Hissers--Couple of Questions

[IguanaMama]

Is it true that after a male hisser gets its horns, it doesn't grow anymore? That is, it gets its horns at its final molt?

And, I have a few female hissers that seem pretty obviously pregnant. I think I read that they can hold it in until there are favorable conditions for giving birth. Is this true? How can I "force" these girls to give it up? It's been kind of cold in my apartment, so I think that's why they haven't been giving birth, but I really don't want to add a heating pad, I think the heat is going to start coming up soon and then it will be warm in parts of my aparment, but is there something I can feed them or any furnishings I can add to speed up the process?

 

[Stylopidae]

Iggyma...I've read that feeding them orange peels can induce labor. It never worked for me, but I don't see why you couldn't try it.

 

[the_frog_kid]

hissers

it is not orange peels the method is to feed them carrots
it always works for me in my colonies of giants and smalls
when the males get horns it meens they are adults




thanx froggy

 

[Randolph XX()]

not really
males do have horn structure even when they are 1", u can see two lill bumbs
just the "horns" grow bigger after molts
also depends on ur colony, too, some colonies are just smaller than others
some of them do have extra molt after mature, but just not common
and the madagascar is not as hot as the tropics, so normal room temp would be fine
i've posted this link b4
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/...story/science-at-the-museum/our-global-reach/
click the roach pic on the madagascar island, and u can clearly see the habitat from the pics and video

 

[Jesse607]

not really
males do have horn structure even when they are 1", u can see two lill bumbs
just the "horns" grow bigger after molts
also depends on ur colony, too, some colonies are just smaller than others
some of them do have extra molt after mature, but just not common

No insects belonging to the pterygota (which includes the roaches and most other "true insects") molt after becoming sexually mature.

 

[Randolph XX()]

It's like some ppl don't believe male tarantulas molt after mature, but there are some cases that male successfully molt out maturely with their boxing gloves still intact, like some avicularia males

 

[Galapoheros]

It's like some ppl don't believe male tarantulas molt after mature, but there are some cases that male successfully molt out maturely with their boxing gloves still intact, like some avicularia males

It's true! Sometimes male T's even molt off the boxing gloves. Nothing more to worry about .

 

[Jesse607]

Are insects tarantulas? Or are tarantulas insects?

 

[IguanaMama]

Are insects tarantulas? Or are tarantulas insects?

NO. Now back to MY questions. I am very curious about my hissers right now. OK, I see that the males have bumps when they are little, but they aren't really horns. How can you tell when they are mature and stop growing? Is it when they have what looks like real male hisser horns or is it possible that they will still molt and grow. I ask because, for instance, I had a huge black P. vanderbeckie. Now I have a P. vanderbeckie that just molted and he has horns, but he is only about half the size. So I'm wondering if he is still going to grow. Will he grow if I feed him a lot right now, or do they not grow much after a molt? Or will he molt again and will he get even bigger horns?

Also, I just got a full grown male giant morph. Is the giant morph a selectively breed hisser, or a totally different trait? That is, if he breed with a regular female, would I get a spectrum of sizes, or would I get some giant and some regular? (Assuming that giant was dominant, if it was recessive, I know I would have to wait for future generations.)

 

[Jesse607]

Adult size/shape/color can vary greatly within a culture/colony. Some adult males will be relatively large with distinct horns, while other adult males may be very small with bumps only slightly larger than the average subadult male. This is one of those things where it would be much easier to say yes or no on whether it was an adult if I could see a picture. After molting to an adult, the abdomen will extend and become more round after feeding.

 

[Dom]

I've just acquired a few "giant" hissers and was wondering if my females are nymphs or full adults. I can tell with the males because I have one mature male and one nymph and the horns are quite distinct in the adult. Since the females don't get the horns I'm not so sure what I have.
When I got the males the mature one looked much smaller than the nymph. I believe this is because it was newly molted into adult hood. After a week of feeding it's about the same size as the nymph. Mine are supposed to be giants but I doubt it because they're all about 2 3/4" (7cm). Another group I saw were significantly larger.

 

[Jesse607]

I have a small group of giant morphs that I had acquired as small nymphs. of the four males two are huge, one is large compared to most normal hissers and one is average. I don't believe any of my females are mature yet, so I can't comment on them.

 

[jbrd]

And, I have a few female hissers that seem pretty obviously pregnant. I think I read that they can hold it in until there are favorable conditions for giving birth. Is this true? How can I "force" these girls to give it up? It's been kind of cold in my apartment, so I think that's why they haven't been giving birth, but I really don't want to add a heating pad, I think the heat is going to start coming up soon and then it will be warm in parts of my aparment, but is there something I can feed them or any furnishings I can add to speed up the process?

I dont know about them holding it until favorable conditions exist :? But i do know that my colony seemed to do a lot better once they were in the basement and dark more times than light.
As far as i can tell to get them to birth more is to keep them warm, around 90 degs or so. We use a ceramic heater in a 30 gallon tall and a thirty gallon long tank for our hissers.
Hopen this helps :?

 

[IguanaMama]

Eh, I live in a small apartment with young boys so the less electrical appliances the better, just for safety. I keep my roaches in the warmest area of the apartment though, they will have to make due with the ambient temperature. I did cover their enclosure with black tights, extra queen size, it serves two purposes, provides darkness and keeps the wild german roaches and fruit flies out.

 

[jbrd]

Eh, . I did cover their enclosure with black tights, extra queen size, it serves two purposes, provides darkness and keeps the wild german roaches and fruit flies out.

Thats a really good idea ! I think the woman is gonna lose some tights in the very near future.

 

[IguanaMama]

Um, women have a special relationship with panyhose/tights, it takes us years finding the right size, right brand, right colors. :8o You are better off just asking her to buy new ones for your roaches.

 

[jbrd]

Um, women have a special relationship with panyhose/tights, it takes us years finding the right size, right brand, right colors. :8o You are better off just asking her to buy new ones for your roaches.

jbrdsrose sez thankx for the back up. She's unnatuarally attached to her favorite hosiery... but good advice against the fruit flies, though!!