Some more questions about new borns

[Reitz]

Ok, so my C. gracilis have molted, and it looks as if all have made it so far. Hopefully she'll catch the cricket that's in there now and they'll get their first meal! I have a little more than a week before the move, so in theory I could let them with the mother for a little while yet. But I keep her in a critter keeper that stands on its side. I'd have to tape the whole thing up when they started to explore on their own if I left them in too much longer. My question is, does anyone see a problem with removing them tomorrow, assuming they eat today? Has the mother stopped transmitting fluids to them? If they're anything like emps, they should be able to fend for themselves now, or at least eat small crix that I kill, correct?

Also, for the record, are they first instars now or second?

Chris

 

[skinheaddave]

Chris,

Second instar and yes, you can seperate them from mommy.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[chau0046]

I never noticed the mother try and feed her young with my C. Gracilis`. She ate a dead cricket, i killed it so that she wouldn`t be disturbed and stress out on the young. also i would wait one or two more days to let there exo harden properly before you start shoo-ing them around . check them very often. Mine were off and on a couple of times . Every time i opened the tank they would already be up on her back , before i could lift her hide (halfcocoanut shell) and notice. then i seen one one out and noticed that half of them were hiding under her . i then seperated them as there were a couple missing(canabalism). they will be very hungry and should eagerly accept dead small crickets or live micro crickets. I would also stand the tank up straight and wash the sides so none of them climb on mineral fragments. some of my little guys can climb the side of the little plastic condiment containers. Very sneaky and pretty fast for little 1/3 inch scorps!


Good luck!

Mat

How many made it through to their secound instar?

 

[Reitz]

Thanks Mat and Dave.

Mat, it doesn't look like I lost any during the molt. I had temps up to 90 during the day, and humidity at around 75-80%. I don't have a final count though, so I'll let you know. From what you're saying, the mom will never feed the young? My emp moms fed their young, I suspected that C. gracilis moms would do the same.
Huh:?

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[chau0046]

I`m not saying" she never will" but i wouldn`t wait on it. The dead crickets i put in her cage also fed the little guys after two days 2nd instar.



There fully mobile and are exact replecas as there parents. I think 2nd instar Centruroides aren`t as vulnerable as plump Emp 2nd instars are and thats why the emp parents take care of them longer. This is what seems to make sense to me.I`m no expert but would like to help you anyway i can by answering what makes sense to me.

Mat

 

[skinheaddave]

It is indeed the case that feeding of the young is only observed in a small assortment of scorpions. I have never head of this behaviour in anything but a Scorpionidae, though there may be other species from other families that do this. Centruroides is not one of them, though.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Reitz]

Canada must have a monopoly on bright people.

Thanks again guys,

Chris

 

[Kugellager]

I know this has been said before but...

Just remember to watch your humidity levels with the babies until they are a bit larger. As far a Centruroides go, C.gracilis is one of the more humid loving species. They live in south and central Florida and in Central America..both areas of high humity. Commonly found under rotting logs or the bark of the same logs. These are definityl humid areas.

John
];')

 

[Reitz]

Thanks John.

The tank is usually kept at 70% rel. humidity. With the newborns now I have it at 80, 85 at night (with the temp as high as it is, 85% during the day would be a little much). I'm going to keep these conditions for the seperated babies and bring the mom back to normal. Does that sound about right to you?

Chris

 

[skinheaddave]

Chris,

Actualy, 85% during the day seems like a good place to be. Might I suggest you aim for higher humidity for the babies. Quite easy to do -- just restrict the ventelation on their enclosure(s). Actualy, if you do seperate them out into their own enclosures, a good idea can be seen here. Using this technique, I have had 100% survival so far on the humidity-loving H.spinifer. Now, I used a vermiculite substrate, but Mat is using a paper towel substrate on his C.gracilis and it sounds like it is serving him well. If I had to do it all over again, I'd try with peat just to see.

If you chose to keep them all in one larger enclosure, the same principle can be used. Just take your rearing container and almost completely restrict ventelation. Then, screen over a smaller container and fill it with water. Place it inside the rearing container and then add your substrate. Or, you can use the classic gravel layer in the bottom to hold the water.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Reitz]

That's almost exactly what I'm doing. My deli cups are a little smaller, but so are C. gracilis. I'm hoping to cut down on space.

Chris

 

[Reitz]

I thought I'd post a follow up, just in case anyone was curious to know what others are doing with their young.

My C. gracilis started moving about on their own, so I decieded to seperate them. I'm using the individual deli-cup method. Dave said he would be interested to try peat, and Mat is using paper towels, so I decieded to try half and half--that is, half the cups have peat, the other half have paper towel. So far the peat seems to be better, as it holds more water before it becomes saturated.

I'm not putting the cups into a larger container, but onto a closed off shelf on my invert shelving. It's about 90 during the day, 80 at night, and humidity there is around 75. The cups should be much more humid than that on the inside however.

The final count was 23. One decieded to hide under mom (between the pectines), so it's still with her for now. I was chasing another around the bark for a while till it vanished, and a third died after it got pinched between the cup and it's lid. That leaves 20 in their own containers and two still floating around mom's tank.

So, that's the story.
How are yours Mat?

Chris

 

[chau0046]

Day 38

Killed their own cricket wich was their size or bigger!

Man , it was the funnyist thing, I threw little smaller than med size cricket in its cage. Its tail was waving back and forth trying to sting everything. REALLY speradicly(sp?) everywhere. trying to sting the chunk of bark , to walls on the container. I was starting to think it was stressing right out when he caught it by its antenna and dragged it in for one good direct evenomation in the upper abdomen of the poor cricket. It died two seconds later. Man its telson is about the size of a human hair. Crazy (yet comical ) first kill!!;P =D ;P

The rest of them are doing great. Very nice plumpness (for a Centruroides) i`ll see if the other will eat the lives i put in for the morning. I only put live in at the last 5 and the others got freshly defrosted. But they are thriving and i will soon introduce them into some glass spheres for terrarium. I find weird stuff at flea markets and make nice observational enclosers. Next moult three will be intro-ed together untill they are sub-adults and will be reintroduced into the parents tank . Cant wait. My colony has BEGUN!!!!!

Mat

 

[Reitz]

That's great Mat.

When did they molt the second time?

Chris

 

[chau0046]

Sorry i was getting confused with 3rd instars. I plan on introducing them whem they moulted twice.


Mat
(brain fart)

 

[Reitz]

no worries,

Chris

 

[chau0046]

Hey if there still in the tank with mom I`d be very carefull. Infact i`d tape down al the sides untill i found them. These little guys are climbing smooth plastic for me, and silicon is as easy as pie for these little dudes. I beleive they would survive in a house. they probably wouldn`t be very fat fast growers , but would be found next to moisture or under sink er something.

Let us know if you found them!

This is why i seperated my gravid female so that the young could be easily reared. Also she was kept on three layers or paper towel. Misted daily and this way i could easily see if any dirt or mould was growing easily. Same with the young . Inside there little deli cups, each of them have a little piece of bark to escape direct moister.

Worked great and still all alive since seperation.

I kept humidity up for two-three days and then let i drop a little for a day or two and then brought it back up . This was always eating time. I find that a variation in their Humidity levels are good, I read somewhere that they are found in variouse areas some very humid to semi-arid. I find they are quite tolerant. But would definately keep moisture levels up around moulting times though. I have a humid section in my adults tank and they are always back and forth. but mainly in the middle. The higher the moiture the more vertical they are and when moisture drops they hang lower to the substrate. The female will eat at anylevel anytime. If its in front of her , and moving...she`s gonna eat it.

Mat