Itty bitty P ornata

[MichiganReptiles]

The only picture I have been able to get so far. I think this one is trying to tell me something. But I'll try to get some tonight when they come out.

 

[Terry D]

Tommy, I'd certainly like to oblige but a camera isn't in the works for now. I quit buying "decent" cell phones a few years ago and just move sim card to new go phones once every 6 months or so. I ruin good phones almost immediately at work. I'll bet Toni has a few by now!
Terry

edit- Wow, talk about ears burning! There you go.

 

[Redneck]

The only picture I have been able to get so far. I think this one is trying to tell me something. But I'll try to get some tonight when they come out.

Awe! Its got such a cute little bottom!

Tommy, I'd certainly like to oblige but a camera isn't in the works for now. I quit buying "decent" cell phones a few years ago and just move sim card to new go phones once every 6 months or so. I ruin good phones almost immediately at work. I'll bet Toni has a few by now!
Terry

edit- Wow, talk about ears burning! There you go.

I ahve the same problem with cell phones.. I once bout a Palm Trio... Back when it first came out.. It was like a $600 phone.. I had it for 2 weeks.. One night I was changing the brakes on my truck.. Flashlight was not working so I thought.. Hey.. My phone puts off alot of light... Oh boy.. I thought I had a good idea.. Well.. At frist I did.. The light worked perfectly.. I had my truck all put back together.. Then started heading home.. Well.. I got home couldnt find my phone.. So.. I went back to where I was before.. Sadly half way back to my sister-in-laws mothers house I saw my phone.. In the middle of the road.. Mashed... Apparently I left it on the bumper of my truck..

Anyways... How big are y'alls ornatas? The 2 of mine that have recently molted are almost 1.5".. P.o. #3 molted today.. Its a tad bit smaller.. But cute as a button!

 

[Terry D]

Toni, Btw, awesome photo!:clap:

Tommy, yeah, I can certainly sympathize with you on losing phones as well. I've left at least 3 on hoods of vehicles while doing bird surveys, etc. . I lucked up with one I re-found undamaged. Same goes for tape recorders. I was doing the Shreveport Christmas Bird Count a few years ago. I was riding with some friends and said "STOP! I left my recorder. As I was saying this, the driver was simultaneously looking into the rear view mirror watching as my tape recorder went flying off the trunk in a curve, then skidding across the blacktop as she was doing 40! We got it back and I had to tear the door off but it still worked.

Back to itty bitties-- #2 and #4 look every bit of 1.75" with 4 slightly smaller. 3 appears to've molte but staying low. No 1-????
Cheers,

Terry

 

[Terry D]

Well, No 1 didn't make it . This has just been my luck, lately. I decided not to prod around for a couple more days from a previous post. There was no problem with moisture. The temps might have gotten up around 88 or so but not for any length of time. It had certainly eaten the first cricket as the abdomen looked somewhat swollen. It does not appear to have molted. It appears to have been dead for a couple of days. Anyway, the other 3 are doing fine. They were all very healthy at the beginning. I'll just count my blessings .

Terry

 

[Redneck]

Sorry to hear that Terry... Glad the other 3 are still doing good...

 

[Terry D]

Tommy, Thanks. This is aggravating :barf:. That's 6 deaths (including 1 awol) out of 19 t's in the past 9 months- almost 30%- not good. Anyway, we plug on .

Terry

 

[Arachnoholic420]

Sorry to hear... Terry... wish you luck with the rest....
i know how your feeling... It sucks!!!.... i just lost a ruffi, and a pederseni.. and a balfouri( this one was my fault :wall in the last 2 months... now i gotta get replacements...:wall: you can never guarantee the life on slings... some survive, some don't:?..... sometimes that's how it goes... i learn not to get to upset anymore.... oh yeah also one of my c. fimbriatus on it's 2nd instar just passed too... i have 4 of them, and the rest of it's siblings are doing just fine..



Anyway here's a pic that might cheer you up... Freshly molted P. ornata male...
2.75" was about 1.25 pre-molt...

This helps my situation all the time... Seeing fresh molted T's, It's always a relief when i see my T's out from a fresh molt... Also it's so rewarding... so Cheer up... just look forward to the one that are surviving.....
Peace!!!

