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Three weeks ago I purchsed my first pair of D. imatator which I've been keeping in a densely planted vivarium with plenty of room to climb in. They were in there with one sub-adult azureus, which as far as I can tell left them alone.
When it was time to move, I put all three in a 2.5 gallon plastic reptile cage, with one of those plastic grates on the top with a handle and small door to dump flies into. I put two layers of wet paper towels, a cocohut and a bromeliad in there with them. I also put a sheet of plastic wrap with holes in the very center underneath the lid since I was worried about the imitators climbing out. That night I heard one of them calling, so it seemed like they were in good shape.
The next morning, I grabbed the cage without looking at it, put it in the front seat so I could babysit them, drove a little and then parked the car. When I checked to see if they were ok after mass, my female imitator was dead in the corner of the carrier with her mouth wide open and the male had just disapeared. The azureus was alive and well. What happened?
How was the male able to escape? And why did the female die? When I paked the car, it was cloudy and in the upper seventies. I left the windows half way open to ensure that the car didn't overheat, and I'm pretty sure it didn't get any hotter than the large vivarium I keep them in does suring the day. But the femal made no attempt to go in the shade of the cocohut. Could they have died from the stress of being moved around? They did fine when I brought them home from the show three weeks ago.

It sounds like they would have been too hot. Upper 70's outside and even in a car with the windows part the way down could get too hot. Imitators like it cooler also.
As for the escaping one I would bet it was eaten by the azureus.

>>Three weeks ago I purchsed my first pair of D. imatator which I've been keeping in a densely planted vivarium with plenty of room to climb in. They were in there with one sub-adult azureus, which as far as I can tell left them alone.
>>When it was time to move, I put all three in a 2.5 gallon plastic reptile cage, with one of those plastic grates on the top with a handle and small door to dump flies into. I put two layers of wet paper towels, a cocohut and a bromeliad in there with them. I also put a sheet of plastic wrap with holes in the very center underneath the lid since I was worried about the imitators climbing out. That night I heard one of them calling, so it seemed like they were in good shape.
>>The next morning, I grabbed the cage without looking at it, put it in the front seat so I could babysit them, drove a little and then parked the car. When I checked to see if they were ok after mass, my female imitator was dead in the corner of the carrier with her mouth wide open and the male had just disapeared. The azureus was alive and well. What happened?
>>How was the male able to escape? And why did the female die? When I paked the car, it was cloudy and in the upper seventies. I left the windows half way open to ensure that the car didn't overheat, and I'm pretty sure it didn't get any hotter than the large vivarium I keep them in does suring the day. But the femal made no attempt to go in the shade of the cocohut. Could they have died from the stress of being moved around? They did fine when I brought them home from the show three weeks ago.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress

The stress of being probably overheated as well as being in with an azureus would be enough to cause death, but I have to wonder if an azureus would be capable of swallowing an adult imitator. On the other hand, I don't know how it could have escaped from a Critter-keeper either, unless the lid wasn't totally secure somehow. Have you searched the car carefully for a "mummy"?
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus