Can a tarantula absorb their eggs?

[codykrr]

Ok so last spring I paired my Female A. versicolor. She got extremely fat and appeared to be very gravid. She sealed herself off, but to my knowledge never made a sac.

Well tonight I walk into the spider room, went to go water and noticed she was out, and looking alot thinner. For a minute I got all excited thinking, "YAY! she dropped for me!" so I went looking for a sac and found nothing.

I went ahead and fed her, watered and now I am here wondering.

A. did she lay, and eat the sac? which I guess is possible, but I never saw a sign of a sac. but wouldnt she be a little fatter?

B. did she some how absorb the eggs she was carrying? Which I am not even sure can happen.

So I come here disappointed and puzzled. Looking for an answer.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

 

[crawltech]

Curious aswell....i was under the impression that they re-absorb the eggs, if not used??....but not sure??...i recently paired some B. albopilosum....it was late in her molt cylce....she was VERY receptive, then ate like crazy for 2weeks.....got huge!, then molted?...ate the day before, then molted the next...no warning, no premolt,...post molt she was still huge in the abdomen area!.....im wondering if she was carrying eggs pre-molt,...and still is post-molt....i have since re-paired them......we`ll see i how fast, or how long it takes till sac creation

So maybe they can re-absorb the eggs, and maybe they can hold onto them if they feel the need to??....even through a molt??

 

[crawltech]

Bumpin Codys thread...as am also very interested in any input on this topic

 

[Wachusaynoob]

WEll are you 100% sure that SHe was pregnant to begin with? I doubt they can ABSORB the eggs....What about the casings of the eggs themselves? Hmm...

 

[Versi*JP*Color]

My Versicolor ended up getting fat really fast and nothing has happened for about three months.
She sealed up her tunnel and got really pissy(!pissy!) and nothing has happened except some small weight loss.

 

[BrettG]

They CAN absorb eggs.It can also happen when a tarantula is gravid,and molts out.I have had this happen with more versi than I care to think about,and A.metallica as well.

 

[codykrr]

WEll are you 100% sure that SHe was pregnant to begin with? I doubt they can ABSORB the eggs....What about the casings of the eggs themselves? Hmm...

Absolutely positive. She was HUGE(and thats an understatement.) They defiantly dont get that big when they arent gravid.

They CAN absorb eggs.It can also happen when a tarantula is gravid,and molts out.I have had this happen with more versi than I care to think about,and A.metallica as well.

Well, I knew they could absorb eggs when molting. But I didnt know if they could just randomly absorb eggs. I paired her back in march of 2010 she started showing around june. Then she just stayed really fat. Sealed herself off and like I said came out the other night. looking a lot thinner. I thought she droped a sac as she hasnt molted out. SO I am guessing she absorbed them...which sucks. I was looking forward to some blue babies!

Thanks for the info.

 

[Merfolk]

I confirm.

My L violaceopes was mated thrice and got gravid (definitively looked different than only overfed), then riped off a leg and two weeks later, her flank looked smoother (looked like it was full of pearls before) and molted two months later. I was furious. She then died during a power shortage last winter (then I was abroad and my wife at her parents).

 

[CAK]

Hey Cody, they definitely can and will re-absorb eggs. I have had now 3 pokies do this; ornata, regalis, rufilata and I think my pederseni and formosa are in progress of doing this now (hence my earlier thread asking for the secrets to poec breeding). :wall:

Now, i'm trying to figure out the secret to getting them to STOP doing that and dropping a sack for me.

 

[codykrr]

Yeah, It sucks I feel your frustration. I think the ultimate secret is temps which mimic the weather conditions for breeding certain species. I could be wrong, but its just a hunch.

Either way, I will let her molt and try again.