I'm A Mother! Again... (D. diadema)

[AbraxasComplex]

So about a week ago one of my gravid D. diadema (I had 3 gravid females), finally burst with a multitude of babies. After eating the stillborns and underdeveloped ones I snapped a few pictures with my roommate's camera. Sorry about the quality, I'm not quite sure how to work her camera yet.

It's great since my last female a few years back pumped out nearly 100 babies over 3 births. Sadly I had to give her to a friend since I had to move. Now I have a successful colony running again.

I also have another large unidentified species from Tanzania that I need to take pictures of. Will show you soon.

Here are the pics.

 

[Widowman10]

ooo, congrats, and beautiful pictures!! :clap:

 

[ahas]

Congrats! I never had a D. Diadema before but do you keep them moist?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Congrats! I never had a D. Diadema before but do you keep them moist?

Quite. The two D. diadema vivariums I have usually have +90% humidity at all times, though I have successfully bred them at lower levels (60-70%). They seem to thrive in humid tanks with fluctuating heat. I have no heaters. The flourescent lights get the tank up to 76-80'F during the day, and at night it drops to 68'F... though I do get extremes of 60-90'F from time to time.

 

[dtknow]

Do you keep the adults communally? Also, have you tried allowing the female to care for the kids?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Do you keep the adults communally? Also, have you tried allowing the female to care for the kids?

Of course. I always keep them communally. I have two seperate groups. One of 3 in a 30 gallon, and 1 of 2 (adding 3 more soon) in a 50 gallon. And I keep the mother with the babies until they leave her abdomen and stop congrigating around her. Usually by then she distances herself anyway.

 

[xhexdx]

After eating the stillborns and underdeveloped ones I snapped a few pictures with my roommate's camera.

I just had to throw this in here...the way you worded it sounds like you ate the stillborns and underdeveloped babies before taking the pictures.

Sorry, it's just funny! :}

 

[dtknow]

Of course. I always keep them communally. I have two seperate groups. One of 3 in a 30 gallon, and 1 of 2 (adding 3 more soon) in a 50 gallon. And I keep the mother with the babies until they leave her abdomen and stop congrigating around her. Usually by then she distances herself anyway.

No cannibalism?

I've heard the babies will stay around mum for almost a year.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

I haven't witnessed any cannibalsim at all. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Depends though. My first female watched her first brood for a couple months (then I removed the babies), but distanced herself after a few weeks with the following 2 batches. The babies tend to stay together until they start maturing.

 

[dtknow]

Do you have any photos of the tanks? What sexes are the adults? I've considered trying a large setup with Damon diadema but they are known for tolerating each other for a while until one molts or otherwise. Petstore I go to just lost a male after putting a hungry female back in with him after she had her kids.

 

[rmlee]

I just had to throw this in here...the way you worded it sounds like you ate the stillborns and underdeveloped babies before taking the pictures.

Sorry, it's just funny! :}

lmao
I'm sorry to but that's exactly what I pictured when reading that.


Great pics

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Do you have any photos of the tanks? What sexes are the adults? I've considered trying a large setup with Damon diadema but they are known for tolerating each other for a while until one molts or otherwise. Petstore I go to just lost a male after putting a hungry female back in with him after she had her kids.

I will take some. The adults are usually 2:1. 2 males, 1 female. Females tend to be the most aggressive. My tanks are full of verticle surfaces and hiding places. I'll have pics in a few days.

 

[gambite]

I am a bit new to these things...how large do they get? You said you keep only three in a 30g? Is this due to them eating each other, or do they like their space? Or are they that big?

 

[GartenSpinnen]

This species seems to need a lot of space and you have to lean some cork bark or something in a way where they can hang upside down to molt (or so i have been told) I kept one for a long period of time and it was pretty cool. Really, if you keep them humid, well fed, and at a temperature where they feel comfortable (65+ IME) they will thrive.
-Nate

 

[dtknow]

For keeping them communally the way she does I'd reccomend a lot of space. I cannot say they are very active though...at least my pair aren't. They stay on one slab of corkbark(2.5 gal enclosure) almost all the time. In fact, almost all the time they are on one side of this piece of corkbark. It is funny though as they appear done with mating(fingers crossed for eggs!) and they will often walk over or sit on each other. Either they could care less that the other is their or they are purposely staying close(I think I'll opt for the latter). I've actually been waiting for a chance for one of them to stray to another piece of corkbark so I can remove the male but no such luck.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

A verticle tank is perfect. I have multiple levels, layers, protruding branches, and other visual and physical barriers. I have tried keeping more than 3 in a 30gal a couple times. I usually lost a few or had to remove them. 1 per 10 gallons seems the perfect ballance when housing more than 2.

They don't need to hang upside down to molt, verticle surfaces work just as well. But I've seen them do both. But yes, humidity, slightly above room temperature, enough food and lots of hiding places is the best combination through my experiences.

And I still can't find my camera cord... so I will have to borrow my roommate's camera once again. (Pictures soon, I promise!)


Oh and by the way. I'm a guy. I said "I'm A Mother!" because my roommate bugs me about how I treat all my baby arachnids, checking on them as often as possible, counting each one every chance I get, and keeping track of their eating habits. I even show pictures to friends and go on about how cute they are. Haha.

 

[AbraxasComplex]

So here the pics are as promised. Sadly I am terrible at photography, but I do my best.



The Triple tank (3 30 gallons side by side). The left holds a pink toe tarantula (adding 2 more), the middle is the tailless whip scorpions (3 adults), and the right is a chinese red head centipede tank (6 adults).

Closer look.

Inside

Waterfall crevice (turned off) and a male tailless.

The 50 gallon tank

Inside 1 (waterfall turned off)

Inside 2

 

[blaž]

Are damon diadema and d.variegata two different names for same tailess wipscorpion species?:?

 

[rmlee]

That's a nice looking setup.

 

[dtknow]

Cool setup! I don't think it is quite what these guys live in in the wild though. What I think would be neat would be a hollow tree(real or constructed) with peeling layers of bark and filled with decaying wood. Add a plant root or two winding through that.