Immaculate Conception??

[zajaxaty]

Ok so I bought a very young (about a 1" body length) Damon Veriegatus about 5 days ago.
so two days ago i looked at it because it has been hiding behind its cork bark and haven't been eating anything i've offered. So I noticed half of it looked all white and wrinkley. Thinking maybe it was molting I pulled the cork bark out to get a better visual to be sure. Something didn't look right, So I grabbed my glasses and put them on and.....ok this really doesn't look right but I still couldn't see very well because the TWS is pretty small.
I grabbed my phone and opened the camera and zoomed it up close and yikes there is a bunch of little babies on "her" back. Where in the world did they come from? She is still young, there wasn't any eggs laid anywhere, and I've only had "her" for 5 days, not long enough for any eggs to hatch.
So I'm hella confused with this.

 

[Tarantuland]

Either wild caught or parthenogenetic

 

[paumotu]

I am doubtful this is a Damon variegatus, or even a species of Damon. It looks more like a phrynus species, probably marginemaculatus or whitei. Do you have any other images? No phrynus are known to be parthenogenic to my knowledge, so it's most likely yours is a wild-caught individual who arrived fertilized. You must have acquired her carrying eggs if you only got her less than a week ago, you probably just didn't notice the egg sac she'd been carrying under her abdomen (amblypygi do not lay eggs).

 

[zajaxaty]

"mother when i got her delivered 5 days ago

Either wild caught or parthenogenetic

I am doubtful this is a Damon variegatus, or even a species of Damon. It looks more like a phrynus species, probably marginemaculatus or whitei. Do you have any other images? No phrynus are known to be parthenogenic to my knowledge, so it's most likely yours is a wild-caught individual who arrived fertilized. You must have acquired her carrying eggs if you only got her less than a week ago, you probably just didn't notice the egg sac she'd been carrying under her abdomen (amblypygi do not lay eggs).

Unfortunately I do not have any other images at this time.
and I'm only going on what the vender told it was.. I really dont know one from the other lol.

 

[paumotu]

"mother when i got her delivered 5 days ago

View attachment 416650 View attachment 416650
View attachment 416650 View attachment 416650

Unfortunately I do not have any other images at this time.
and I'm only going on what the vender told it was.. I really dont know one from the other lol.

You've got a Phrynus whitei!

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Wild-caught adult Phrynus whitei. Honestly, the nerve of some sellers.

For future reference, if you think an animal is moulting, don't disturb it - to do so can mean death. And try to avoid disturbing this mom, too. The babies are delicate.

Once they moult off her back you can separate them out to individual containers.

 

[zajaxaty]

You've got a Phrynus whitei!

so obviously the vender knows less than i do

Wild-caught adult Phrynus whitei. Honestly, the nerve of some sellers.

For future reference, if you think an animal is moulting, don't disturb it - to do so can mean death. And try to avoid disturbing this mom, too. The babies are delicate.

Once they moult off her back you can separate them out to individual containers.

Gotcha... either way I had to make sure she was good and there was nothing seriously going on.
I'm not touching her anymore

 

[coolnweird]

Glad your animal made it safely, it seems to be in pretty good condition for them

 

[zajaxaty]

Glad your animal made it safely, it seems to be in pretty good condition for them

yeah she seems in good health.. She just hasn't eaten since i got her..hopefully that will change this weekend

 

[that1ocelot]

Not to necro this thread, but I wonder if any other keepers have any knowledge - is this the maximum size of this locality of Whitei?

 

[zajaxaty]

Not to necro this thread, but I wonder if any other keepers have any knowledge - is this the maximum size of this locality of Whitei?

Yeah I have no idea. What read they get a little bigger.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

This looks rather small for an adult, but i suppose diet can have an impact

 

[zajaxaty]

Yeah I ended up with 11 babies