Aphonopelma chalcodes

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
are WC females ok to purchase? I know captive bred is the best.
Now this thread is Theraphosidae 'themed', ok, but consider that when it comes to 'pedes I say without further doubts that 95% of those, available in the trade and no matter the specie, are pure absolutely finest WC.

While, when/if I can, I always opt for CB specimens (and btw in the case of CITES protected arachnids/inverts here in Italy 'you' can't really joke at all about the issue, see my snapshot* below) IMO there is nothing bad into purchasing a WC specimen.

I do realize, however, that a scenario of mass WC smuggling isn't exactly at a moral/ethic level a good thing. But 'Pro' here is that we are talking about T's and such, and not about monkeys, tigers, lions, elephants etc so the % is IMO an harmless one for the whole enviromental 'picture' in question.

* v

thumbnail_DSC_0454.jpg

cites.jpg
 

Dovey

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 9, 2016
Messages
541
QUOTE="viper69, post: 2748777, member: 10070"]I would be interested in reading the latest population study which helped you form your statement, could you cite the sources?[/QUOTE]

My evidence is entirely empirical, but don't dismiss it on that account. I've lived in five separate chalcodes population centers over the last 25 years, and I pay attention. To the present day, my experience is that I cannot pull out of my driveway in the summer without stopping to move them for fear of running them over.

Granted, two of these locations were in or near national forest. But the other three were in major human population centers--Scottsdale, Greater Phoenix, Prescott--which leads me to the conclusion that they are capable of recovering from initial human development pressures on their populations and finding a niche in our contemporary landscape, as have many other species of wildlife. One has only to walk out into waste ground, medians of roadways, unirrigated public parks, people's yards, even the margins of parking lots, to see their dens.

My view could be somewhat skewed, but as I said, I've literally had to rescue slings from all over the house here in New River to keep them from being snarfed up by the dog.

I think you make a fantastic point, however, in that, like many key predators, chalcodes take a LONG TIME to mature. I feel like the most important aspect of their long-term survival in the wild is to convince people how valuable a mature chalcodes is to the environment and how hard we should work to support them and not destroy them on sight as pests, for the good of the entire ecosystem. And part of that process is the growth of appreciation for tarantulas as pets.

3 years ago, I saw a photograph on Facebook of my cousin with a MM climbing on his T-shirt as he sat out on his porch. That photograph is what got me actively thinking about the human relationship to both wild and captive spiders. It convinced me that I was interested enough in that relationship to enter the fancy. In a sense, that is the service that pet tarantulas do for wild tarantulas. I am more likely to fight to protect struggling wild species as a result of familiarity with their plight from being active in the hobby.

It takes a lot of work to dig out a mature female chalcodes from her den, and the profit margin is low balanced against the time and effort involved in obtaining them. It is only the mature males that are readily available on the surface. I expect as long as their prices remain low, this, as much as anything else, will limit the harvest. And maybe it's my location affecting my success, but I got a great sack out of my wild caught female last year and released the entire sack back into the wild. Her next sack, should I be lucky enough to obtain one, will go to the fancy.

Now if we could just do something about the durned tarantula hawks. Lord, they're everywhere! Nature's a b****. :eek:
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Stop chasing them away, lol. :p
Certainly not the case- they have the power not me ;), I'm a mere poster , nothing more :). I've not been ensconced into the halls of T royalty like CB, Ung. and Eulers:wideyed:. Though once Ratluvr was made a staff member, s/he stopped posting almost immediately.o_O

Though Hobo made a post in a T forum not long ago. I hadn't seen him post in years, he's a wealth of knowledge.
 

Lance51766

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 27, 2016
Messages
1
QUOTE="viper69, post: 2748777, member: 10070"]I would be interested in reading the latest population study which helped you form your statement, could you cite the sources?
My evidence is entirely empirical, but don't dismiss it on that account. I've lived in five separate chalcodes population centers over the last 25 years, and I pay attention. To the present day, my experience is that I cannot pull out of my driveway in the summer without stopping to move them for fear of running them over.