 

[Terry D]

Armando, Thanks for the heads up. Can't wait to see 2, 3, and 4 about that size in another month or two!

I blame myself entirely for the disappearance of my large juvy fem. pulchra. I'll take 100% blame as well on the P irminia sling for not researching molt timings thoroughly ahead of time before feeding that last cricket. The Theraphosa was in the area of lighest foot traffic in winter, early spring. I had to move her (fem for sure as it turns out) a little closer to traffic to keep the enclosure from getting too warm but she still fed well before going into premolt- everything looked great. Her restlessness had ceased. Quite awhile back I made her a larger deeper burrow/cave and she spent most of the time there with exception of emerging, sitting at the mouth of the burrow or near the water dish when ready for a dubia. The rest = :wall: who knows?

The ornata were extremely healthy when they arrived. Although I'm fairly certain I've nailed down the reasons for most of my previous deaths, the past two are relatively inexplicable. I believe a higher mortality rate should be expected when keepers as myself keep their animals at higher temps with faster feeding rates. My guess is that the sling may have just been naturally weaker but it didn't show until later? No complaints. I'm happy to have 3 doing well!

Terry

 

[MichiganReptiles]

I'm so sorry, Terry. Don't I feel like a jerk for telling you it would probably be fine? Glad the other 3 are doing well.

 

[Terry D]

Toni, Not at all....and thanks

Terry

 

[Terry D]

Update- Dang they're growing fast! They are also out in the open on their bark more often in past week.... finally feeling 100% secure with new surroundings.
Terry

 

[MichiganReptiles]

Glad to hear they're doing well, Terry. My 2 are doing well also. Eating like champs! They do still spend quite a bit of time in their burrows. I know that will change when they get a little bigger though. My P. formosa was like that for 3 or 4 weeks, then it molted (twice within a month) and it's always visible now. I wish you had a camera. Would love to see some pictures!

 

[Terry D]

Glad to hear they're doing well, Terry. My 2 are doing well also. Eating like champs! They do still spend quite a bit of time in their burrows. I know that will change when they get a little bigger though. My P. formosa was like that for 3 or 4 weeks, then it molted (twice within a month) and it's always visible now. I wish you had a camera. Would love to see some pictures!

Toni, Glad to hear yours are acclimating well, too. Mine are eating slightly larger crickets now as well. I'm gonna put #2 off feed pretty soon so as not to repeat the P irminia episode :wall:.

The camera lack is going to change soon thanks to a generous offer by another ABer. :worship:

Terry

 

[Terry D]

Fast Molt

Hey y'all, I knew there was something I forgot to post yesterday- P.o.#2 molted again! Last molt was Aug 2nd- ONLY 18 DAYS ......and man is it getting big! It is at least 2.25".

#3 and #4 ate tonight so evidently not premolt yet. #3 was upside down near the top of the enclosure with the crik in it's fangs. Btw, I found out 2-3 feedings ago that they will indeed take pre-killed. That resolves 2 issues. I don't have to worry now about trying to catch a few tiny crix out of the "small" enclosure at the lps. They know me well and just hand me a bag when I walk in. . Secondly, I won't have to be on my toes so much about them being young and worrying whether I'm going to repeat the P. irminia episode.

Scotty -aka- Gp #1 has constructed a molt mat early this a.m. Has yet to flip as of last 20 minutes. His last molt was 5-07-10.

All is good in B.C. La.

Terry

 

[Redneck]

Congrats Terry! My little boogers need to hurry & molt... One of the four didnt eat.. So it might be that time..

 

[Terry D]

Tommy, Good deal. Sounds like it to me! Hurry your adf Lp along already!

 

[Redneck]

Tommy, Good deal. Sounds like it to me! Hurry your adf Lp along already!

LoL! All we can do now is wait... Still want some Avic slings?

 

[MichiganReptiles]

Congrats on the molt! One of mine ate last night. The other did not so I got the cricket out of there this evening. My female G. pulchra has a super black abdomen so she should be molting soon also. I've already had 6 T's molt in the last week. It's been exciting!

 

[MichiganReptiles]

LoL! All we can do now is wait... Still want some Avic slings?

I want some more Avic slings!