Arana Polita - Chicken Spider Diary

[AbraxasComplex]

amazing. So do these hunt together or what? or are they "just" communal?

To be honest I have never given them prey large enough to see a combined hunting effort. I have however seen smaller slings consuming the same prey item, but never saw them catch it.

I am not going to risk injury or theoretical molting issues due to introducing an adult mouse. Plus I'm not fond of watching mice dying slowly.

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:34 PM ----------

Definitely sounds like a sac alright!
I call a trio of slings. Haha.
Good luck with it.

I hope so! I will be greatly disappointed if she doesn't. I'm trying not to get too excited right now over the prospect of her laying for me.

 

[lancej]

It would awesome if you get a sac from her! I would really like to see these available in the U. S. some time in the future. Pamphos are such an incredible genus!

 

[Mez]

Does America not allow you to drive stuff through customs then? Do they class it as importing?

 

[Bill S]

Does America not allow you to drive stuff through customs then? Do they class it as importing?

Driving things through customs is in many ways easier than shipping it through - as long as you are not bringing through obviously commercial quantities. If you bring through commercial quantities it would be considered commercial importation and there's be forms and taxes involved. But to bring a few animals across would not be difficult - as long as the animals are not on lists of restricted or prohibited species, such as CITES lists or agricultural pests.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

EGGSAC!!!!!!


So as of May 16, 2011, female 1 has produced a massive eggsac. I am trying not to disturb her so no photos until I have to access her tank. Her sac is almost the size of her. I'm surprised how massive it is. All the heavy silk she used to line her burrow has now been incorporated into the sac wall.

On a related note. Female 2 finished moving around substrate in her burrow and is now starting to lay down some light silk. We'll see in the next few days if she is preparing to lay as well.

 

[Hobo]

EGGSAC!!!!!!


So as of May 16, 2011, female 1 has produced a massive eggsac. I am trying not to disturb her so no photos until I have to access her tank. Her sac is almost the size of her. I'm surprised how massive it is. All the heavy silk she used to line her burrow has now been incorporated into the sac wall.

On a related note. Female 2 finished moving around substrate in her burrow and is now starting to lay down some light silk. We'll see in the next few days if she is preparing to lay as well.

Congrats!
Hope it's a good one.... mostly so I can buy some off you, but towards your success as well I guess.

 

[xhexdx]

Grats!

You suck for living in Canada though, and not here.

:}

 

[lookerbrian]

Grats!

You suck for living in Canada though, and not here.

:}

Totally agree!!! :wall:

 

[PhobeToPhile]

Wouldn't it be possible to import a few? "P. antonius" isn't CITES listed .

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Oh it is. I'll just need someone willing and knowledgeable enough to get all the US paper work in order and pay for it. Canada does not have regulations involving the export of species beyond me claiming the amounts for a commercial shipment so they can tax it. Or so I've been informed. Everything intensive and permit wise is on the American side of things.

 

[LV-426]

EGGSAC!!!!!!


So as of May 16, 2011, female 1 has produced a massive eggsac. I am trying not to disturb her so no photos until I have to access her tank. Her sac is almost the size of her. I'm surprised how massive it is. All the heavy silk she used to line her burrow has now been incorporated into the sac wall.

On a related note. Female 2 finished moving around substrate in her burrow and is now starting to lay down some light silk. We'll see in the next few days if she is preparing to lay as well.

is the female with the eggsac alone in her burrow? or is there still communal behavior?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

She is alone in her burrow. I ended up separating the females and breeding them. Though I have seen some evidence that communal behavior still persists with an eggsac.

One of the groups I received included an adult female, 19 spiderlings (two sizes), and 1 large juvenile. It appeared as though this female had laid at least one sac, perhaps two, yet still had a larger tarantula living with her. That larger tarantula could have moved in later, but there is no way to know.

If and when this sac hatches many are staying with her, some are being separated. Once I get another male she will be bred again with some spiderlings and juveniles present and we'll see if she lays while still housed with an older brood.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

For those who have bred Pamphobeteus spp. successfully and are following this thread I have a couple questions.

How long on average does a sac take to hatch for Pamphobeteus spp.?

Though in this case it won't apply how long till the eggs with legs stage? She will carry the sack till full term and they will be left with her when they emerge from the sac, but just in case I do need to pull the sac I would like to have a ballpark estimate of their development.

The breeding reports for other Pamphobeteus spp. are lacking these little tidbits of information.

Thanks so much for your information and help.

 

[Comatose]

Oh it is. I'll just need someone willing and knowledgeable enough to get all the US paper work in order and pay for it. Canada does not have regulations involving the export of species beyond me claiming the amounts for a commercial shipment so they can tax it. Or so I've been informed. Everything intensive and permit wise is on the American side of things.

It's not terribly difficult if you know the process (learning it is daunting). I'm sure dealers will be beating down your door, but if not I've got an FWL import/export license and a guy in NY that brings in stuff thru JFK every day... let me know if I can help

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Just decided to take a picture during my pain killer fueled feeding regime today.

 

[xhexdx]

And her abdomen is STILL huge!

 

[PhobeToPhile]

Yeah, that's what I noticed first. Wonder if she'll lay a SECOND sac?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

And her abdomen is STILL huge!

She hasn't changed much in size since she last molted. She's always had a massive abdomen. This female I had the most trouble figuring out if she was gravid or not.

---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------

Yeah, that's what I noticed first. Wonder if she'll lay a SECOND sac?

This could be a possibility, but I expect she'll molt after this sac hatches.

Related question, if she does molt when she has an eggsac in her care will she try to consume it or return to taking care of it? For those of you with experience in that regard please chime in.

 

[pato_chacoana]

She hasn't changed much in size since she last molted. She's always had a massive abdomen. This female I had the most trouble figuring out if she was gravid or not.

---------- Post added at 09:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------



This could be a possibility, but I expect she'll molt after this sac hatches.

Related question, if she does molt when she has an eggsac in her care will she try to consume it or return to taking care of it? For those of you with experience in that regard please chime in.

She will not molt while taking care of the eggsac, don't worry about that.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

She will not molt while taking care of the eggsac, don't worry about that.

Thanks for the input. This has always been a personal worry of mine when breeding the larger species.