Vinegaroon..how long can they be gravid?

[Tabitha]

Hi all, I have some vinegaroons, I have one I got back in feb 2019, I have not paired her up but she’s been hiding, presumed molting for months, today I had to investigate and found her looking massive! she hasn’t eaten for a few months so is huge for something that hasn’t eaten. I almost think I can see eggs inside?
Does anyone know if she could of be gravid after this time, she was WC before I got her.
None of my others, however well fed they are look as big as she does.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Jess S]

Hi Tabitha. I know practically nothing about vinegroons but your question interested me, so I did a little research.

Most of what I found suggests 2-5 months gestation, which seemed more like people guessing! But the below link is interesting. 11 months!

They hold the eggsac outside their body. Underneath the abdomen, so if you look under you will see it.

If you don't see one, she may just be coming up to a moult, as apparently they get massive prior to moulting.

Do vinegaroons lay unfertilized egg sacs?

I've had my vinegaroon for eleven months. For the past few months she has been very fat. I was afraid I was overfeeding her so I cut her back to one cricket every 10-14 days. That didn't seem like very much but in another thread I was advised that in the wild they eat once every 2-3 weeks and I...

www.tarantulaforum.com

 

[gognomie]

They hibernate this time of year as well, mine (a CB juvie) buried itself in mid-December and hasn't come out yet, apart from me being an idiot and knocking its tank over in January and having to dig it out to reorganize, it was fine (and fat), ate a cricket and promptly reburied itself on the same night.

 

[Tabitha]

Hi Tabitha. I know practically nothing about vinegroons but your question interested me, so I did a little research.

Most of what I found suggests 2-5 months gestation, which seemed more like people guessing! But the below link is interesting. 11 months!

They hold the eggsac outside their body. Underneath the abdomen, so if you look under you will see it.

If you don't see one, she may just be coming up to a moult, as apparently they get massive prior to moulting.

Do vinegaroons lay unfertilized egg sacs?

I've had my vinegaroon for eleven months. For the past few months she has been very fat. I was afraid I was overfeeding her so I cut her back to one cricket every 10-14 days. That didn't seem like very much but in another thread I was advised that in the wild they eat once every 2-3 weeks and I...

www.tarantulaforum.com

Hi Jess, thank you so much for your research and that’s very interesting info, I think I got a bit hyper when I found her thinking I might soon be a mum! remembering a photo of a gravid scorpion I had seen but later I remembered they had that egg sac you were talking about, LOL, got a bit carried away!
But thank you so much and what an incredible thing the egg sac is and wow what a thing that would be to see babies, I will try and pair them up this coming year I think as CB would be very preferable.
And thank you @gognomie im glad you have them too, I just adore them! All my others are out and about and this one is the only one to be hidden, I’ve never had any molt yet so looks like from what Jess said it might be soon.
thank you both for your help and info.

 

[Soulman]

Hi all, I have some vinegaroons, I have one I got back in feb 2019, I have not paired her up but she’s been hiding, presumed molting for months, today I had to investigate and found her looking massive! she hasn’t eaten for a few months so is huge for something that hasn’t eaten. I almost think I can see eggs inside?
Does anyone know if she could of be gravid after this time, she was WC before I got her.
None of my others, however well fed they are look as big as she does.
Thanks for any help.
View attachment 43293View attachment 43294

Funny I was just looking at your work,you have some lovely stuff,A pretty girl she is!

 

[Soulman]

Funny I was just looking at your work,you have some lovely stuff,A pretty girl she is!

Card with hair& hedgehog very pretty

 

[Tabitha]

Card with hair& hedgehog very pretty

Thank you so much, Glad you liked the cards, that’s very kind to say so. must paint some arachnids one day! Painted plenty of beetles but no Ts yet.

 

[Jess S]

Hi Jess, thank you so much for your research and that’s very interesting info, I think I got a bit hyper when I found her thinking I might soon be a mum! remembering a photo of a gravid scorpion I had seen but later I remembered they had that egg sac you were talking about, LOL, got a bit carried away!
But thank you so much and what an incredible thing the egg sac is and wow what a thing that would be to see babies, I will try and pair them up this coming year I think as CB would be very preferable.
And thank you @gognomie im glad you have them too, I just adore them! All my others are out and about and this one is the only one to be hidden, I’ve never had any molt yet so looks like from what Jess said it might be soon.
thank you both for your help and info.

I would have thought exactly the same. I love the way they look, maybe I'll eventually get one myself. It'd be so exciting if you do pair them.

 

[gognomie]

Hi Jess, thank you so much for your research and that’s very interesting info, I think I got a bit hyper when I found her thinking I might soon be a mum! remembering a photo of a gravid scorpion I had seen but later I remembered they had that egg sac you were talking about, LOL, got a bit carried away!
But thank you so much and what an incredible thing the egg sac is and wow what a thing that would be to see babies, I will try and pair them up this coming year I think as CB would be very preferable.
And thank you @gognomie im glad you have them too, I just adore them! All my others are out and about and this one is the only one to be hidden, I’ve never had any molt yet so looks like from what Jess said it might be soon.
thank you both for your help and info.

They're lovely little creatures, aren't they? They look so weird and alien, but in reality, they're so very gentle and nervous. Absolutely love them.

 

[Tabitha]

They're lovely little creatures, aren't they? They look so weird and alien, but in reality, they're so very gentle and nervous. Absolutely love them.

They really are, you described them perfectly too, I love how sweet and slow they are and it never fails to amaze me they managed to ever evolve and survive at all because they seem really rather hopeless at actually tracking food down and catching it, many a time mine sense the food and stand right over it then totally lose it, it’s very sweet.
i love how delicately they sense for food too. They are fascinating for sure.