Gravid? Yae or nae?

[KezyGLA]

Rescued a WC AF A. Chalcodes a while back. Thought it was rather bulky round the middle but small at the rear abdomen.

It was in a bit of a state when I rescued it, deformed and regened legs from previous bad moults. I have been feeding it 2 xl crickets every 2 weeks but its abdomen is now huge and looks about to burst. I'm thinking maybe her deformities had given a male (maybe more) an easy shot at mating in the wild before she was collected and sold to LPS.

Anyways, I was just wondering if I had hit the jackpot. Let me know what you guys think.

Heres a photo -

 

[Flexzone]

Have you tried the candle light method? I know its really useful with pokies. Basically in a pitch dark room you take an LCD light(ex. phone flashlight), hold it up to the abdomen and if it glows real yellow than the lady is full of eggs.

 

[KezyGLA]

Have you tried the candle light method?

This I have tried. Each night I have gone in to the T room to check recently she has been in her hide. It is much easier with he arboreals ahah. I have also never seen an Aphonopelma that is Keith Cheggers yet, so I am curious. I have barely seen her in the past few weeks apart from feeding (which is when I got the chance to take this photo a cricket fell and ran into her hide)

 

[Envoirment]

I have also never seen an Aphonopelma that is Keith Cheggers yet, so I am curious.

Pregnant for those that don't know.

Hopefully she is pregnant, that abdomen is huge! You can help spread the joy of Aphonopelma chalcodes then. A very underrated species imo.

 

[KezyGLA]

Yes I should have been more clear

This was my first of 2. She is a big girl for her specie.

I would like a sac. Fingers crossed I suppose..

 

[Blue Jaye]

I'm a bit unclear. Did you say she has molted since you've had her? And if so there would be no sac if you didn't pair her after she molted. She also looks to be in pre molt. I caught an AF and mm. They paired easily and I got a nice fat sac from her. My female is also quite large and rather easy going.

 

[KezyGLA]

I'm a bit unclear. Did you say she has molted since you've had her?

The LPS that I had rescued her from said she came in looking the way she did after being WC. She hasnt molted in their care nor mine. She is still eating regularly, striking pray as soon as it touches the substrate, sometimes even before.

 

[Blue Jaye]

Gotcha. Okey then well if she is gravid make sure she has at least 4 in of sub two options on where to dig with hide. That will make her more comfy to make a sac. Keep water dish full and over flow it like mini monsoon season every couple days. And put her somewhere quiet minimal movement around her and she should sac up pretty quick if she's gravid. If she does make a sac remove water dish. And don't freak out when she sets it down and goes for a walk. She will return. And she will seek water so pay attention to her when she's out, carefully rain on opposite side of sac so she can drink. This is what I did and it worked very well. Just some info hope it helps. There is still a good possibility she will just molt especially if she still has regeneration to do.

 

[KezyGLA]

Thanks for taking time to reply.

Her enclosure is kept that way regularly anyway. I have just been really curious because I am relatively new to A. Chalcodes.

When her abdomen first got really large it was 2 months back, about 2 weeks after I bought her(she had a well neaded feast). I thought it was just pre molt.

I am unsure how long this specie takes to drop a sac. I know it varies with different specie and still varies on individual. I was thinking it has been maybe too long but thought I would ask here for more info.

I appreciate help

 

[Blue Jaye]

Give me a minute I will look at my notes

 

[Blue Jaye]

I paired 10/24/15 fed her heavy for about 1-2 times weekly large prey (that's a lot of food for chalcodies) she did some serious digging and finally hunkered down. Dropped sac 2/17/16. Pull date for sac 3/25/16.

 

[KezyGLA]

I paired 10/24/15 fed her heavy for about 1-2 times weekly large prey (that's a lot of food for chalcodies) she did some serious digging and finally hunkered down. Dropped sac 2/17/16. Pull date for sac 3/25/16.

So it is possible then, here's hoping..

Thanks again!

 

[KezyGLA]

Rescued a WC AF A. Chalcodes a while back. Thought it was rather bulky round the middle but small at the rear abdomen.

It was in a bit of a state when I rescued it, deformed and regened legs from previous bad moults.

I should have been more clear on this too. The LPS that I rescued it from had just received it the day before.

They recieved it with a regened leg I right and a deformed right IV leg (I'm guessing from previous molts in the wild)

Can be seen clearer in this photo.

To be honest. If it is only a molt I will be more than happy. I want to see her looking in good shape. It has been some transformation since I first got her anyway.

 

[Walter1]

I should have been more clear on this too. The LPS that I rescued it from had just received it the day before.

They recieved it with a regened leg I right and a deformed right IV leg (I'm guessing from previous molts in the wild)

Can be seen clearer in this photo.

To be honest. If it is only a molt I will be more than happy. I want to see her looking in good shape. It has been some transformation since I first got her anyway.

Looks gravid to me. Either way, keep her warmer than you would in winter. A satisfying species to keep.

 

[Blue Jaye]

So it is possible then, here's hoping..

Thanks again!

Yes it is possible and if it doesn't happen and you would like a male for future pairing pm me I see a lot of males where I go hiking . Cheers