# Gravid tarantula under a torch



## Danhalen (Jun 6, 2008)

It's not a great picture, but I thought this might interest one or two of you. This is what a gravid tarantula looks like under a torch light. This one in particular, is a P. metallica:










The abdomen glows bright orange/yellow as the torch illuminates the eggs. The best torches to use are those with strong, narrow beams (unlike the £2 one I used)

I'll try and get a better torch a bit later on today and try again.


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## martin r (Jan 10, 2009)

great idea! is it normally quite easy to see then?


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## Mutley.100 (Nov 3, 2008)

And you just happened to use a P.metallica . :lol2:

Thanks , it's good to know . :2thumb:


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

I'm going to have to try this with my L. violaceopes. I'm very keen to confirm my suspicions.


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## sage999 (Sep 21, 2008)

Very interesting. Maybe an L.E.D light like the ones you find in headlights might work better.

Hope all goes well.


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## Higgt4 (Apr 25, 2009)

Mutley.100 said:


> And you just happened to use a P.metallica . :lol2:


That's what I was thinking... then again, if you've got it - flaunt it :notworthy:


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## Scaley (Sep 25, 2007)

Intresting that, learn something new everyday  Would of been nice to try it on my GBB but she molted out a week and half ago 

Hope she gives out soon though!!! :mf_dribble:


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

I know a lot of people do this but iv always refrained from doing it because arent u putting the "possibly" gravid spider under stress as they do not like light and cant this possibly be a bad thing if they are due to drop?


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## Danhalen (Jun 6, 2008)

selina20 said:


> I know a lot of people do this but iv always refrained from doing it because arent u putting the "possibly" gravid spider under stress as they do not like light and cant this possibly be a bad thing if they are due to drop?


First off, if a spider glows like that, then there's no "possibly" about it. Gravid means that the spider is carrying eggs, not that she's carrying a sperm packet too (although one usually follows the other).

Secondly, you shine the light under the abdomen - as a result, there will be very little in the way of global illumination. As such, as long as this is attempted while the spider is still in it's tank, then there is only very slight disturbance.

Thirdly, I think people can be a little over cautious when it comes to spiders making sac's. Recently, Gar put a spider in an uncovered temporary plastic tub for only a couple of hours, and came back to a sac. I've also had a successful sac built by a spider while I was smashing a cupboard up in the same room. And then there's all of Ryan's videos of pokies prepping for sacs in broad daylight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzT6B9Mk_Ds&feature=channel_page


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## deansie26 (Apr 28, 2009)

*light*

Id love to see pics with a better beam, interesting thou. : victory:

Also those vids are amazing


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

At the risk of appearing like the boy in "The King's New Clothes", I can't see anything egg-like in that pic :blush:


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## Danhalen (Jun 6, 2008)

garlicpickle said:


> At the risk of appearing like the boy in "The King's New Clothes", I can't see anything egg-like in that pic :blush:


If you shine a torch on a non gravid spider's abdomen, it'll just show the natural colouration of the spider. If you look (it's not a great pic), you'll notice alot of sub surface scattering, and orange colouration. This doesn't occur on female spiders that aren't carrying eggs.

Of course, there's no guarantee that she'll lay, but she's definitely carrying.


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## garlicpickle (Jan 16, 2009)

Danhalen said:


> If you shine a torch on a non gravid spider's abdomen, it'll just show the natural colouration of the spider. If you look (it's not a great pic), you'll notice alot of sub surface scattering, and orange colouration. This doesn't occur on female spiders that aren't carrying eggs.
> 
> Of course, there's no guarantee that she'll lay, but she's definitely carrying.



Thanks for explaining  hopefully it won't be long now then.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Ive compared my possibly gravid female with my not gravid female. There's definitely a difference as you've described which suggests I have a gravid L. violaceopes \o/
I think its time for me to try and induce a sac as she's been dry for about 3 months. I'm just wondering if it would be best to put her enclosure in a glass Exo and therefore provide her more room.


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