- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 1,135
Well many of you know that my big GBB girl is gravid. She has made great use of my designed enclosure. Now that it looks like shes getting close, i figured I will announce my details.
Heres when I got her at .75" Her name is Destiny.
When she was about 3" I made her what would be the first of several custom enclosures. It started out as a question and ended up being a habitat.
It was designed to be her permanent enclosure and included ideas for her to breed and living in general. Well 2 years later, Early September 2009 I saw her do a drumming action with her pedipalps but I didn't have any males. Strangely enough that was my cue to search for a male. Here is a picture the night before the introduction. I fed her heavily everyday for a week prior. Here she is stuffing her face!
Meet Fabio
September 17, 2009 at 3:30pm he was introduced and got the job done at 4:30. He escaped her anger but insertion was 100% succesful. Here is Fabio making his entrance saying hello. I wanted it as natural as posible. Like if he wandered into her domain.
What I did was place the enclosure in the garage where there would be silence and limited disturbance. I sprayed the doors of the enclosure and sprayed all around the OUTSIDE of the enclosure to raise the humidity. Temps were around 85F and humidity was 65%-70%.
Heres a video of her drumming and his response. She called him to her and never left her cave. She knew or sensed his prescense as soon as he entered the enclosure. He entered through the top as I wanted him to "make" an appearance. The deed was done at the entrance of the cave.
It was an unforgettable experience and was better than attending any theme park
[YOUTUBE]JXlZJtU2fdU[/YOUTUBE]
Just as in the videos from Talkenlate, after insertion she raised her abdomen and was scatching her spermathecae.
One week later I reintroduced Fabio but she had no interest. She faced him but he kept avoiding her and she looked like she was going to attack.
Here she is in the pose that made me decide not to risk it.
So I decided to see what happens. I felt one insertion *should* be enough. She began to feed heavily in the weeks that followed and became real agressive towards anything that came into the tank (Except roaches:wall: ). She is a picky eater and would only accept crickets. She would eat 3-4 at a time once or twice a week.
I flooded a section of the enclosure and kept the humidity up in the 70% range. It was not a heavy flood. just enough to moisten the substrate (Spahgnum peat moss). She moved in different spots but noticed she became interested in one spot inparticular. Where I flooded. So I removed the water dish and started to give her water via glass doors. One night she was on the door and I ran and got my flashlight and did the famous flashlight trick. She glowed a hue of yellow.
Here she is when she decided to stop feed early November. Very gravid!
Here she is in her favorite spot. The moist zone.
She started preparing for something. She started to redecorate. And this morning saw this!
She always had a habit to rip up the moss and put it in her webs. Well all the moss in that area is now on the walls If you look closely, you will see that the moss under the hygrometer is now gone and placed towards the front on the door.
I now continue to spray the right side glass door to maintain humidity and I no longer need to flood for fear of causing mold. There is plenty of ventillation so misting is done 4 times a week. I never lock the doors so that I can easily open it without disturbing. The right side door is now webbed with her nest so that door can no longer be opened. She is super defensive now and she has never been that way before.
I am super excited. I will keep this thread updated. The best part is that she chose the perfect spot for me. I have total access to her there but she also has total access to me
I am also glad that she got to live this experience. She can now be complete in her "Destiny"
Heres when I got her at .75" Her name is Destiny.
When she was about 3" I made her what would be the first of several custom enclosures. It started out as a question and ended up being a habitat.
It was designed to be her permanent enclosure and included ideas for her to breed and living in general. Well 2 years later, Early September 2009 I saw her do a drumming action with her pedipalps but I didn't have any males. Strangely enough that was my cue to search for a male. Here is a picture the night before the introduction. I fed her heavily everyday for a week prior. Here she is stuffing her face!
Meet Fabio
September 17, 2009 at 3:30pm he was introduced and got the job done at 4:30. He escaped her anger but insertion was 100% succesful. Here is Fabio making his entrance saying hello. I wanted it as natural as posible. Like if he wandered into her domain.
What I did was place the enclosure in the garage where there would be silence and limited disturbance. I sprayed the doors of the enclosure and sprayed all around the OUTSIDE of the enclosure to raise the humidity. Temps were around 85F and humidity was 65%-70%.
Heres a video of her drumming and his response. She called him to her and never left her cave. She knew or sensed his prescense as soon as he entered the enclosure. He entered through the top as I wanted him to "make" an appearance. The deed was done at the entrance of the cave.
It was an unforgettable experience and was better than attending any theme park
[YOUTUBE]JXlZJtU2fdU[/YOUTUBE]
Just as in the videos from Talkenlate, after insertion she raised her abdomen and was scatching her spermathecae.
One week later I reintroduced Fabio but she had no interest. She faced him but he kept avoiding her and she looked like she was going to attack.
Here she is in the pose that made me decide not to risk it.
So I decided to see what happens. I felt one insertion *should* be enough. She began to feed heavily in the weeks that followed and became real agressive towards anything that came into the tank (Except roaches:wall: ). She is a picky eater and would only accept crickets. She would eat 3-4 at a time once or twice a week.
I flooded a section of the enclosure and kept the humidity up in the 70% range. It was not a heavy flood. just enough to moisten the substrate (Spahgnum peat moss). She moved in different spots but noticed she became interested in one spot inparticular. Where I flooded. So I removed the water dish and started to give her water via glass doors. One night she was on the door and I ran and got my flashlight and did the famous flashlight trick. She glowed a hue of yellow.
Here she is when she decided to stop feed early November. Very gravid!
Here she is in her favorite spot. The moist zone.
She started preparing for something. She started to redecorate. And this morning saw this!
She always had a habit to rip up the moss and put it in her webs. Well all the moss in that area is now on the walls
If you look closely, you will see that the moss under the hygrometer is now gone and placed towards the front on the door. I now continue to spray the right side glass door to maintain humidity and I no longer need to flood for fear of causing mold. There is plenty of ventillation so misting is done 4 times a week. I never lock the doors so that I can easily open it without disturbing. The right side door is now webbed with her nest so that door can no longer be opened. She is super defensive now and she has never been that way before.
I am super excited. I will keep this thread updated. The best part is that she chose the perfect spot for me. I have total access to her there but she also has total access to me
I am also glad that she got to live this experience. She can now be complete in her "Destiny"
