My vinegaroon has an egg sack!

[Vinegaroonlover]

I have three vinegaroons, two of which are wild caught. I got them last summer, I didn't really see them much this winter, I've seen the bigger female about a month and a half ago to come out for a drink. Today I went to get some mealworms for them, and I gently lifted up her hide, and underneath it looked like she was hanging from it, she had an enormous egg sack. I nearly vomited with excitement and scared because I didn't want to disturb her eggs. I very gently put the hide back down and left her alone. They're in 10 gallon tanks with about 4 inches of substrate. I mist it down a little sometimes, but not too wet so it gets moldy. They have fresh drinking water daily, they have their own room, with minimal noise and disturbance. The question is, can she have been pregnant this whole time since last summer? She is definitely wild caught, and when I caught the glimpse of her egg sack it looked humongous. She was extremely bulbus before she went under. I didn't see her for quite a while, I would just throw a cricket in and she will always eat it. I am now keeping the room closed and keeping all lights off and hope for the best. If I see her emerge with nymphs on her back I will offer food ASAP. I know she will be pretty much starving to death and those babies will be hungry too. Is there anything else that I can do? What are the chances of them hatching successfully? How long do babies take to hatch once the egg sack is laid? To be honest I don't even know when she laid that egg sack it could have been last month for all I know. I don't bother them much because they are wild caught and very skittish. I am so nervous and excited at the same time I really hope nothing happens to the babies or her. Please any advice. If the babies are born, what do I feed them? OMG I am totally freaking out guys!

 

[Smotzer]

Do not disturb her of feed crickets anytime soon if the brood sack is still extruded you have a long time before they will be ready to eat and couple more months till the babies are 2i and ready to eat. Like up tp 12 weeks give it take for post embryo stage and then first Instar and then to second. Do not keep checking on the mom while she has the brood sack extruded leave her be in darkness and without messing with her this is super important. DO NOT FEED.

 

[darkness975]

Agree with the above. Hold off on feeding for the foreseeable future.

 

[CRX]

Basically we're supposed to completely ignore them during this period, aside from the regular watering. I know the curiosity and urge to check on them can be hard.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

No way will she be disturbed. I have no interest in bothering her, or check on her in any way shape or form. I will very gently just water. Other than that, I now keep that room closed to prevent any noise disturbance. The only way I will know that her and the babies are okay, is when she emerges from her little chamber. I will then offer her something to eat as soon as she is out to prevent her from starving to death or eating the Young on her back. But for now, that room is completely off limits except for daily watering which will be done so carefully as if I was playing with an explosive. I know patience is key. I do not want to lose this clutch. Or her. Here is a picture of her a few months ago.

 

[Smotzer]

Do not feed anyone until after the young Mastigoproctus have molted to 2i the mother will not eat them, they are good mothers, please just wait. No one is in urgent need of food they evolved to go through this cycle. It will be okay, any stress to the mother or young could mean death, in nature they are sealed away underground this entire process.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

So pretty much do not feed until the young are off her back, and have molted and foraging on their own?

 

[Smotzer]

So pretty much do not feed until the young are off her back, and have molted and foraging on their own?

They need to go through two full molts after emerging from the broodsack. It will helpful for you to read up on their lifecycle and stages. Eggsack extrusion—->post embryo——>1st instar——>second instar. You are not post embryo yet so you have quite awhile of waiting to go through. I know how excited you are but you really just have to let their cycle work it’s magic and be excited from a distance! No one is in danger of starving I promise.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

Update on the momma vinegaroon. She is still sealed in her chamber with her eggs, I have not Disturbed her whatsoever. I very carefully make sure the water dish has water in it. Other than that, I leave her alone day and night with the door closed in her very own room. No lights no noise. So far no odor, and no sight of her yet. Everyday that passes is one day closer to the little miracle of baby vinegaroons. I'm praying that she and her new litter will be okay.

 

[CRX]

No way will she be disturbed. I have no interest in bothering her, or check on her in any way shape or form. I will very gently just water. Other than that, I now keep that room closed to prevent any noise disturbance. The only way I will know that her and the babies are okay, is when she emerges from her little chamber. I will then offer her something to eat as soon as she is out to prevent her from starving to death or eating the Young on her back. But for now, that room is completely off limits except for daily watering which will be done so carefully as if I was playing with an explosive. I know patience is key. I do not want to lose this clutch. Or her. Here is a picture of her a few months ago.

I'm just now seeing this post, but that substrate is way WAY too dry dude. It can't even burrow in that, it would just collapse. You need some better, wet substrate that it can burrow in.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

I make sure the substrate is pretty wet, that was from a few months ago. Right now I don't want to disturb her too much with watering down the tank, she is in her cork bark hide and sealed herself in. I very carefully make sure her water bowl is full, and I very carefully wet down the substrate on the opposite side of her burrow so there's no mildew to kill the eggs, I've heard that too much water, can cause mold and that is very dangerous to the egg sac. My other two just like to hang out inside the coconut shells or the cork bark hide I put into the tank.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

Update. I just checked in the bug room, and she was out having a drink. There were no Young on her back. I carefully lifted up the hide, and there was a couple of dried up eggs on the ground. I am beyond devastated. I'm happy that she is okay and looking plump as ever.

 

[CRX]

Could she have ate the eggs???

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

I think she might have, there was a couple of eggs and they were hard as a rock and long dried out.

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

I'm seriously devastated over this was looking so forward to the little babies and right now I am bawling my eyes out.

 

[coolnweird]

Sorry for your loss, I know it's devastating Glad your mama is still healthy and happy though!

 

[Vinegaroonlover]

She actually ate a nice juicy superworm! I'm so happy she's doing well and her old frisky self!