What is she up to...

[Kate Arbon]

My G. rosea female has never been one for landscaping, I've never seen her dig at all since I've had her. But I woke up today to find she has totally flipped her flowerpot hide and turned it the wrong way around, filled it with dirt and has been digging in the corners of her tank. Even as I type she is still scooping up chunks of dirt and moving them around. But I can't work out what her plan is. I wonder what she's thinking?

[SylviRigden]

Thats what my wc RCF rosie did last autumn before she laid an egg sac, so fingers crossed Kate.

ps. I lost my egg sac, I think I kept it too warm in the tank, and too dry. The eggs stuck together and went yellow. Good luck with yours

[Kate Arbon]

This girl was only mated 5 weeks ago. She can't be ready to drop it yet can she??

[SylviRigden]

You'll have to look that one up Kate. My girl bulldozed the whole tank into one corner over a few days (exactly how many I can't remember), then between the tank side and her wall of peat she spun her egg sac web. It was fascinating to watch.

[Ray Hale]

quite possible Kate, she certainly looks good.

Perhaps she had got planning permission trough to build new houses every where else seems to be

Keep your eye on her and keep us informed

ray

[Colin D Wilson]

There's quite a good chance she's moving everything around and getting ready for the big day.
That abdomen looks to be undergoing some shape change.

My lot absolutely trash their enclosure when time's getting close.

Very best of luck and put me down for half a dozen of the little ones.

Colin

[Tom Forman]

hi kate,
that is the kind of restless behaviour I would have expected that louise told us about.

I was going to lower the temp in mine recently but then the heatwave hit Birmingham and my room is not going below 25 degrees during the day and even at night its still 22...
Ah the timing.

Maybe yours doesn't need the cooling period or the heatmat somehow tricket yours into thinking it was the right time to lay a sac. I don't think mine is getting ready yet so it looks like yours has beaten mine to it.

The other day I heard some1 getting an egg sac only 2 weeks after mating. Was a differnt species but 5 weeks is not out of the question if you ask me.

[Dee Pluck]

hey kate

some of my T's are up to the same thing, especially my X immanis
she is usually settled and good but over the last few weeks she
has been turning her tank upside down.
maybe its the good weather or something unrelated
but it is fun to watch.
(my girl is un-mated btw)
good luck with yours.
x

[matthew spooner]

my b.albiceps has just done the same thing to her substrate, do you think she could be getting ready to lay a sack? i haven't bred her but i only bought her at the lectures in feb from lee at the spidershop, and i think he said she was wild caught so she could have been up the duff when i got her

[Nicola Dolby]

How about that for a birthday present Kate, you're about to become an auntie! Hpe all oes well and if there are any spiderlings going I wouldn't mind one or two

[Kate Arbon]

Some questions on this to anyone who might have an opinion:

- Now she has done this she doesn't have a hide. I don't know whether to fix her flowerpot back up again, or to trust that she knows what she's doing and leave it as it is. I don't want her getting stressed out cos she can't hide, but I don't want her getting stressed by me moving things either!

- I have taped up about 80% of the holes in the lid to try and keep some humidity in, and she has a wide waterdish. Should I (either now or if/when she drops a sack) keep some of the substrate moist as well?

- She is still chowing down on everything I give her at the moment. If she lays a sack should I keep feeding her the same, or more/less, or stop completely?

Thankyou to anyone who might have any ideas