Matt82's Tarantulas

[Storm76]

Crossing fingers for you that she's gravid, Matt!

 

[matt82]

Thanks folks, I hope she produces too

I haven't been really taking much photos lately, none of the slings like being hassled, so just leaving them to it really.

-Both of the C. schioedtei have moulted once or twice and are doing good - neither are willing photo-subjects so I just leave them be.

-The M. balfouri slings were small when I got them apx. 2 months ago (prob. 2nd instars) - one moulted the first day I got them, the other has yet to moult - both are fine though, doing well I think. Feeding them slow and steady. These definitely are not for removing from the vials for photos - too delicate,and also, they really need to be left in peace; they can be easily disrupted if disturbed.

-C. darlingi sling is bulking up well and really making the enclosure it's own, with a fantastic mix of tunnelling and webbing. Probably approaching a moult. Cool species!




Quick update on the OBT girl - I spotted her out patrolling the glass apx. 10 days ago, looking fairly swelled up now. (This ventral angle doesn't really reveal the actual extent of the swelling, but it was the only angle on offer... )
She's totally abandoned the burrow now - which would have been difficult to fathom beforehand - (In favour of a more suitable laying-site I'm sure), and has set up shop behind a piece of bark, burrowing a comfortable groove in the soil to reside in, but nothing more than that.
She has webbed up too. She had been refusing food, going into full OBT berserker mode at the sight of a cricket... pretty funny to see!
She has since begun feeding gain (after the below photo was taken)


Gravid OBT envenomating the glass!

She had already tried envenomating the glass a couple of times before I seen her, that wasn't a reaction to the camera! It is noteworthy that the only defensive behaviour she has really ever shown was after being mated - good indicator that she is most likely developing a cluster of babies inside!

Paired on 6th May, so just short of 6 weeks ago. I will be keeping my eye open for any further developments over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully the next update will be one or two photos of an opened sac.

Big thanks to ArachnoBoards and it's helpful members, it has been a great source for learning more about tarantulas - the best online source for T's infact. Cheers.

 

[hnyhny]

I think I just like AV' baby shiny blue!!

 

[mcluskyisms]

Good luck with the P. murinus mate.

 

[famish]

Good looking tarantulas!

 

[advan]

She looks like a bright orange balloon with legs! Good luck Matt!

 

[papilio]

Hey Matt! How'r things coming along, any news yet?

I lost both the H. mac and the regalis sacs, guess I have to pay my dues. I REALLY hope yours is successful!!

 

[matt82]

The female OBT dropped an eggsac between the 9th and 11th of July, apx. 9-10 weeks after the initial pairing. I removed the eggsac yesterday, apx. 30 days later.

I had no camera at hand yesterday, so took some shots with a phone - the pics are rushed and blurred, but I was fairly eager to get the contents into the incubator and paid little attention to focus or anything like that

The mother, not too happy to have her whole world turned upside down and her babies "stolen". She was fairly manageable all the same, great T

Most were @ the 1st instar stage, some EWLs too, with some still eggs. Only 2 confirmed bad eggs, so hopefully a decent amount of 2nd instars soon enough.

 

[Storm76]

Nice! Good job so far! All the best for getting them grow furthermore

 

[papilio]

Hey Matt!! YAAYYYYY!!! Great job, excited?

The regalis was paired a second time, and the H. mac may double-clutch, so I'm still hoping ...
And I recently got a beautiful pulcher sling from Chad, I'm pretty fond of it!

 

[matt82]

Thanks Storm, I don't think these will be long growing, the parents were matured in less than 18 months, lol. Hoopefully I'll get some good L2's soon!
Cheers

Thanks Michael, yeah it was pretty exciting to remove and open the eggsac, and a good stage to find them at too. Really happy with the outcome here! All the best with your projects too, and congrats on the P. pulcher, really are one of THE nicest Ts you can keep

 

[advan]

Congrats on the sac Matt! It's about time you updated us.

 

[matt82]

I know resurrecting old threads is a bit of a no no, but I thought I would considering its mine!

After nearly 3 years of not keeping Ts at all, I've recently started a respectable little haul of slings I'm definitely enjoying keeping them all over again.

I've laid off the photos as I just want to let them all settle, but here's one, a 2nd instar A. versicolor



Other species I picked up were:

C. elegans; N. chromatus; P. pulcher; P. subfusca; T. gigas

I got at least a couple of each sp. ; I intend to update this thread in good time Most are 2nd instar except the P. pulcher, which at a guess are 2x4th, 1x3rd instar.

 

[lalberts9310]

Welcome back to the hobby!!! I can't see how it's possible to give up the addiction :biggrin: pretty little versi you have there, those are high on my wishlist

 

[Storm76]

Why did you get out of the hobby in the first place, silly?