M. balfouri eggsack

-=}GA']['OR{=-

Arachnoknight
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Mar 1, 2004
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Ok, my female balfouri just laid some really small eggs. I have never bred this species before. Do they have really small eggs? She was webbing heavy yesterday and looks like she started to create the typical hammock style eggsack. It does not look completed and I can still see through the silk. She is not continuing to fabricate the eggsack. Very strange, as I have bred a lot of species and have never seen eggs this small!?!

I know this species is a good caretaker of their offspring and have read that it is best to leave them with the female until 3i. I may just pull the small amount of good eggs and incubate them, unless someone who has bred these says otherwise.

Thanks.
 

Angel Minkov

Arachnobaron
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Is this the first time the female has been bred? How old/big is she? Her age/size and eggsac experience could be a factor?
 

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Arachnoknight
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Confirmed my suspicions, pulled it today, not one viable egg. =(

She is a 7yr old adult female...I have 2 more females as well as her. Back to looking for males!
 

catfishrod69

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Usually you will be able to see the eggs somewhat well through the silk on hammock sacs, for a few days or so. How do you know for sure the eggs were no good?
 

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Arachnoknight
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Usually you will be able to see the eggs somewhat well through the silk on hammock sacs, for a few days or so. How do you know for sure the eggs were no good?
It was just a weird egg sack from the start. I have have had a lot of hammock makers over the years. This one was not suspended, and it had a weird shape to it. When I went through it, all the eggs were either black and hard as stone, or yellow deflated and hard. She had an opening in the top of it and did not even attempt to seal it. This is why I could see the eggs so well. Also, I'm sure you know as well, you get a 'gut' feeling on egg sacks, whether they are good or not.

Every sack I've seen {even non fertile ones} started off with fully hydrated eggs. These were totally void of any moisture.
 

Protectyaaaneck

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Sorry to hear they were no good. But to answer your question, yes, M. balfouri has ultra small eggs and the babies are super small when they emerge. Here's some size comparison pics:







 

catfishrod69

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I completely understand. Maybe you can get lucky to make her double clutch, and she will do better on the next one. Good luck man. I have to find a adult female once spring hits. Mine died in a molt, and i have some of her offspring. I want to get back to producing them.
-=}GA']['OR{=-;2360378 said:
It was just a weird egg sack from the start. I have have had a lot of hammock makers over the years. This one was not suspended, and it had a weird shape to it. When I went through it, all the eggs were either black and hard as stone, or yellow deflated and hard. She had an opening in the top of it and did not even attempt to seal it. This is why I could see the eggs so well. Also, I'm sure you know as well, you get a 'gut' feeling on egg sacks, whether they are good or not.

Every sack I've seen {even non fertile ones} started off with fully hydrated eggs. These were totally void of any moisture.
 

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Arachnoknight
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172
Sorry to hear they were no good. But to answer your question, yes, M. balfouri has ultra small eggs and the babies are super small when they emerge. Here's some size comparison pics:







Hey Jason,

Thanks for clarifying the uber small egg size. This is such a strange species. Very cool though. Those slings are tiny! Kind of like Aphonopelma. I was talking to MJ this week, he said he has some M. balfouri males.
Hope your having fun down 'south'! =)

---------- Post added 03-02-2015 at 06:43 AM ----------

I completely understand. Maybe you can get lucky to make her double clutch, and she will do better on the next one. Good luck man. I have to find a adult female once spring hits. Mine died in a molt, and i have some of her offspring. I want to get back to producing them.
Thanks John,

I'm going to feed her up again, in the hopes she will throw another one! Sorry to hear about your female. Did you keep a bunch back for yourself? They are a neat species.
 

tbrandt

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How many eggs do they typically lay in a single clutch? Thanks.
 

catfishrod69

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I kept 11 or 12 i think. I have them in 2 small communals.
-=}GA']['OR{=-;2360631 said:
Thanks John,

I'm going to feed her up again, in the hopes she will throw another one! Sorry to hear about your female. Did you keep a bunch back for yourself? They are a neat species.


---------- Post added 03-02-2015 at 01:13 PM ----------

My female hit 43 once.
How many eggs do they typically lay in a single clutch? Thanks.
 

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Arachnoknight
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I kept 11 or 12 i think. I have them in 2 small communals.

---------- Post added 03-02-2015 at 01:13 PM ----------

My female hit 43 once.

Yeah, I usually keep back at least 15 from my breedings. Just to boost my stock of females.


This bad eggsack looked like it contained 30 or so eggs.
 
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