Exuviae Shipment Collaboration Program
Welcome to the page oriented towards the collaboration program, Mail-a-Molt, between DevinsCreatures, Underdark Inverts, and Arthropoda Safari. The information below will detail what the program is, the goals of the program, and how to participate as well as detailing rules to follow for participation. There will be links to useful posts to check out on the blog site, as well as contact information, listed below.
Introduction
Welcome again to the program page and the DevinsCreatures blog site! For those who do not know me or would like to know more about how I got into this project, please visit this blog post. It will give you a brief introduction to me and my blog site as well as how to navigate this blog in general. I have documented over 100+ species of Theraphosidae spermathecae, which I am very proud of!
Mail-a-Molt
This project is a collaboration between DevinsCreatures, Underdark Inverts, and Arthropoda Safari. We are proud to collaborate together and work together to bring a novel service to the tarantula hobby while also expanding the gallery and its references. There are many ways to participate, which will be addressed below. The concept of this program is to provide a sexing service as well as educating the community on the impressive reproductive structures of the spiders we respect so deeply.
For a set price, or reward, the community can easily participate and grow the gallery that you see here at the DevinsCreatures blog site. We aim to build a stronger community around this project and aim to bring this educational blog to as many keepers as possible.
Participation
Here will be a list of tiers through which keepers of the community can get involved with the gallery and the Mail-a-Molt program. Please read carefully to decide which tier you may be best suited for. All tiers with shipping included in the fee refers to the label being sent to you as part of the fee.
Keeper Tier → This tier is for the everyday keeper who has a couple of spiders, or a single spider, they would like to have the sex determined for. Base price for this tier is $25 including shipping for a single exuvium. You can additionally add up to a maximum of 10 additional exuviae for a $5 fee per additional exuvium. That would be a total service for 11 exuviae for $75 with shipping included. As part of this tier, you will receive images of spermathecae or male accessory organs (when applicable) with labels of each individual specimen. All species will be accepted no matter how common or rare.
Breeder Tier → This tier is for those who may have a very large collection or are trying to get a breeding project together and requires a bulkier order. The minimum exuviae required for this tier is 20 individual specimens. The base price for this tier is $50 with shipping for 20 individual specimens. If you would like to add more than 20 specimens to this tier, a $3 per specimen fee is applied. This tier does not come with images for specimens unless specifically requested for specific specimens, however, feedback/results will be given in a list format. All species will be accepted for this tier as well.
Researcher Tier → This is the donation tier for those who wish to aid in the expansion of the gallery! All we request is that you pay for a label. There is no feedback or images for this tier, but if I find something interesting, I may share it with you. This tier also does not include all species and may be subject to exclusions of some species that have adequate representation in the gallery. Additionally, for this tier, you will be able to get a discount or coupon code towards your next purchase with Underdark Inverts or Arthropoda Safari!
Rules & Shipping
Before leaving off this post, please read over the rules and shipping section. This section includes how to best ship the exuviae as well as how packages should be packed and what exuviae may not be viable for shipping.
Packing List → Please, with your shipment of exuviae (molts), add a complete packing list of all species and specimens that will be contained within the shipment. This is in addition to labeling and packing each specimen individually. This packing list provides a means for me to check off or add notes as I progress through the shipment, as they are not always completed in one sitting. This also provides a check system on both ends to make sure that all exuviae and labels are accounted for. It is preferred that this list is typed, however, if your handwriting is legible, feel free to hand-write the list.
Labeling → Every individual specimen that you desire feedback on must be labeled and packed individually. If you are donating or do not care for feedback, feel free to pack SAME species specimens together. When labeling or writing a packing slip, please do not use common names alone. Please label them by their binomial nomenclature as you received them as. Please also include a number if there is more than one specimen of a particular species you are sending in the shipment.
Exuviae/Molt Sizing → With the exception of dwarf species, such as Cyriocosmus spp., all exuviae specimens must be at least 1.5” DLS (Diagonal Leg Span). This makes it easier for me to determine the sex of the spider and the exuviae are generally less fragile than smaller specimens. If you have a dwarf species, please inquire further to determine if the exuviae is viable for sexing purposes.
Shipping Methods → For shipping methods and how to pack exuviae, please read How to Ship Exuviae and inquire further for any additional questions or concerns.
Disclaimers → Although processing exuviae is a careful and procedural process, not every molt is viable for sexing and may be torn in the process or not yield results. In the event a molt tears or is not viable for results, a refund of the exuviae charge fee will be available for that specific exuvium. Shipping and processing are not refundable.
Processing Times → Processing may vary depending on the size of the order, numbers of orders in the queue, and college time commitments (when applicable). Generally, I give myself a week from arrival to process exuviae within a week of shipment arrival, but this may vary. I will inform those who purchase either a Keeper Tier or Breeder Tier of wait times at time of purchase.
Contact
Ready to participate? The next step is to get in contact with me and arrange a shipping date that works best for both of us.
Devin’s Contact
Devinscreaturecrew@gmail.com
How should you structure the email? Here is a list of the following to include! This allows me to read through emails more efficiently and set up a plan faster. Please do read through these guidelines when emailing me, it really does help the process.
Subject → ‘Mail-a-Molt’ or ‘Exuviae Services’
Body of the email →
Your name and contact information
What tier you are inquiring about (Keeper, Breeder, or Researcher)
How many exuviae you are planning to send
Your planned shipment method and preference of shipment date
Any additional inquiries can be done in this email as well, especially if you are uncertain if an exuvium is too small or damaged.
How long do you have to wait to hear back about an email? Please give me about a week to respond to all emails as I do this as a passion project and use the funds towards my tools and school. I am a college student and the time I spend on campus can be very busy and I need to keep good grades. That being said, if it has been a week since last communication, please feel free to send a follow up email and I will get back to you at my soonest availability.
Comments
Post a Comment