and now a game: guess the species

[Tony]

eeek, too young to tell! and being black, youd have to have someone who knows what they are doing look at a molt under a microscope, to see if it has a spermetheca or not. sorry

Razor
I can pretty much sex ,by eye, any molt over 2" legspan...3"? intact? easy
...
Tony aka 'Mr Microscope eyes'

 

[Mikey_G.Rosea]

Monantony I totally agree. Lets help this guy with helpful info, and not just blow him off like he's nothing.

Since most people who can tell sexes here are saying your spider is a male, stick with that for now until you can find out for sure. Since i have always read that males don't live more than a couple months mature, then go by some time scale similar to that I guess ( i don't want to force opinions here lol ).

Since he desn't really like to eat, and i don't know male speciment that much, i'm just going to go buy what others posted and say that he's relatively mature and ready to mate.

If you want, you could let him go near your house and i'm sure he would make his way near some female somewhere around there.

If i were you, i would just let him go, and since you are interested in these critters, , then go to like a petsmart or wherever and get a Chilean rose, or some docile species like that to start off with. The Rose is really hardy and docile, and i would really recommend that to first timers!

Anyway, it's late and im sleepy, so peace out home shizzles!

 

[DnKslr]

Diane S --- even if teeli got an aphono sp and boehmi to hook up, there have been zero reports of cross genus hybridizing so that 'waste' is off the table

I wasn't too worried about cross breeding being successful but rather the use of a boehmei for completely useless experiement where both Ts would have absolutely nothing to gain from it. It seemed to me this person couldn't really care less or rather know any less about breeding. Did you read the comment about throwing some "house spiders" in there so he could "have his way with them"? Do you really want someone like that trying to breed anything?

Sorry,but I can't remember a more informationally challenged thread.
Where are all the old timers ?
Whats going on in here???

They are avoiding this thread like the plague just like I plan to do from now on. It has "troll" all over it. I'm unsubscribing from this thread now.
Appologies to everyone for bringing it up once more but had to make a point.

 

[teeli]

diane s- about the house spider thing~ ITS CALLED SARCASM / HUMOR, YOU DOLT. (that was as polite as possible; while still remaining honest)

Mikey_g-rosea / monotony- Thx for the useful info, contrare to what was posted here. nothing but ''educated guesses.'' i think i will take him to *someone~anyone* i can find that can tell me the species/sex. if its a male, then he's free. if its a female, ill find out what i need to know, and probably keep *her*. if its a male and i let *him* loose, then i might go for a rosea, it seems everyone on the boards has them/supports them as beginner Tarantulas. even though id like something a little more exotic. id rather not have 3-4 (resisting temptation) since i have little room. too many other hobbies ><.

thanks alot for all your posts, ill keep you notified as much as needed on updates

update already: last night he ate the poopoo cricket from petco. i think he really likes the ones from outside though. i put some grasshopperish bug i found in there, and the other cricket ate him... odd?.. well at least i got to see some action. although the tarantula only eats when my room is 100% dark. i also put in a matchbox, since it dosent like light. (im doing the best i can with what i got right now people, im in the middle of nowhere, it was a 2 hour drive just to get to petco) yet in the corner under a stick he did some web... its not like a house.. its just sorta.. the ground to the wall. and it drank ALL its water in a matter of an hour.. odd?... maybe he was thirsty btw, he is officially 3 days old in his new home. i think he looks happy. although he just looks... asleep.. and very..very... VERY bored. -ing


i had to make a point too -.-

 

[conipto]

Trollish or not, this question deserves most of the above answers in a nice concise explanation.

Wild Caught Texas tarantulas 101:

For starters, it's definately not a G. pulchra if it was caught in texas. That much has been beaten to death, but suffice to say that 'Brazilian Black' tarantulas aren't found in texas

The reason that conclusion was jumped to is that there aren't any other commercially available all black tarantula species with so much setae ("hair"). The first image you posted shows almost no hint of color other than black, due to photography conditions.

Second, the sex. It's definately a mature male, as you can see definate change in the pedipalps (the two stubbyish "legs" front and center) When male tarantulas mature, their pedipalps undergo change that turns them into copulatory organs. They form that bulbous shape that resembles a boxing glove instead of a leg. These unfold to mate.

Many Aphonopelma species (the native US tarantulas are all aphonopelma, with the exception of a few RARE circumstances) mature as very dark colored males. I don't have any pictures of female or immature male A. hentzi, and have never had one, so couldn't say for sure what species it is.) Further on this subject, Aphonopelma taxonomy (deciding what species something is) is a big fat mess, and from a picture (especially of a mature male) I don't think it would be responsible to attempt to breed this male with a mature A. hentzi female. Your best bet is to let it go if you want it to mate, or just let it die (which it will in short term, that much was also said above). Saying "He just looks bored" is also a pretty good guess he may be on his way out. most mature males are constantly moving around - looking for females.

