Gravid amblypygid!

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Scuttlebutt

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My Damon diadema has been acting a bit strange lately, staying close to the ground (but not on it) in one spot in her cage and moving very little. Thinking she was in premolt I went to get a good look at her and lo and behold! Eggs! The kicker is she's been living alone ever since I got her 7 months ago. I didn't know they gestate that long. Does anyone know around how much longer I can expect her to be expecting? Also are there any special accommodations I should make for her and the babies-to-be? Sorry, this is the best picture I could get, she's standing pretty flush against her corkbark. eggs.jpg
 
edgeofthefreak

edgeofthefreak

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Agreed! So very exciting!
I have absolutely no advice, but massive congrats!

Post pics of the babies, pretty please? :)
 
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MrCrackerpants

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Please explain your current set up (or provide pictures) and then I can assist you with modifying it to meet the needs of the Mom and her babies.
 
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Scuttlebutt

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It's an exo terra nano tall. I keep the substrate moist and a full water bowl on the bottom for humidity (I have seen her drink from it too), and she has the background that comes with exo terras as well as a ~7x11 inch cork flat to cling to. The room is typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit

Since having the eggs she's been staying very close to the bottom of the bark, which makes me think she wants higher humidity for her eggs so I covered part of the screen top.
 
klawfran3

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I don't want to be a "Dan the downer", but are you sure these arent unfertilized? I know sometimes people get unfertilized sacks from tarantulas, and 7 months is quite long. I really do hope these turn out to be fertile though!
 
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MrCrackerpants

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Scuttlebutt said:
It's an exo terra nano tall. I keep the substrate moist and a full water bowl on the bottom for humidity (I have seen her drink from it too), and she has the background that comes with exo terras as well as a ~7x11 inch cork flat to cling to. The room is typically around 70 degrees Fahrenheit

Since having the eggs she's been staying very close to the bottom of the bark, which makes me think she wants higher humidity for her eggs so I covered part of the screen top.
Click to expand...
This sounds good. :) Keep the sub moist and the water dish full. How bright is the room and how much light does she get a day?

Let me know when the eggs hatch and I can help you with that too. Good luck! Let me know if you have other questions.
 
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Scuttlebutt

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I hope they're fertilized. I know some scorpions gestate for over a year so it isn't unrealistic.

Will do, MrCrackerpants. She room is of average brightness but the way her cage is positioned she doesn't see much of it. Enough for a day/night cycle but she is never brightly lit.

Since covering part of the top she's started moving away from the ground so she must approve of the changes.
 
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MrCrackerpants

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Scuttlebutt said:
I hope they're fertilized. I know some scorpions gestate for over a year so it isn't unrealistic.

Will do, MrCrackerpants. She room is of average brightness but the way her cage is positioned she doesn't see much of it. Enough for a day/night cycle but she is never brightly lit.

Since covering part of the top she's started moving away from the ground so she must approve of the changes.
Click to expand...
Great! My females always have high humidity because of a moist substrate and limited ventilation. They reproduce well under these conditions. I can't say that it is essential but if I had mine in an Exo-Terra I would further limit the ventilation. The front vents, leaky doors and screen top of the Exo-Terra's do not hold in a lot of humidity. Good luck. :)
 
klawfran3

klawfran3

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Scuttlebutt said:
My Damon diadema has been acting a bit strange lately, staying close to the ground (but not on it) in one spot in her cage and moving very little. Thinking she was in premolt I went to get a good look at her and lo and behold! Eggs! The kicker is she's been living alone ever since I got her 7 months ago. I didn't know they gestate that long. Does anyone know around how much longer I can expect her to be expecting? Also are there any special accommodations I should make for her and the babies-to-be? Sorry, this is the best picture I could get, she's standing pretty flush against her corkbark. View attachment 125982
Click to expand...
can we get an update on her and the eggs? I know they haven't hatched yet, but is she doing okay?
 
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Scuttlebutt

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Bad news. I checked on her today and there's no sign of an egg case on her underside or elsewhere in the enclosure and no babies to be seen. I guess it went bad and she ate it. This is what her ventral side looks like now: http://i.imgur.com/TEnO01h.jpg
 
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Scuttlebutt

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I was worried the egg case might have gone bad because it turned kind of dark. I've seen pictures on the internet where they ranged from a light green like my first shot to a rum brown though and thought it might be normal for them to get dark over time. I was actually checking on her to try and get a picture to consult you guys on the issue.
 
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Ambly

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If they are swollen off the abdomen, and not flat like in the first picture, they're probably developing and fine. Hope all is well with her
 
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sschind

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I agree with ambly. I think you are fine, or more accurately she is fine. If you look closely in the second picture you can see that the surface of her abdomen is slightly distended and looks kind of opaque. Back in January or February I put two of my D diadema together and very quickly afterwards I saw the female with eggs looking just like your first picture. About 6 weeks later she looked a lot like the picture you posted in the link and I too figured she lost the eggs. About three weeks ago I was showing her off to someone and noticed she was very swollen in the abdomen and three days ago I came home to this

tlwhipbb3.jpg

I'd say you might have another couple of months too wait but I could be wrong.

The 7 months before developing eggs seems a bit weird but who knows.
 
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Ambly

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from your picture, the one you posted showing supposed bad news, I cannot tell. I do know this though... the egg sac is a mucus sac that hardens. The first picture looks very new and fresh. I think there is still a chance that the egg sac has hardened (goldish brownish color, it does not stay nice and pretty like your first pic) and that the embryos are not large enough to cause obvious swelling. I also don't think they'd eat the sac.

I hope it's still good.
 
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Scuttlebutt

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Here's hoping then. I was looking forward to having my own first captive bred clutch of babies (even though I didn't breed her). She is awfully plump right now.
 
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Scuttlebutt

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I was treated to this sight just now, so I assume babies are off the table. Still, I'm excited she's had her first molt in my care :)


ambmolt.jpg
 
CitizenNumber9

CitizenNumber9

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Phew! This thread caused me more emotional trauma than the Twilight books :cry: I'm so glad that there was a happy ending!
 
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