Woohooo! Two females with eggs! Update P.6! BABIES! (PPs)

[wolfnipplechips]

Hormones are starting to heat up again in my tank. I have a viola pair that's been together for three days now. The female seems less than thrilled about it. I also had a PP guarding my only female indo, but he stopped this morning. According to last year, I should be able to see the eyes in the eggs on my two gravid PP's appear about this time. I'll have to check them today! I'll post pics probably tonight or tomorrow.

[wolfnipplechips]

Ok, so I just went ahead and got pics. Here is a crappy one of my viola pair.


AND OMG THE EGGS HAVE EYES. Here is Cat's eggs.


And Big Mamma's. She came out extremely far. Made me happy to be able to get good pics!

[kip.rogers357]

That's awesome!!! I have a few who have been acting up too, i'll be checking them for eggs Today. we'll see what happens!
It's awesome to see that yours are so...active? can't wait to see what happens with your violas!

[wodesorel]

Ohmygosh how wild!

I have to ask - if they won't come out that far, can you tell they have eggs? I've been trying to check mine (cause I'm curious) but none of my girls will come farther out than about this: http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k104/ ... oneeye.jpg I can see something back in the corner of their shell that's shiny and is not crab body, but I can't tell if it's eggs or a molt sac. How visible are they when they aren't being as awesome and cooperative as your girls?

[Crabbielover1031]

I am not worthy, I am not worthy......

[wolfnipplechips]

I use a very white colored flashlight to look, so I can make no mistake about colors and stuff. One way to get them to come out far is to hold them so that their leg tips touch a smooth surface. That way, they know there is ground, but they can't grip it, so they keep coming out farther to try to get a hold of it. Sounds mean, and it kind of is, but it's a good way to check! Sometimes, they are just too stubborn, though. I have some crabs that would rather stay clammed up for hours rather than come out when I'm messing with them.

And I think the molt sack is on the other side of the body? I always get confused on that stuff because I am a little dyslexic. Lefts and rights are pretty much the same thing to me unless I think very hard about it.

[wodesorel]

And I think the molt sack is on the other side of the body? I always get confused on that stuff because I am a little dyslexic. Lefts and rights are pretty much the same thing to me unless I think very hard about it.

My mother always told me that was a sign of genius.

Seriously, I drive my husband nuts cause I can't do it either. I'm thankful for the scar on my left finger or I'd never be able to tell the difference discreetly. I still do the "make an L shape with your fingers for left" when I'm alone cause it's faster!

[HaydenHermie]

This is just too cool!

Question: Do you mind if I use the egg photo as my desktop background? I really like how it looks, and it's sooo cool! I'll definitely give you full credit for it. =) I can even edit your name onto it, if you'd like. Though, not many people see my laptop background. XD Just wanted to ask for permission beforehand. =)

[wolfnipplechips]

@wod: I've never heard of the making an "L" for left before! I'm going to use that.

@hayden Of course you can!

[CrabbyMom33]

Very cool! It's awesome that your girls are so cooperative and let you get great photos.

[wodesorel]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



They are so far down inside that shell that I nearly missed them! If they're the color of Big Momma's, how long till they hatch???

[wolfnipplechips]

WOD, YOU HAVE MORE EGGS?!?! OMG YEEEESSSSS!!!!!!

I'm so extremely excited for you right now. Better bust out SW tank stuff! It'll be about two weeks!

We are going to need a larval crab emoticon, soon.

[wodesorel]

I already told hubby we're making a trip tonight for supplies. I need another 10 gallon, and I'll get an air pump and some foam for a make-shift filter. I have to find brine shrimp eggs, too! Oh my gosh where am I going to get teeny shells! Ah! My fish tank. I've got tons of baby MTS that would be the perfect size. And Hobby Lobby. Maybe the pet shop. I've got the ramp, but I'll need the molting chamber..... Totally not prepared.

For sure I though you'd be first. You would have been if you hadn't had to leave later this summer. That's even if I catch the babies in time....

I take back what I said about color though - I got a better look and they're the same color she is - that deep maroony purple color. They are so unbelievably small! I don't think it's possible to see eyes with photos (and I need new glasses so I know I can't see squat right now.)

This house is baby central. BOTH species of hermit crab, fiddler crabs, guppies, roaches, scorpions. I've been waiting eight years for loach babies and I swear they better have some this summer or it's never going to happen!

Course it has completely killed any romance of the human kind. :roll: We're both being paranoid and all we can think is "babies!"

[wodesorel]

Before I forget - do you have any papers on raising PPs? I have the one on Es, but they have the abbreviated larval cycle.

[wolfnipplechips]

I have

Annual Migrations and Spawning of Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst) on Mona Island (Puerto Rico)
and Notes on Inland Crustaceans
Author(s): Ángel M. Nieves-Rivera and Ernest H. Williams Jr.
(has some other names in there, maybe I can try to find those papers, too)

And
The Larval Development of the Tropical Land Hermit Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst) in the
Laboratory
Author(s): Anthony J. Provenzano Jr.

I can e-mail them to you if you can't get them from the net.