Or maybe we need some more of that fertility dancing...

Maybe set to something by Sir Mix-A-Lot? Because I have a feeling he might have written a couple of songs about this B. vagans lady......





Seriously...I've read countless reports from folks who got successful sacs...some say to cool them off (which I've done), some say to warm them up (which I've done). Here's her breeding history:

Last molt: 3/2010.
1st pairing: 5/23/10 - several insertions witnessed
2nd pairing: 6/12/10 - several insertions witnessed
3rd pairing: 7/4/10 - several insertions witnessed

She's been eating like a pig ever since. Tried pairing her a 4th time on 8/6/10 and she chased the male off, so I figured he'd done his job the first 3 times. As of last night she's STILL accepting food. She's dug out a tiny bit in her burrow, but hasn't done anything noteworthy in terms of webbing and has made absolutely no attempt to seal herself off anywhere. She sits out in the open most of the time. Temps in the room right now are sitting at a balmy 78-80 and relative room humidity is at 60%+. Her actual enclosure is dry substrate with a water dish, nothing swampy.

Anyone have any insight or voodoo spells I can try?

Jen

Wow! she certainly has some junk in her trunk

I'm sure when you are not home, or in the middle of the night she'll decide to make her egg sac
I'll also send her some egg-sac-making vibes her way

She still eating Jen?

I know NOTHING about Brachypelma, but I have found that most species (even dryish African types) tend to like the introduction of a wet cycle before laying. Have you tried wetting the far side of her habitat as an inducement? Good luck!
Diane

Like Di, I know nothing about Bracy's but am thinking it is worth a try. I have had Aphonopelmas lay sac after increased moisture episode.

Yep, Pat, still eating. She's taken a sub-adult sized dubia every week religiously, including last night. Pounces them like they're she's starving (which she's obviously NOT ).



I haven't tried this yet, but at this point I'll try anything! I haven't seen anything this pregnant since...well...me. lol



I'd agree. This is my first attempt at a Brachypelma sac, so I'll take any and all advice I can get.

I've got some work to do in the spidey room tonight, so I'll wet down the far side of her enclosure tonight and see what happens.
Thanks folks! Keep your fingers crossed!
Jen

Jen,

I'd hit the search and see what Ryan (talkenlate_04) posted around the 'net. He at one time had many B. smithi sacs at the same time and this species as well.

Good luck with that monster!

Christian

Jen what I recall with my one Brachypelma sac was the female stopped eating for about a month prior to making the sac. If it was me I would feed her every other day until she either stops or makes a sac.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reading suggestion, Christian. He's got quite the write-up, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I'm actually doing just about everything right with her. He confirms Di and JB's suggestions to give her a "wet season," so that'll be my next step.



Thanks Pat! I'll give it a shot. Maybe that coupled with some added moisture will be the trick.

Jen

Well, here's the frustrating update.



I found that little surprise for me last night while I was topping water dishes and feeding up the girls I'm pairing this week. In the last week, it almost appeared as though she slimmed down a little to me - a reabsorbing of the eggs perhaps? At any rate, I have a few suspicions as to why this failed...she's young and much smaller than my other B. vagans girl, so while she paired nicely, maybe her youth worked against her. I was also battling mold in her enclosure following the advice to flood the opposite side, so perhaps my intrusions into her domain to keep the mold at bay also had something to do with it. Once she hardens my plan is to change out the substrate and rehouse her before attempting another breeding.

*sigh* Anyone have a B. vagans MM? I suddenly find myself in need of one.

Jen

What a bummer. I would suspect she wasn't gravid but just "big boned". Sorry Jen.

Bummer, Jen. It's always such a disappointment to find a molt when you're expecting a sac instead. Any other time, a molt is such a welcome event. Better luck next time.
Diane

You may be right about her being bit young. I had young P. cambridgei girl that looked mature from exuvium but molted out twice after breeding. I think that she was just not mature enough. Now she is much larger and will try again soon as the resident male hooks out.

Thanks, folks. Definitely a bummer, but I consider it a learning experience and will most definitely try again as soon as I can find another boy.

Pat - I could have sworn she was candling yellow - but I'm by no means an expert. She's been an eating machine since I got her from Frank, both before and after she was paired, and I feed my potentially gravid girls like food's going out of style...so it's very all together possible that she was just a big boned gal.

Di - I still am happy that at least it was a successful molt. On the bright side - look at how much prettier she is! lol

JB - I wouldn't doubt it, especially with the Pslamos...I heard something very similar from Chris Young at the conference this last year in regards to the P. pulcher girl I got from him. She's since molted, so we're going to give her another shot this year. I hope that little boy gets the business done for you!

Jen

She does look stunning! Sorry about the lack of sac, but congrats on the gorgeous new suit!

Candling yellow. For some reason I just don't have a lot of faith in that. Could be totally wrong of course. I know CAK does it and swears by it but does anyone else?

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had any luck with it as well. I haven't found a whole lot of info on it, and the opinions I have come across have varied pretty widely - mostly due to the possibility of human error. And I'm not above admitting that I could have been doing it completely wrong or interpreting what I saw incorrectly.

Jen

No insight or voodoo spells, I'll leave that to others more capable... but she is beautiful! It's neat to see what my slings will look like when they mature.