M.balfouri experiences - keeping individuals compared to communals

[lvc]

I´m going to move into a new apartment in two weeks and to "celebrate" my new place I was looking to get a few more slings.

One of the species that really caught my eye is the M.balfouri. (Was planning to get a single sling, because at the moment I´d like to get a couple of different species rather than a couple of spiders from one species)

Already did some reading on here and other sources online about this tarantula, but what I wanted to ask about specifically are some of the differences about their behaviour, growthrate, difficulty to raise a sling and so forth when keeping a single specimen compared to keeping a communal.

What I learned so far is that, when kept alone, they seem to be more reclusive and picky eaters than when being kept communally, but the exact reasons for this aren´t really known. (Especially since it seems like they haven´t been observed living communally in nature yet.)

Would greatly appreciate it, if some of you who keep/have kept this species (individuals, communals or maybe even both ways) could share some experiences they´ve had with this beautiful baboon.

Cheers!

 

[KezyGLA]

I think they have been recorded living communally in situ.

The prey drive probably isnt as big when they don't have to contest with others for food. Hence less drive when kept individually. I have noticed this with the ones I keep that way.

 

[viper69]

when keeping a single specimen compared to keeping a communal.

It's easier to keep them apart, there's nothing easier with a "communal".

more reclusive and picky eaters than when being kept communally

I've not noticed them to picky at all. They are not eating machines like many other species. I would categorize this species as a steady eater, but not voracious.

Especially since it seems like they haven´t been observed living communally in nature yet

This is true for all species of Ts. There is no confirmed observation of Ts living communally.

 

[Haksilence]

I have quite a number of this species both in individual setups and communal enclosures.
2 communals of 0.1.8 (female and her "slings" although they are roughly 2" now) and a 1.1.6 (also female and her offspring, but these are juveniles around the 3" range) as well as 2 mature males isolated and 2 subadult females isolated.

As per behavioral differences all of the adults are quite reclusive. I don't see them out and about much compared the the younger broods. However they have all been isolated up to the point of them laying their respective eggsacs and I have noticed the slings I've kept isolated seemed to stay hiden and burried more often than the groups, this is however a hilariously small sample size and should be taken as an arbitrary observation as opposed to a scientific one.

The groups always eat more actively than the individuals, wether this is due to having more frequent access to food at higher volumes their entire lives (to further deter the very small possibility of cannibalism) or due to having a higher competition for the food is anyone guess.

This species is widely considered the safest communal species that we currently know of, and while they can excel the complications and risks are undeniable. While cannibolism is unlikely, food hoging is a real concern, if you start with 4 slings and one develops just a few days faster than the others, or is individually a more aggressive eater it will outpace it's peers, growing faster, and thus eating more and hogging food intended for them all. This is the case in my younger communal where the alpha of that group is 2 molts ahead of the rest. While this doesn't effect the rest directly, you would need to be more conscious of the ammount they are being fed to ensure all are satiated.

Outside of all that they are a bulletproof species with bare bones care requirements. If you do get one, or several, keep the substrate dry and only leave them a water dish, no need to dampen the substrate or "flood" the dish. They grow a little on the fast side and are, for the most part, pretty placid for an old world species.
While I don't know of a single bite report of them, they should still be respected and cared for with the same caution given to other aisian and African terestrials (haplopalma, cyriopagopus, pelinobius, ect.). As slings they are very energetic eaters having no issue taking down decent sized prey, but they will actively scavenge as well, so an adult cricket can be prekilled for them if a more size apropriaapp feeder is not available.

They are easily one of my favorite species, if you do decide to get one (or several) I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

[boina]

I've two groups of 3 siblings, so I can't say how single individuals behave. At the moment I'm rather disenchanted with them since my younger group were 5 siblings when I got them at 2i... One of them just died from a bad molt but I have no clue what happened to the second missing sling. Mind you, it's entirely possible the other sling, too, died from natural causes and didn't get eaten.

My main problem with communals is that I find it hard to calculate how much to feed. I tend to overfeed to make sure everyone gets enough and then I find live roaches somewhere in the web that covers everything weeks later . It's especially difficult with M. balfouri since they aren't out regularly and it's kind of difficult to judge how fat everyone is at any given time.

 

[lvc]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Really appreciate it

Lots of useful information that made my decision a lot easier.

Definetly going to get an individual sling with my next order.

Cheers!

 

[JBarbaresi]

I don't have a whole lot of experience to go off of, but I have owned a single sling since last fall. It was probably 2nd or 3rd instar when I got it. It's molted 3 times in my care and is still only about the size of a water bottle cap.

At first I was concerned about it eating because it seemed to be super skittish and scared of anything I offered. After it got more comfortable it was easier to feed and started coming out more. Now it's feeding on medium sized crickets that are not much smaller than it is. He/she is also out every single night so I wouldn't say reclusive by any means.

 

[Paul1126]

I would love to keep this T, but I promised myself no OWs in my apartment.
I would personally keep them individually.

I've seen people say they have been observed in the wild communally and some say there is no record of them living communally.

Either way keeping Ts communally would be way too much work for me, especially when it comes to rehousing.