feeling bad

[mark_s]

hey all,
I just checked out my T (a g.rosea) as I haven't seen anything for a week or so - the burrow is nicely barricaded and so I cleared the front to check for signs of life. Boris was a little peeved unsurprisingly but I saw a white thing in there with him - thinking he had moulted in his burrow I decided to pry it apart to retrieve the skin, only to find it was a sack made of web - presumably an eggsac meaning Boris is actually a Borisette and probably explaining why she was so defensive. Now, theres been no visitors since I got her in June so I'm presuming they can't be fertile - should I leave the sac in the tank or remove it - just wondering if it will decompose in there and cause other problems? I put it back for now, feeling pretty lousy for messing up her burrow and disturbing her.

I was also under the impression there would be some more growing to do - does this mean shes mature and so full size?

thanks,
Mark

[Phil Messenger]

HI
If the spider has not moulted since you received it, there is every chance the sac is fertile as many G.rosea adults being sold / traded are wild caught, so the spider may have been mated prior to capture. with G.rosea i would usually leave the eggsac with the female for at least 30 days before removing it at which time if fertile the eggs are sufficiantly developed for artificial incubation.
as for leaving it or removing it? that is a question, "messing up her burrow and disturbing her" may result in the sac being eaten, if she is still holding the sac you could try leaving it with her as it is only a week old and try to keep disturbances to a minimum.

I was also under the impression there would be some more growing to do - does this mean shes mature and so full size?

Many species of tarantula are sexualy mature before they are fully grown, I have had better success breeding smaller specimens than larger ones.

[mark_s]

thanks Phil,
I put the sac back in last night and she was still gripping it tightly this morning so hopefully she won't reject it.