Babies!

[skinheaddave]

Two of Tamara's friends came over today and we showed them around the "zoo." We got to my communal C.exilicauda tank and I start explaining them and then one of the guys points one out. I look at it and there are all these babies on its back. They look like mature 1st instar. We finish the tour, they take off and I rush back. Decision time.

I decide to seperate the mother to her own enclosure inside the larger enclosure. Later on I might take a passive approach, but this time I want to watch things happen. I go to move her, though, and DISASTER! She falls off her piece of bark, drops her babies and what looks like some infertile eggs and scoots off. I didn't even get to check if she still had babies on her back, but she is now in the deepest recesses of the enclosure. Anyhow, I scoop up the babies from the sand. They are definitely mature first instar. They'll probably be moulting today or tommorow. There are exactly twelve, so I design a little experiment. I have them in three groups of four each in slightly different care conditions. I'm hoping I can learn something from this experience.

Anyhow, I have pictures, so when the roll is developed I'll post some. Other than that, I'll let y'all know how things are progressing.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Just remember to keep the humidity a little higher than normal. That is weird what the mother did though. When I noticed my M.martensii mother with young I did the same as you. She did not act that way at all...I just put her in a larger deli container and the young stayed there for a bout a week and a half before they got off her back...at which point I put the mom back in with the other adults.

John
}

 

[jwb121377]

Good luck SHD! You will have to let us know how it goes.

 

[skinheaddave]

So far so good.

They are all clustering togeter, as though they were still on their mother's back. There are still signs of life in all three groupings.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Sounds good that they are clustering together. Maybe they will make it. I know one of the main reasons they stay on the mothers back is to keep the humidity up a bit. Maybe they will achieve the same effect if the remain clustered together and you ae mindful of the humidity in the container.

John
]:^7

 

[skinheaddave]

John,

That has been my thinking on the matter as well. Oddly enough, the one group has not been clustering as much. One of them died today. I don't know if these two factors are corelated. The other two groups seem to be doing just fine. In fact, the other three in the one group seem to be doing fine as well.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

Well, another day and I still have 11.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

Down to 9 now. I've taken the sole survivor of group 3 and moved it to an environment that does seem to be working.

Another of my C.exilicauda has given birth. I have left it in the communal enclosure for now at least.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Yeah Dave, I was about to ask you the status here but I spoke to you last night. I have heard of a C. sp where the adults share the juvies on the back thing. I think it may be C. exilicauda or C. vittatus....not sure...should be interesting to see what happens.

John
];')

 

[Kugellager]

I read it somewhere on the web...who knows where...it was awhile back...but I know I saw it somewhere.

:?

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

I wonder. On one hand, the web has said many things (A.bicolor can project venom, all scorpions are deadly, wanna buy a "ghost deathstalker"), and yet it would be so unbelievably cool if this were the case. Still, my basic knowledge of scorpions makes me very skeptical. Very skeptical indeed.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Thats a very good point Dave...you can't trust everything you read on the web...Actually I never headr the on about A. bicolor projecting venom...The only thing I head of other than P. transvaalicus was that one or two other of the Parabuthus genera are able to do so, but not to the extent of P. transvaalicus.

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

I didn't read the A.bicolor one personally either. I did have a guy who swore he read it somewhere on the 'net, though. Either way, you can't believe everything you read/hear/etc. etc.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

Well, it is offical. 0% survivability. It looks like most didn't make their first moult, despite being well overdue.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[MrDeranged]

Sorry to hear that Dave. Maybe next time....

Scott

 

[Kugellager]

An man! That sucks!,

Well at least you did discover something out of all of that. Sorry to hear that none made it. I suppose that attempting to regulate the humidity was not enough. Do you have any thoughts as to what went wrong?

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

I have a few "gut feelings," but nothing firm yet. I have borrowed "Scorpion Biology" from the University library again, so I'll give it a read through, as well as the new Brownell/Polis book. Maybe that will give some substance to my thoughts.

In the meantime, here is a pic of mom #2 with her brood. I haven't seen her out and about for a few days, but there are plenty of places to hide in the communal enclosure.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

I spoke too soon. Tamara spotted the mother again today. She has five left on her back -- all 2nd instar + I'm hoping the others have wandered off and are now hiding in the nooks and crannies of the enclosure.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

Another update. Tamara spotted the mother "shooing" the last one off her back with her metasoma. Tamara also succeeded in catching one of the young. We have observed several other young'uns, but have been unable to catch them. Looks like they're doing fine, though.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Sounds like things are progressing normally with this batch Dave. Good luck and keep us updated.

Congrats on the arachnolord title...didn't notice tile just now.

John
];')