What is this?

[Southwest]

This is a wild tarantula that was caught and given to me on the Fourth of July. I bought him an enclosure and started noticing this white stuff in the bedding. I also have a female Chilean Rose and have never seen this in her bedding. Any ideas on what this stuff could be?

 

[Venom1080]

Just looks like poop.

 

[Nightstalker47]

This is a wild tarantula that was caught and given to me on the Fourth of July. I bought him an enclosure and started noticing this white stuff in the bedding. I also have a female Chilean Rose and have never seen this in her bedding. Any ideas on what this stuff could be?

That's tarantula poop, did the person who gifted you the spider mention species? It looks like it might be a MM but I'd need better pictures to say for certain.

 

[boina]

That's poop and thats definitely a mature male (see last pic, clear hooks and embolus) and that's also rather unsuitable bedding - tarantulas like something more earth-like for digging and burrow-building .

 

[EulersK]

It looks like it might be a MM but I'd need better pictures to say for certain.

That's certainly a MM. You can see a bulbous pedipalp in the last picture.

 

[Southwest]

Thanks, just wanted to be certain. No they did not mention the species. It was caught in NM close to Texas (far west).

 

[Southwest]

That's poop and thats definitely a mature male (see last pic, clear hooks and embolus) and that's also rather unsuitable bedding - tarantulas like something more earth-like for digging and burrow-building .

This is what I was told to use at the pet store. I'll change it out. Thanks

 

[Nightstalker47]

This is what I was told to use at the pet store. I'll change it out. Thanks

I would release the mature male if I were you, keeping a WC MM is pretty pointless unless you plan on breeding him.

Seeing as you don't know what species he is you can't breed. He probably won't last long anyway, and if he's stuck in that enclosure he won't have a chance to find any females.

 

[cold blood]

This is what I was told to use at the pet store. I'll change it out. Thanks

never ever...and I cant stress this enough...never take pet store advice...same for care sheets.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

This is Aphonopelma gabeli. It is the only tarantula around the New Mexico/ Texas borders where the males are all black.

 

[Andrea82]

This is Aphonopelma gabeli. It is the only tarantula around the New Mexico/ Texas borders where the males are all black.

Is it a less common species? I haven't heard of it before (although I admit that I have not really researched the Aphonopelma genus).
If it is, all the more reason to release it back in the wild @Southwest

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Is it a less common species? I haven't heard of it before (although I admit that I have not really researched the Aphonopelma genus).
If it is, all the more reason to release it back in the wild @Southwest

No, it's not rare by any means. It is a very common species throughout southeast Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas.