# T stirmi maximum size



## morganind (Jan 30, 2012)

Though most of the posts I've read say that blondi and stirmi are identical except for hair on the patellas and a few other none obvious features, a few web pages have indicated that the maximum size of blondi is greater than that of stirmi. One page said that stirmi max out at 10" for blondi it's 11". Searching pictures here just about all of the really large Theraphosa are stirmi. Does anyone know for certain whether there is any size/growth difference between the two species?


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## synyster (Jan 30, 2012)

They're pretty much the same. They will grow to a similar size and similar speed depending on husbandry, temperatures and feedings. 

AB user Fran had a _Theraphosa stirmi_ that reached 11.75" if my memory dosen't fail.

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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 30, 2012)

Wild individuals can get a little bigger pushing 12"+ up to 13" I hear.. due to high Co2 levels & greater variety of food... plus the strongest survive...
not much proof of a 13" one, Ive heard of a male that was 13.5" on a different forum but I saw no proof 
12.5" probably max captivity size..

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## Apollo Justice (Jan 30, 2012)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> Wild individuals can get a little bigger pushing 12"+ up to 13" I hear.. due to high Co2 levels & greater variety of food... plus the strongest survive...
> not much proof of a 13" one, Ive heard of a male that was 13.5" on a different forum but I saw no proof
> 12.5" probably max captivity size..


Do you have a link to these "facts"


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=34.261129,-119.217877

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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 30, 2012)

no It was on some forum I used to use.. Tarantulas US.. I no longer use this site much.. cuz heavy moderation isnt my thing
Id rather have a little more freedom 
someone claimed to have known someone with a 13.5" male.. Username Marfric I think?
12" -12.5"  is a known max size though & can be backed up.
first goliaths found were 12"


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## jayefbe (Jan 30, 2012)

I think ultum is confusing higher oxygen (not carbon dioxide) levels in the atmosphere in the ancient past allowing larger invertebrates to exist because the greater concentration could support larger body sizes. That's neither here nor there since that's referring to the very distant history.

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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 30, 2012)

your correct , thats what I was thinking of.  Co2 is what plants absorb they create Oxygen. what was I thinking??  
I used to know a lot about science but Ive gotten rather lazy dont research much. I could take college science classes possibly easy As bring my GPA up higher.
yes it was the past if it were true today.. in the tropics  they would be like 14-19"+ inches..


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## morganind (Jan 31, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for your answers. In the end I am still left with the feeling that same size might just be an assumption based on the similar morphology of the 2 species.  I’d be curious if I could get a  few slings of each species and raise them under  standard T blondi conditions while documenting growth etc. if I might not find a small but consistent difference.  Maybe I could get 3 of each. Such a small scale experiment certainly won’t prove anything, but it might suggest that the assumption may not hold. Just thinking of that on the way to work this morning. I think it would be a fun experiment.


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## marcfrick2112 (Jan 31, 2012)

Ultum4Spiderz said:


> no It was on some forum I used to use.. Tarantulas US.. I no longer use this site much.. cuz heavy moderation isnt my thing
> Id rather have a little more freedom
> someone claimed to have known someone with a 13.5" male.. Username Marfric I think?
> 12" -12.5"  is a known max size though & can be backed up.
> first goliaths found were 12"


FYI, Ultum, I am a member on Arachnoboards as well.
Ya know, after MANY members tried to help you, for WEEKS, Ultum.... this post comes as a slap in the face.
As for 'heavy moderation' , well, when a person joins a forum, they agree to abide by their rules, pure and simple.

And yes, a former member did claim to see a 13.5" MM blondi, no photo proof though, so make of it what you will.


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 31, 2012)

It is still a good website nothing against it..
Perhaps the rules werent straigt forward enough I read them many times.
when most of the members are mods.. there is no hiding !! :sarcasm:
good luck with your Ts marc 
Lasiodora parahyaban is one of my favorites
A 13.5" MM Blondi would be awsome!!! big babies


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 31, 2012)

My Grandma once saw a 13.5 inch T. blondi...at least that's what she told me ; )


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## jayefbe (Jan 31, 2012)

morganind said:


> Thanks to everyone for your answers. In the end I am still left with the feeling that same size might just be an assumption based on the similar morphology of the 2 species.  I’d be curious if I could get a  few slings of each species and raise them under  standard T blondi conditions while documenting growth etc. if I might not find a small but consistent difference.  Maybe I could get 3 of each. Such a small scale experiment certainly won’t prove anything, but it might suggest that the assumption may not hold. Just thinking of that on the way to work this morning. I think it would be a fun experiment.


