Egg Sac

Minx has produced a sac.
She was paired with Midnight(001), one of the original Fab Four, the last week of March  to the first week of April. On June 28 she went into her hide and covered the entrance with a thick layer of silk. On July 2 I notice she had removed the thick layer of silk from the entrance and replaced it with a much thinner layer. On July 3 I peered into her hide using a borescope camera and saw what looked to be an egg sac. On July 4 I was able to see clearly into her hide and took a few pictures. I was able to clearly see a large egg sac. I expect hatch-lings around August 19. I am definitely not the first to produce captive bred G. pulchra in the U.S., but this is a rare event in the U.S.; be sure you are ready to get yours when they are ready to be shipped. Be sure you check out my Tarantulas For Sale page, and watch for when the spiderlings get listed.

 

Growing and Pairing

I have been able to determine gender on a few of the spiderlings, and will continue as each one molts. Most are 5th instar now with a few going into 6th instar; they are about 2" leg span now. As I get more gender I.D.s and the temps cool for safer shipping, I will offer some of the spiderlings for sale, soon. Keep watch on my blog.

Minx, peeking out after her recent molt.

Sable and Minx are now becoming more active, after their recent molt. I will be looking to pair them both again, in the hope that they will produce sacs.

Sable's canyon fortress.

Ebony has been actively modifying her trench fortress, I am hoping this activity is a sign she is preparing for a sac.

Sable010

Well, no sac from Sable. She has decided it is time to molt. After about three weeks I will pair her again. My thought is, if she is carrying eggs, I can pair her again and she will still be able to lay a viable sac. If not, then I will begin working on next years sacs. I will have 5 mature females come this fall; one is under right now, and the other is very brown, and should be ready to go under soon.

Sable010

Fat as ever, but no sac, yet. This girl is definitely teaching me patience.

Sable(010) is still just sitting on her silk mat, taunting me. IS she going to molt, or make an egg sac? She is driving me nuts. I check on her a dozen times a day, hoping to catch her in the act of laying, and hopefully get it on video.
Tic toc  tic toc tic toc........

Sable(010) MF preparing to lay???

Sable has been working on a large thick silk mat. She is not premolt, so I am optimistic that she may be preparing to make a sac.

Hello everyone,
Thank you for your interest and comments on my blog. I know I don't post nearly as often I should, but life often inhibits my pursuits.
I have had quite a few requests for G pulchra spiderlings and juveniles. I do currently have 17 spiderlings that are about 1" leg span right now (Captive bred by Alfredo Inocencio, hatched 14Aug11). I may consider selling some of them after I am able to determine gender on each of them, which may take another molt or two.
I am still waiting on my three females to decide conditions are right for producing an egg sac. Sable(010) is looking particularly plump. I expect she will be the first to produce a sac. If I do get a successful sac soon, I will have spiderlings available after they reach 2nd insatr, hopefully before winter sets in.

Sable(010)

 Sable(010) looking very plump

Egg Sac(s), still waiting

Sable(010) has created a depression about 5cm deep and spends a lot of time sitting in it. I am hoping she preparing the depression to lay a sac. She is still eating, and active, but looking huge. Sable(008) has begun to get quite large but has not shown any signs of preparing for a sac.
I am anxiously waiting to see if I made conditions to their liking.

Sable010 and Ebony008

Still waiting on the girls to decide conditions are good enough to produce egg sacs.

MF G pulchra

Sable, is looking very gravid. If I can keep conditions right she may reward me with an egg sac soon.

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New Arrivals and a Loss

I recently acquired some more G pulchra. I added 20 .75" spiderlings, one juvenile female and one adult female. At current I  have 3 adult females, 2 sub-adult females, 2 juvenile females, 2 sub-adult males, and 3 juvenile males, and 20 spiderlings; for a total of 32 G pulchra.
The twenty will be raised in four groups of five each under varying temperature and feeding conditions in an effort to study the effects of temperature and food on growth rates. Group 1 will be fed 3 times weekly and kept at 80F, Group 2 will be fed 1 time weekly and kept at 80F, Group 3 will be fed 1 time weekly and kept at 70F, and Group 4 will be fed 3 times weekly and kept at 70F. All other conditions and environmental factors will be ketp the same for each group. I expect to have viable data within the next 3-5 years.

The Twenty

One of The Twenty

Adult Female, she is due for a molt

Juvenile Female

Onyx(009) the mature male I got from Joe (CAK on Arachnoboards) was sent out recently for a breeding loan. He was paired twice with the female and I told he made good insertions both times. Unfortunately, I was informed that she attacked him after the second pairing and he did not survive the night. I will miss him greatly, he was a beautiful specimen and quite large for a male of the species. Now I wait to see if the female will find conditions favorable to produce an egg sac next spring.
He was also paired with Sable(010) three times, all were very successful, and he was paired with Ebony(008), but she molted out. I was expecting to get him back so Icould air him with her again. I am now searching for another mature male to pair with Ebony(008)

Onyx my mature male G pulchra

Ebony and Dionysus Paired Up Today

I introduced Dionysus and Ebony(008) today. The pairing went very well, and Ebony made no attempt to chase Dionysus when he disengaged.
Dionysus was placed in the far corner of the enclosure away from Ebony; she was down in her dugout. After a few minutes he got his bearing and slowly made his way around the enclosure to the opposite end of her dugout. He entered the dugout, she approached him, and he ran out as fast as he could. Dionysus stopped at the top of the dugout. Ebony, after a couple minutes, followed him. When she reached him he spun around and it was a flurry of legs until he was able to hook her fangs. He spent five minutes depositing his sperm, then cautiously began to move back. When he felt it was safe to move he ran to the other end of the enclosure and proceeded to try and climb out. Ebony did not chase after him, and just stood motionless for about five minutes. I gathered him up and put him back into his enclosure, where he spent a few minutes at his water dish drinking.Next week Dionysus will pair with Sable(010).