Hottentotta babies.

[skinheaddave]

Well, apparently my efforts to convince my Hottentotta that it is September in Kenya have worked. I got home from work tonight to find over a dozen little Hottentotta polystictus on the back of their mother. Hopefuly I will be able to keep them alive.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[JacenBeers]

Get a camera and post come pics I wanna see what this looks like.

 

[skinheaddave]

I have a camera. I will snap some pics tommorow. I also have a couple other things I want to take pictures of, so I'll probably get the film developed soon. As soon as I do, you know I'll be posting them. In the meantime, enjoy my C.gracilis, as he appears in my current avatar.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[petitegreeneyes]

Cool! Congrats SHD

 

[Kugellager]

That is cool Dave...how many babies did you get?

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

Thanks everyone.

John,

It is hard to tell, because there is a lot of overlap and she is guarding them well with her metasoma. If I had to make a guess based on what I counted and how many seem to be hiding underneath, I'd say 20 or so. I snapped some pics just now, so I'll try to finish off the roll and get it developed this evening.

Cheers,
Dave

EDIT: In my efforts to finish the roll, I snapped a few shots of my new O.boehmi. All I can say is that if the term "obligatory hisser" were to be applied to a scorpion, this would be a good candidate.

 

[skinheaddave]

Here's a pic.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Theraphosa]

hey Dave,
how long does the babies stay with their mother?

 

[skinheaddave]

With Buthidae, it is usualy a week or a bit less. I'll keep you updated on the progress, though.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[zoobugs]

Congrats Dave,
They were my first species that ever gave birth for me also. My female had 18 young and all made it up to about 3rd instar before I traded them off. Kinda wished I had kept a few, as they are neat.

 

[JacenBeers]

Dave are you going to be raising these or selling them. I think I would be interested in buying some later down the road.

 

[skinheaddave]

Jacen,

Raising them. To date, I have traded all my young. This was back in the day when I had my breeding adults and that was it. Now, with my ever-expanding collection, I am going to be keeping and raising all the young I produce (at least from most of my species -- the Opistophthalmus I may sell) so as to be able to establish a much larger breeding population. Don't worry, though, I'll be keeping good records of lineages.

If you want Hottentotta sp., you should check around locally. A lot of pet shops are getting them in as three-lined sands scorpions or some variation on the above. I got my first five from a dealer, but subsequently they have all come from pet stores.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

I love Buthids! It is almost exactly three days since partuition and the young are already starting to thin out and become much more mobile on the mother's back.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Buthids are cool scorps...I just don't like the minimal life-spans...though if you are raising a self-sustaining colony it makes up for that.

My M.martensii began to leave the mothers back after about a week as well...wish I had kept some too. Hindsight 20/20

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

Well, another disaster. It seems that moulting problems was the cause this time, as I have seperated a few and am anxiously awaiting to see if they can squirm out of the last bit of their last exoskeletons. Most are dead. Serves me right for going to sleep.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Dang dude that sucks!...Maybe you can try raising the humidity in the enclosure if its not too late. Maybe place a drop of water where the old exoskeleton is sticking?

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

The ones I seperated out have elevated humidity etc. I had been trying to keep the humidity up in the main enclosure, but unfortunately I was stupid and was using regular "rainshower" which means I have to be not tied up with exams/sleep etc. to do it. Should have just thrown them in my wet rack.

Cheers,
Dave