Considering that they were collected, imported and sold as T. blondi for a very long time without anyone realizing it was a different species (until somebody starting selling T. "burgundy" for more money), I imagine their sizes are incredibly similar. To actually determine if there is any significant variation in size, you'd need a lot of individuals from different sacs (different collection populations would be even better) raised under identical conditions. 



marcfrick2112 said:


> FYI, Ultum, I am a member on Arachnoboards as well.
> Ya know, after MANY members tried to help you, for WEEKS, Ultum.... this post comes as a slap in the face.
> As for 'heavy moderation' , well, when a person joins a forum, they agree to abide by their rules, pure and simple.
> 
> And yes, a former member did claim to see a 13.5" MM blondi, no photo proof though, so make of it what you will.


Just consider the source before you take it as too much of an insult...everything he's been doing for the last few weeks on T-US is the EXACT same thing he's been doing here over the last few months. (Same "what's the largest T threads?", "Which feeder roach is the best?", "Yet another T death" threads. I mean it. Literally the same exact questions that were asked and answered many MANY times before only on a different forum).

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## Silberrücken (Jan 31, 2012)

jayefbe said:


> everything he's been doing for the last few weeks on T-US is the EXACT same thing he's been doing here over the last few months. (Same "what's the largest T threads?", "Which feeder roach is the best?", "Yet another T death" threads. I mean it. Literally the same exact questions that were asked and answered many MANY times before only on a different forum).


*starts music*

_Trollin', trollin', trollin'...  gotta keep those members rollin'..._

:laugh:

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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 31, 2012)

regardless any T over 10-11" inches is freakin huge.. a 13.5" Goliath birdeater would be massive


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## matt82 (Jan 31, 2012)

Not exactly a link to answer the "size difference between T. stirmi & T. blondi" question, but possibly a relevant link in the context of this thread in general, and perhaps of use to the OP, amongst others...

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/content.php?33-Theraphosa-blondi

I read this essay after being given a link to it from a member on *flickr*.  A good write-up, and well worth a read I thought.

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## jayefbe (Jan 31, 2012)

That's an interesting read to say the least. The care and husbandry tips certainly are sound and is good info (although it doesn't offer an explanation as to why CB efforts often fail). The biological theory....not so much. The T. blondi "disallowed evolution"?!?!

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## Ultum4Spiderz (Jan 31, 2012)

Great artical ? perhaps we can build a wild based Diet for Ts .. so our Ts get larger!!!:biggrin: Id be in for that !! healthier happier Goliaths
perhaps we need to feed inverts in larger tarantulas diets / along with natural species of roaches.. lol

hopefully keepers find a way to breed them better in captivity....


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## morganind (Feb 1, 2012)

That article was fascinating.

Back in the mid to late 90's there was a T dealer who claimed he had the best Goliath birdeaters available. He said the secret to his success with the species was earthworms. According to him earthworms made them grow big strong and healthy. I can't remember his name , but it started with M and sounded Italian. Maybe he was on to something.


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## Jared781 (Feb 1, 2012)

in my opinion it shouldnt be to far off then a T blondi if not the same


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## Fran (Feb 1, 2012)

The largest female I have ever seen (and owned) meassured a bit over 11" with a 44mm carpace.
Her last recorded molt was almost touching the 11" mark.

As far as the largest captured, the only thing I have repeatedly read about is , I believe, in 1970's  a female "blondi" captured in Venezuela at 28 cm. (very close to 12" ).

---------- Post added 02-01-2012 at 09:25 PM ----------

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?202785-Very-large-succesful-Theraphosa-molt


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## jbm150 (Feb 2, 2012)

Fran said:


> a 44mm carapace.


Good lord that's a big spider!


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Feb 2, 2012)

is 44mm the thickness/ width or length of carpace? how big were the fangs 2" inches??


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## Fran (Feb 2, 2012)

The width at the widest part. Fangs were really big, I have a picture, let my try to find it.


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## synyster (Feb 2, 2012)

So my memory did fail me on the 11.75" post I wrote earlier, but none-the-less, that's a huge specimen.


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## mmfh (Feb 2, 2012)

If someone set up a T. blondi in an oxygen tank, that would be an interesting way to see if air is a limiting factor in size


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## Fran (Feb 2, 2012)

Experiments...dont work that way. You would need to raise and breed and have many generations of blondi to see if that "works".


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## LV-426 (Feb 3, 2012)

Fran said:


> Experiments...dont work that way. You would need to raise and breed and have many generations of blondi to see if that "works".


Wow, haven't seen or heard from you in a while on the boards


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Feb 3, 2012)

Hard to measure but the carpace on my 7-8" female stirmi is about 1.4-1.5" inches  so a 1.75"(44mm) Stirmi is a monster 
its clearly not full grown yet lol


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## seanbond (Feb 5, 2012)

anyone bred these?
ima thinking of buying a breeding group-


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