Also, mature males often don't eat. That yours is ignoring the feeder is pretty normal.

If you're really interested in tarantulas, look around for information - there's plenty there. If you're the reading type, several books on introductory captive husbandry are available, the most often reccommended of which is "The tarantula keepers guide" by Stan and Marguerite Schultz. I'm afraid you'll have to give up on this one though, as it's life cycle is at an end.

Bill

 

[stemloop]

not good, buddy

diane s- about the house spider thing~ ITS CALLED SARCASM / HUMOR, YOU DOLT. (that was as polite as possible; while still remaining honest)

AAwwwwww, geeeEEEZZ!!

I haven't been around here for long, but I'm almost positive such direct insults are ill-advised, especially from a newbie, and especially when others are trying to help. Also, I can't shake the nagging suspicion that it may be conspicuously feeble ground from which you hurl THAT particular invective. I could quite possibly be mistaken, and if so, I humbly retract my vituperation.

 

[Sequin]

whoa..lets settle down people.... All i have to say is get rid of the corn..lol.. I just buy ths special reptile dirt, it absorbs moisture well and the T's like it. But Other people use peat moss and stuff.... well thats my two cents good luck with the T.

 

[G_Wright]

It's a male and it looks very much like a Aphonopelma hentzi (Oklahoma brown). The carapace in the second photo looks more tan than black. I can see one spur on it's right front leg in the second photo also so you have yourself a male on the hunt for a female most likely.

Diane S is right it looks like a mle even has bulbs on it's palps

 

[RazorRipley]

These people are all making good sense with this,... a 30 yr old female is ancient for any arthropod, and unfortunately, males do die shortly after maturity, Im talking less than a year. So, whatever info is floating around about females being 40 and males being isnt correct.

 

[Henry Kane]

whoa..lets settle down people.... All i have to say is get rid of the corn..lol.. I just buy ths special reptile dirt, it absorbs moisture well and the T's like it. But Other people use peat moss and stuff.... well thats my two cents good luck with the T.

Actually, if teeli decides to keep the male Aphonopelma sp. it would probaby be just fine to get the substrate from right outside. No point in spending money on substrate for a local caught T, especially if you live out in the middle of nowhere and dirt, foliage etc. is likely in abundance.

Sidenote: To reiterate what Conipto mentioned, good luck identifying the species of that tarantula. It is most certainly in the genus Aphonopelma but as said already, most Aphono males turn mostly black upon maturity. Who knows, he may already have mated before he was caught and won't mind his last days being spoiled and getting fat.

Take care.
Atrax

 

[scorpio]

diane s- about the house spider thing~ ITS CALLED SARCASM / HUMOR, YOU DOLT. (that was as polite as possible; while still remaining honest)

Usually when making a comment like that house spider one, its appropriate to use smileys such as , , or :}, as there are people that actually would consider doing that...

 

[Mendi]

If it is a wild caught male Aphonopelma sp. it could be any number of Aphonopelma that lives in TX, A.anax, hentzi, moderatum, texense, and on ... I don't have the numbers of "undescribed" species there, likely 10+/-

If it is a mature male, and what I've seen it does classify that to me, why not let the animal go free to live the final few months of his life the way the powers that be intended. You sound like you have no idea what the species it, but the litte male knows and instinctively, he will find the right sp for him to pair up with an possiblu be the father to 5-800 slings.

We do know there is no way this spider is a Grammastola pulchra, sorry, but you are talking about a spider that has to be captive breed due to Brazil having closed its borders to any animal export, and even ½" slings are gonna cost $25+. A mature male will be $100+

Let this little Aphonopelma live out his greatest drive and walk and find a female to mate with. You can go "fishing" and get your self a long lived female of any of your native TX Ts

 

[Deliverme314]

Hey Teeli,

I stopped reading this after the second page.

Ignore the rude remarks of most folks on here. They have a tendency to talk to people as if they are idiots and suspect every newb is a "troll".

You did the right thing coming here to find out about your pet. There is a lot of knowledge on the board if you can get passed the self engrossed banter of alot of these guys. It makes them feel smart to put you down for not knowing anything yet... and why should you know anything yet? I like the way you type and you made me laugh several times. So I hope you stick around.

You deffinitley have a male aphonopelma of some sort... probobly moderatum. I would suggest finding it a mate either by releasing it or a breeding loan with someone on these boards. But order your self a new tarantula! Get into the hobby. Its very rewarding. Botar is a dealer who frequents the boards. Is a really nice guy and wont judge you for being a newb. I am sure that he will answer any and all questions to help pick out a great first T. His site is botarby8s.com.

Hope you stick around.

Ps... get rid of the corn meal and use peat moss. Cant go wrong with it.

