A. crassicauda

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
All,

In spite of my recent attempts at mating A. crassicauda, my largest fem has repeatedly refused to mate with any of the 3 males I've introduced into her enclosure. She's large and apparently, high-maintenance and very selective - not falling for any ol' bum from out the desert with a hot spermatophore! LOL

Today, after another failed attempt (today, she struck a male so hard with her metasoma that she actually knocked him across the substrate a good 5-7 cm!), for the first time, I removed her from her enclosure and after slipping and securing a shell vial over her metasoma (they don't much care for this restraining technique but it allows you to examine Androctonus in hand without an envenomation), examined her and found the reason for her reluctance to mate - she's already gravid!

There, lined up ventromedially, were the yellowish-colored embryos visible through the sternites.

Why didn't I notice this before? She's very active and a very voracious eater, often capturing and consuming 2-3 adult crickets at a time and will feed like this 1-2 times per week so, I just assumed her robustness and lateral distension was due to a healthy appetite. Unlike my other A. crassicauda, she's not shy and will scale the large rock in the center of her enclosure, sit atop it and consume 2-3 ADULT crix per feeding!

One of my newly acquired adult males also feeds like the female above. As a matter of fact, he has a half consumed adult cricket in his chelicerae and one in the "hand"!

What a great day!!!

Take care...Luc
 

Brian S

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
May 29, 2004
Messages
6,526
hehe yeah from my observations the only reasons a female wont mate is because she is either already gravid or immature .
I wish these Andros would hurry up and give birth.
 

JSN

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
683
hahah, thats awsome...some things you just dont see I guess...good luck, and I know you'll have pics as soon as she pops....
 

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
Heya Brian,

True. However, she exhibited none of the typical behaviors of gravid Androctonus fems. Quite the opposite - she's very active, calm (strange enough for a crassi!), not retreat-oriented and eating like she hasn't been fed in months!
Initially, I entertained the notion that she might be gravid after rejecting the second mating attempt then, dismissed the possibility based on her eating habits - I assumed the lateral distension was an indicator that she was merely well fed. I'm not complaining at all! I just hope Canon returns my camera before she parturates as I'd hate to miss such a photo opportunity.
 

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
JSN,

Thanks! Actually, I would have taken dozens of photos by now but had to send my camera to Canon for repairs. As soon as I have it back in my hands again, there will be photos! LOL
 

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
Fred,

A VERY pleasant surprise as one can never have enough Andros! LOL
Even better, she should be dropping her kids very soon...

Luc
 

quiz

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
1,189
Barkscorpions said:
Fred,

A VERY pleasant surprise as one can never have enough Andros! LOL
Even better, she should be dropping her kids very soon...

Luc
one of my A.crassi female acts the same way. I have a feeling that she's pregnant plus I can see some pebbles but not fully visible. I'll give her another month or two to see if the pebbles would fully show and pack her sides.
 

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
Quiz,

That would be cool.

I have this one gravid fem and I observed matings of my other two fems and both accepted the spermats of the two males. Hopefully, all three will drop some offspring in the future.
Right now, I'm more interested in my mauri's (3 + 2 others showing lateral distension), bicolor's (2) and spadix (2) droppin' their kids. My one spadix is so damn large, she looks like Jabba! LOL
 

canadianscorp

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
774
Luc,
I had the same occurence with Australis. But in my scenario the fem actually penetrated the male with her telson, proving fatal. it also took me about a week after this to finally figure out that she was gravid.
After this occurence i have noticed the same behaviour in other species than andros. I guess it is a common characteristic of all gravid scorpions, in most cases anyway.

cheers, steve
 

Prymal

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Messages
2,759
Steve,

It is normal behavior exhibited by gravid females. Gravid females of D. lindo will not only aggressively attack a courting male but will follow him when he runs from her and randomly attack him with chelae and cauda!
A. mauritanicus fems, like other Andros will suffer the male powerful blows with the metasoma or in some instances, strike him with the chelae and then attempt a clubbing attack or two. I had one fem mauri strike and impale a male so savagely that she literally, broke him in two!
Problem with this fem crassi is that she exhibited no behaviors prior to the caudal clubbing during mating attempts to indicate she was gravid. That's why I did the examination by hand.
She's a very strange beast indeed. Just about 40-minutes ago, I went into the attic to check on my eupeus babies and where was the crassi fem? Sprawled out in her water bowl, atop the gravel! My mauri's also love water and on many occasions i've witnessed them in a water bowl!
 
Top