems contrary to that.

Is she behaving normally? do mothers usually take off once the babies have gotten large enough, but not left the hammock yet? Even after lifting her up on my finger to her hammock, she just looks at it with disinterest, turns around and starts crawling up my arm. Ive since put her in her own little enclosure for the time being, and will try and put her back into her hammock in a little while unless told otherwise here Thanks for any feedback ahead of time!

 

[sekmet022]

Here's a pic of mother and slings.

 

[Duriana]

I'm pretty sure this is normal, but take this with a grain of salt, I'm no expert. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The only use she would give them if she stayed in the sack would be guarding but since there are no predators it should be fine.

 

[Andee]

I wouldn't worry about it much, honestly they know what they are doing better than we ever will, and worrying won't help in a lot of ways. I mean the babies look like they are growing well in my opinion and if she's drinking and eating I would definitely treat it as a blessing.

 

[sekmet022]

Thanks for the feedback you two Yeah it looks like she has deemed her motherly duties as finished haha. Now she is in her own little enclosure and happily perched at the top where shes working on a new sack.

 

[Andee]

Omg busy girl XD will you be selling some of the babies? I am looking to source some Audax jumpers in a month or so, so I have been scoping out possibilities? I would love to buy some captive bred.

 

[sekmet022]

Honestly, i'd love to, but i don't know the first thing about selling/shipping these things. I'd have to do a lot of research before i consider such

 

[Andee]

Ah I understand ^^, if you need any help I have shipped insects, and I think spiders are easy, of course they need to be larger in my opinion <3 but no rush, be comfortable before you even think about it <3

 

[sekmet022]

So a brief update on the lot: I misted the terrarium with the slings, and to my surprise they all began flooding out of the sac. I had thought perhaps i frightened them out of it (as in they think they might get rained on), or perhaps they were waiting for things to be a bit more moist to leave. It turned out to be neither. The little boogers flooded out, drank all the water droplets, then stuffed themselves back into the nest -_-; And here i was all worried and excited about them finally leaving the nest.

*headdesks*

 

[sekmet022]

Brief Update: The slings have finally left the building! Or rather the sac. There are about 30 or so stragglers still hanging back in the sack, but i've collected the majority of them into their own 6 inch tall 4 inch wide plastic containers with fine meshed tops, 4 in each container. I've decided to release the majority of them (after feeding them fruitflies) and keeping about 50 to raise myself since there's just no way i can afford all the darn fruitflies these suckers eat. (they eat at least once a day! They're all pigs! DX).

Charlotte (the mother) isn't doing so well these days, she can't crawl onto the sides of her container, nor does her webbing stick to it very well anymore. I assume it is old age She doesn't seem as active since laying those eggs. She does still eat though, one mealworm every other day, so at least shes remaining nice and plump lady. I both laughed and felt sad earlier today since i used a syringe to drop a few drops of water into her container nearby for her to drink from. Rather than drink it normally like she usually did, she tackled the water drop and slid with it from one end of the container to the other using her pedipalps and mouth, in slow motion. While it was horribly cute at the time, i fear her eyesight is going and she'll need glasses soon Luckily none of it got onto her abdomen...

 

[Andee]

She could be getting older, do you know her age at all? It could be she is just generally weak from the protecting and process etc, and just needs to bulk up but idk.

 

[sekmet022]

im unsure of her age, she was caught and already fully grown when i found her. She was very skinny when she first left the sac, but now shes plumped up to about as fat as she was prior to laying eggs.

 

[Andee]

She may be gravid again.