 

[MizM]

MIZM said<<<<No one knows how long tarantulas actually live in the wild. In captivity, a female B. smithi COULD live 30+ years, but I have never heard of a 40 year old female tarantula OR a 15 year old male! The information above is misleading and incorrect.>>>>>>
IF NO ONE knows for sure, it is only misleading, UNLESS YOU ARE THE 'NO ONE' who knows, how can you say it IS incorrect. Stan had that emilia, wasnt it in his care 27 years? Or was it 17 + a 10 year estimate on adulthood in the wild. if he had it 27 years, then tack on 6-10 for maturing out there....

Cmon people lets roll out some kick A** info for newcomers and not rush to post things half-a*** 'first'
Tony

Sorry,but I can't remember a more informationally challenged thread
Where are all the old timers ?
Whats going on in here???

I stand by my answer. If ANYONE knows of a captive female tarantula that is 40+ year old OR a male 15+ years old, I will gladly retract. I've only been into Ts for 13 years, so perhaps and "old-timer" can step in and correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[kellygirl]

I stopped reading this after the second page.

Maybe if you read past the 2nd page, you'll see why the reactions were dead-on.

-Kelly

 

[protheus]

diane s- about the house spider thing~ ITS CALLED SARCASM / HUMOR, YOU DOLT. (that was as polite as possible; while still remaining honest)

Well, I'm sure there are a few idiots out there who'd try this. It doesn't surprise me that somebody took you seriously. Spiders are very misunderstood animals, and sometimes this misunderstanding causes people to do completely ridiculous things like trying to breed tarantulas and house spiders.

Mikey_g-rosea / monotony- Thx for the useful info, contrare to what was posted here. nothing but ''educated guesses.'' i think i will take him to *someone~anyone* i can find that can tell me the species/sex. if its a male, then he's free. if its a female, ill find out what i need to know, and probably

Educated guesses are the best kind, so here are mine:

If you did decide to keep it, make it as comfortable as you can. Get some dirt in that tank; layer it pretty thick on the bottom, and give the spider something to hide in. This may make it a lot happier.

If it drank all of the water you gave it before, give it more, and make sure the bowl is always full -- I don't think anyone addressed this earlier, but tarantulas can lose water quickly.

The common advice given is to feed once or twice a week. Probably once a week for a mature animal, especially a male. If he eats within a day, fine; if not, take the food back out so that it doesn't annoy him. This has worked for me so far.

Remember that spiders are cold-blooded. This one's ideal temperature is probably around what you have outside, and his ideal humidity level is probably slightly higher than that. Look for a care-sheet on them.

You mentioned something about your spider "sucking the juice" from a cricket, which is kind of a misconception. They actually digest their food externally, and then drink the resulting slush of minerals, nutrients, and fluid, IIRC. Most of their prey will eventually be ingested this way, and there's really very little "husk" left.

If you don't decide to keep it, maybe you should consider a G. aureostriata ("Chaco golden knee"). They're relatives of G. rosea, supposed to be very docile, and grow somewhat larger. (8" legspan) Should still make a decent beginner species, and they're commonly priced around $20 for spiderlings.

Above all, be good to your pet spider. By all means, show it off to people, but don't scare anyone with it. They have an undeservedly bad reputation, anyway.

Did I miss any good general advice?

Chris

 

[MizM]

Remember that spiders are cold-blooded.

Chris

Interesting. I never though of them as cold-blooded. Only when I think of herps does that term come to mind. I wonder... what is a Ts ambient body temperature? I know they have to regulate it using outside sources, but what's a "fever"?

Funny, I latch one to one little term and it gets me to wondering... THERE IS SO MUCH WE DON'T KNOW!!!

 

[Sequin]

Hey Teeli,

I stopped reading this after the second page.

Ignore the rude remarks of most folks on here. They have a tendency to talk to people as if they are idiots and suspect every newb is a "troll".

You did the right thing coming here to find out about your pet. There is a lot of knowledge on the board if you can get passed the self engrossed banter of alot of these guys. It makes them feel smart to put you down for not knowing anything yet... and why should you know anything yet? I like the way you type and you made me laugh several times. So I hope you stick around.

You deffinitley have a male aphonopelma of some sort... probobly moderatum. I would suggest finding it a mate either by releasing it or a breeding loan with someone on these boards. But order your self a new tarantula! Get into the hobby. Its very rewarding. Botar is a dealer who frequents the boards. Is a really nice guy and wont judge you for being a newb. I am sure that he will answer any and all questions to help pick out a great first T. His site is botarby8s.com.

Hope you stick around.

Ps... get rid of the corn meal and use peat moss. Cant go wrong with it.

Perfectly put.

 

[protheus]

Interesting. I never though of them as cold-blooded. Only when I think of herps does that term come to mind. I wonder... what is a Ts ambient body temperature? I know they have to regulate it using outside sources, but what's a "fever"?

Oh man, well, cold blooded may not even be the preferred term when it comes to spiders, but who knows.

Where would you put the thermometer to check their body temperature? I'm still giggling here, thinking of spiders with LCD thermometers stuck to their abdomens.

Chris

 

[MizM]

Don't laugh... there IS a way to find out!