Granted, two of these locations were in or near national forest. But the other three were in major human population centers--Scottsdale, Greater Phoenix, Prescott--which leads me to the conclusion that they are capable of recovering from initial human development pressures on their populations and finding a niche in our contemporary landscape, as have many other species of wildlife. One has only to walk out into waste ground, medians of roadways, unirrigated public parks, people's yards, even the margins of parking lots, to see their dens.

My view could be somewhat skewed, but as I said, I've literally had to rescue slings from all over the house here in New River to keep them from being snarfed up by the dog.

I think you make a fantastic point, however, in that, like many key predators, chalcodes take a LONG TIME to mature. I feel like the most important aspect of their long-term survival in the wild is to convince people how valuable a mature chalcodes is to the environment and how hard we should work to support them and not destroy them on sight as pests, for the good of the entire ecosystem. And part of that process is the growth of appreciation for tarantulas as pets.

3 years ago, I saw a photograph on Facebook of my cousin with a MM climbing on his T-shirt as he sat out on his porch. That photograph is what got me actively thinking about the human relationship to both wild and captive spiders. It convinced me that I was interested enough in that relationship to enter the fancy. In a sense, that is the service that pet tarantulas do for wild tarantulas. I am more likely to fight to protect struggling wild species as a result of familiarity with their plight from being active in the hobby.

It takes a lot of work to dig out a mature female chalcodes from her den, and the profit margin is low balanced against the time and effort involved in obtaining them. It is only the mature males that are readily available on the surface. I expect as long as their prices remain low, this, as much as anything else, will limit the harvest. And maybe it's my location affecting my success, but I got a great sack out of my wild caught female last year and released the entire sack back into the wild. Her next sack, should I be lucky enough to obtain one, will go to the fancy.

Now if we could just do something about the durned tarantula hawks. Lord, they're everywhere! Nature's a b****. :eek:[/QUOTE]

QUOTE="viper69, post: 2748777, member: 10070"]I would be interested in reading the latest population study which helped you form your statement, could you cite the sources?
My evidence is entirely empirical, but don't dismiss it on that account. I've lived in five separate chalcodes population centers over the last 25 years, and I pay attention. To the present day, my experience is that I cannot pull out of my driveway in the summer without stopping to move them for fear of running them over.

Granted, two of these locations were in or near national forest. But the other three were in major human population centers--Scottsdale, Greater Phoenix, Prescott--which leads me to the conclusion that they are capable of recovering from initial human development pressures on their populations and finding a niche in our contemporary landscape, as have many other species of wildlife. One has only to walk out into waste ground, medians of roadways, unirrigated public parks, people's yards, even the margins of parking lots, to see their dens.

My view could be somewhat skewed, but as I said, I've literally had to rescue slings from all over the house here in New River to keep them from being snarfed up by the dog.

I think you make a fantastic point, however, in that, like many key predators, chalcodes take a LONG TIME to mature. I feel like the most important aspect of their long-term survival in the wild is to convince people how valuable a mature chalcodes is to the environment and how hard we should work to support them and not destroy them on sight as pests, for the good of the entire ecosystem. And part of that process is the growth of appreciation for tarantulas as pets.

3 years ago, I saw a photograph on Facebook of my cousin with a MM climbing on his T-shirt as he sat out on his porch. That photograph is what got me actively thinking about the human relationship to both wild and captive spiders. It convinced me that I was interested enough in that relationship to enter the fancy. In a sense, that is the service that pet tarantulas do for wild tarantulas. I am more likely to fight to protect struggling wild species as a result of familiarity with their plight from being active in the hobby.

It takes a lot of work to dig out a mature female chalcodes from her den, and the profit margin is low balanced against the time and effort involved in obtaining them. It is only the mature males that are readily available on the surface. I expect as long as their prices remain low, this, as much as anything else, will limit the harvest. And maybe it's my location affecting my success, but I got a great sack out of my wild caught female last year and released the entire sack back into the wild. Her next sack, should I be lucky enough to obtain one, will go to the fancy.

Now if we could just do something about the durned tarantula hawks. Lord, they're everywhere! Nature's a b****. :eek:[/QUOTE]




Hey Dovey,
I have a wild caught female A. chacodes who currently is tending an egg sack and I would like to release the slings somewhere in AZ. they will be hatching in a couple of week and I was thinking of a state park like Saguaro, what do you think ?
 
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