Little advice needed.

[Lee Corless]

I am in the process of breeding my 2 female H.lividums. All was going well until about 5 minutes ago when she walked up to him and made him jump. Obviously his first instinct was to attack and in doing so fell off the side of the tank onto her so she attacked back. After frantic rolling around the tank they were mouth to mouth. now she has got off her back and walking around with him. My question is, I am pretty sure he has bit her on the mouth, If this is the case then will I lose the female? I know the male has gone but what are the chances of the female surviving? Is there any thing I can do?

[James Heeley]

Im pretty sure scorpions are resistant to their own venom so maybe its the same in spiders? Or does the actual mechanical bite look bad?

[Colin D Wilson]

Well yes certain components of each animals venom target a "receptor" (what ever unique receptor that may be in each prey item... i.e. on the surface of a mammalian muscle cell), Scorpions (amoungst other venomous animals) have receptors that have a unique structure, this is recognised as a specific modification (per individual) that makes it impossible for the toxins of their own venom to recognize the feature it usually attacks.

The slightly weird thing is that from what i understand, each scorpions venom can (if only in basic form) target the receptors of another scorpion of the same species.

This i would imagine is why our male spiders fall so easily when attacked after mating, not just by the mechanical damage of the bite but also due to toxicity.

If a male spider bites a female spider then i would presume its highly likely (from a active bite not a dry one) that the female could suffer the effects.

[James Heeley]

Every day is a school day

[Lee Corless]

Yeah, I can not see amy damage, but she is definitely still alive, It has been 3 days now, and is still walking around and doing general webbing in her tank, so I am getting less and less worried every day.