Hungry like a wolf

[WithCerberus]

:) Here is a female Arctosa wolf spider that I recently found. She is about 2 cm and very fat. I have been finding lots of males and females running around. I'm hoping she is preggers. Anyways enjoy the pic of her chowing down on a large fly.
http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1213/T520051213131145833.jpg

peace,

Bobby

[Anthony]

That is a very clear and nice picture. Have you bred any ?

[WithCerberus]

Thank you for your compliments. No I haven't bred these guys. I am hoping that she will lay an eggsac though. If she does i am crossing my fingers that they will be easier to raise than my D.triton slings.

peace,

Bobby

[Bungholio]

Very nice lady that you have! :)

[WithCerberus]

Well, it turns out she was preggers. I peeked inside her burrow today and saw this. {D {D {D I am very excited about raising these babies.

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1221/T520051221181114594.jpg

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1221/T520051221181114376.jpg sorry about the crummy pic, it was through the plastic at a wierd angle.

peace,

Bobby

[insect714]

:clap: :clap: Congrats on the eggsac. Hope all works out well for you with this project....:clap: :clap:

[WithCerberus]

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1222/T520051222155128843.jpg

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1222/T520051222155132703.jpg

peace,

bobby

[Anthony]

Good for you, this is a fine opportunity i hope you post updates and results. The best of luck

[WithCerberus]

A few pics of my expecting mother. Enjoy :)

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1227/T520051227204723353.jpg


http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1227/T520051227204724494.jpg

peace,

Bobby

[jonnysebachi]

nice pic, its like she's daring you to touch{D

[Tegenaria]

Shes a cool looking dudette!

[WithCerberus]

a pic of her new home. I put this together for my orchid and thought it might make a good home for her too. She does seem a lot calmer in this tank than the other one.

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_1229/T520051229162933897.jpg

peace,

Bobby

[Stefan2209]

Whoa,

slow down a moment! What´s that spider for a size? :eek:

I thought Arctosa spec. would´nt get as big as it seems from the last pic, is it just a very small container or is that creepy really near a hand-full? :?

Confused (and amazed) Greetings,

Stefan

[WithCerberus]

She is almost 2cm in body length so she is definately not a handful. :)

Peace,

Bobby

[WithCerberus]

Well, Stefan, your questioning sent me back to the keys. Specifically this one, Lycosidae (http://research.amnh.org/entomology/blackrock2/families/lycosidae.htm). I seem to have been a little careless with this one. Instead of Arctosa she is actually Schizocosa. Both genus have a long dorsobristle on tarsus one. My mistake :8o This is actually a fortunate turn of events though since I have been able to find much more info on Schizocosa natural history :)
Peace,

Bobby

[WithCerberus]

I noticed the other day that a few eggs had spilled out of the sac. I am not sure if she is getting anxious and wanted to check on the eggs or if she is just being rough with the eggsac but about 10 eggs fell out. I thought that these eggs were goners but I found this when I checked on her this morning...

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_0111/T520060111110530447.jpg

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_0111/T52006011111054268.jpg

... one of the little guys is developing outside of the eggcase! I am pretty excited about this and moved it to a smaller container to keep tabs on it. The mother is also carrying the eggsac in her chelicerae like a pisaurid now. Do wolf spiders do that when they are about to open the eggsac?

peace,

Bobby

[Tegenaria]

Thats really cool Bobby!

[Aubrey Sidwell]

Wolf spiders will carry thier young on their abdomen for a while after they have hatched. If you had left the spiderlings with her they would have devoloped and latched on. Her only job is to defend them until they are old enough to defend themselves. Obviously no harm done but watch what she does with the rest.

[WithCerberus]

Icelos, thank you, but i realize that wolf spiders care for their young in that way. These spiderlings that I have removed from the larger tank are not able to walk or latch on to anything yet. Since the larger tank is full of live moss and other plants I didn't want to lose track of these guys. Plus it is very interesting to get a better view of their development.

Bobby

[WithCerberus]

well, some bad news... She stopped carrying around the eggsac last night and had not picked it up by this morning. i opened the eggsac because it had started to look a little funny and none of the eggs had developed in the way the spilled ones did and they seemed to be covered in mold. Bummer. At least I have the 5 that developed from the spilled eggs though. I hope those little guys make it.

peace,

Bobby

[Steven]

sorry to hear about the eggsac :(
maybe the second will work out nice ! :)

have those 5 slings left developped any color yet ?




you got some very nice set-ups btw :worship:

[WithCerberus]

Thanks Steven. No the slings are all still soft and white. I am really hoping they make it. They all sit there and ever so slowly stretch their legs back and forth.

peace,

Bobby

[Jack_F]

Sorry to hear about that sac:(
Nice Jewel orchid u got there:clap:

[Tarangela]

Sounds like you have had some fun w/ this experience! I have had 2 wolfies that were preggers, and I let them make their sacs, let them hatch, and climb on her back :) I let them stay there for about a week, then I let her and all of them go (it was summer). They were starting to wonder around, and they could get through the top holes of the critter keeper!

I really enjoyed watching and learning :)

Hope your little ones make it!

[WithCerberus]

http://imageserver1.textamerica.com/user.images.x/69/IMG_393969/_0125/T52006012512342411.jpg
So now they have a little bit of color but they are still pretty much immobile. These are the only two that survived.

Bobby

[Stefan2209]

Hi Bobby,

that´s an unbelievable story! Thanks for sharing and keep us updated on those fellas, i´m quite surprised they made it that far!:eek:

Would have thought the fallen-out eggs would have died major-fast, seems i´ve been wrong with that idea. As they apparently made it till now, i think you now have a really good chance to keep them alive, still, a very unique story.

Take good care of the lil guys!

Greetings,

Stefan

[WithCerberus]

I am pretty surprized that they made it this far too. It really will be amazing if I can rear these to adulthood. I can't wait to see them take their first steps (my proud father moment) :)

peace,
Bobby

[lilmountaingrrl]

Any news on the super twins? Are they still doing okay?
Keep us posted on their progress.....

[WithCerberus]

After a struggle to survive these two little guys passed away this weekend. After they had made it that far I started to have hope that they would survive. 8(

peace,
bobby

[Stefan2209]

Hi,

sorry to hear that, Bobby.

After they made it so far, against all odds by the way, it´s a real shame to loose them now.

However, guess you did all that could be done for the lil fellas. So don´t worry too much, better luck next time.

Greetings,

Stefan

[lilmountaingrrl]

I am so sorry that your little guys both passed on... :-(
At least I'm sure they are in a better place.... where flies, crickets, and other yummies are even more plentiful then they are here. They were lucky to have had someone that cared so much about them, as you did. Many spiderlings arent so lucky.