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Heteropoda javana egg sack

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Hi,

Lorax has made an egg sack. I wondered whether it is common for this species to make phantom egg sacks?

I think she was wild caught and I have had her about 3 1/2 months. She has had no access to men during that time :p I've no idea how long they take to make one if they are pregnant, so I wondered if there is any chance it is real?

DSC02430 - Copy.JPG
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Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
They can hold sperm a long time. Ive had ladies drop sacks 11-12 months after pairing. The female activates the sperm when she's ready.

Thanks for that info! Next question - what do I do now? Haha. How long do they take to hatch if they are real? And how many babies are we expecting?
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
They need to stay with Mom until they hatch.

I am struggling to find information on this. Is that different to tarantulas then? I would rather not upset the mum of course but I am worried about the babies dispersing and possibly escaping from her enclosure. Also, if I leave the sack with her, how long after they are born do I need to separate them so they don't eat each other?

On arachnoboards all I could find was this:
1614622450694.png
 

Arachnoclown

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1,000+ Post Club
3 Year Member
Tarantula Club Member
Messages
6,382
Location
The Oregon rain forest
Mom is working that sack...dont want to take it from her. When they hatch they don't go wondering off that soon. They generally hang out with the sack. Mom will even feed them sometimes. At this time is when you want to separate the Mom from the babies. Then start separating the slings.
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Mom is working that sack...dont want to take it from her. When they hatch they don't go wondering off that soon. They generally hang out with the sack. Mom will even feed them sometimes. At this time is when you want to separate the Mom from the babies. Then start separating the slings.

Okay that's good to know thanks!
 

Checkmate

Formerly 'voldemort'
3 Year Member
Messages
147
Location
USA
Sparassid slings are tiny and fast. If you're concerned about the ventilation holes, cover them. I used cut strips of pantyhose to cover vent holes. The holes weren't recessed (they were flush with the enclosure) so I didn't have any gaps.
I had Dolomedes okefinokensis slings all over my old apartment living room because they got through a small gap in the door.
Let us know how it turns out!
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Sparassid slings are tiny and fast. If you're concerned about the ventilation holes, cover them. I used cut strips of pantyhose to cover vent holes. The holes weren't recessed (they were flush with the enclosure) so I didn't have any gaps.
I had Dolomedes okefinokensis slings all over my old apartment living room because they got through a small gap in the door.
Let us know how it turns out!

Thanks so much! The pantyhose to cover the vent holes I'd never thought of - great idea for future. Sadly Lorax abandoned this sack after a few weeks :( So I am hoping it was a phantom one, or maybe a practice run?

Out of curiosity - did you ever catch the Dolomedes okefinokensis slings (wow that's a hard word to say :p) or are they still all over that living room/did they invade the whole apartment?

I also wondered if you know how often I should be feeding Lorax? I am not sure how to tell if she is overweight or needs more food, this is how she currently looks:

Lorax hehe - Copy.JPG


Apologies for all the questions!
 

Checkmate

Formerly 'voldemort'
3 Year Member
Messages
147
Location
USA
Thanks so much! The pantyhose to cover the vent holes I'd never thought of - great idea for future. Sadly Lorax abandoned this sack after a few weeks :( So I am hoping it was a phantom one, or maybe a practice run?

Out of curiosity - did you ever catch the Dolomedes okefinokensis slings (wow that's a hard word to say :p) or are they still all over that living room/did they invade the whole apartment?

I also wondered if you know how often I should be feeding Lorax? I am not sure how to tell if she is overweight or needs more food, this is how she currently looks:

View attachment 55463

Apologies for all the questions!
Possibly a phantom sac or could have just abandoned it. My Heteropoda venatorias would drop phantom sacs all the time then abandon them.
I'm pretty sure I got them all. They weren't "all over" from one side of the room to the other but all over the corner of the room the enclosure was in. Other than enclosures and wire shelf racks, there wasn't a lot of clutter so Im pretty sure I got them all.
I wouldn't feed her too much since she's already mature and time is limited. Maybe enough so her abdomen maintains its size.
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Possibly a phantom sac or could have just abandoned it. My Heteropoda venatorias would drop phantom sacs all the time then abandon them.
I'm pretty sure I got them all. They weren't "all over" from one side of the room to the other but all over the corner of the room the enclosure was in. Other than enclosures and wire shelf racks, there wasn't a lot of clutter so Im pretty sure I got them all.
I wouldn't feed her too much since she's already mature and time is limited. Maybe enough so her abdomen maintains its size.

Thanks, does producing an egg sac mean she is mature, or is it her size? I.e. is she fully grown now and how much longer is she expected to live? I've no idea about their lifespan and moulting of non-tarantula spiders.
 

Checkmate

Formerly 'voldemort'
3 Year Member
Messages
147
Location
USA
Thanks, does producing an egg sac mean she is mature, or is it her size? I.e. is she fully grown now and how much longer is she expected to live? I've no idea about their lifespan and moulting of non-tarantula spiders.
Sac means she's mature. You can also look at the epigynum of some true spiders and see if it's sclerotized. I don't have any comparison photos but I'll see if I can take one sometime. She's full grown and her previous molt will determine how much longer she'll live (roughly 1-2 years). Some trues can continue to molt after maturity and live over 5 years (e.g. Kukulcania spp.)
 

Gizalba

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
417
Location
England
Sac means she's mature. You can also look at the epigynum of some true spiders and see if it's sclerotized. I don't have any comparison photos but I'll see if I can take one sometime. She's full grown and her previous molt will determine how much longer she'll live (roughly 1-2 years). Some trues can continue to molt after maturity and live over 5 years (e.g. Kukulcania spp.)

Thanks that's really useful and interesting. I am pretty sure she has moulted once with me (I got her in November), but she has hidden the moult inside the bark.
 

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