# Oldest Tarantula???



## koldaar (Apr 13, 2005)

Just wondering who has the oldest tarantula here. What kind and how old?


----------



## Jmadson13 (Apr 13, 2005)

My oldest currently is a G. rosea at eleven. I'm sure this doesn't even touch some others on the boards.


----------



## DR zuum (Apr 13, 2005)

Female B.smithi  17


----------



## CreepyCrawly (Apr 14, 2005)

Wow!  That's awesome!  When I tell people my G. rosea is at least 9 they flip out.  The others I don't know about, although most of them are much younger.


----------



## Deschain (Apr 14, 2005)

My oldest is an 8 year old P.regalis...although I have an A.moderatum that is at least 3 years old, and has never molted for me, so with her slow growth she could very likely be much older than that.  :?


----------



## harrymaculata (Apr 14, 2005)

i had a curly hair that died at 14


----------



## Rob1985 (Apr 14, 2005)

My buddy had a B.smithi named "Theresa" for 22 years!!!


----------



## koldaar (Apr 14, 2005)

Wow!! 22 years!?!? That's awesome! I'm just hoping some of mine will live 10 years.


----------



## bagheera (Apr 14, 2005)

The B smithii that I had years ago was a wild caught female. Between the time I had her and her size/maturity I estimate she was 12-15 years old when I sold her. (And she never wrote me!!) :wall:


----------



## Rob1985 (Apr 14, 2005)

koldaar said:
			
		

> Wow!! 22 years!?!? That's awesome! I'm just hoping some of mine will live 10 years.


 Of course my buddy is old enough to be my father, but he raised her from a .5" sling!!! How she died was actually and accident. It was nasty below zero day and the room she was in was cold soo he left a heat lamp on and came home to a cooked T   He has thought about possibly getting another T.


----------



## Stan Schultz (Apr 14, 2005)

One and All -

Some of you may remember the story of the Duchess, the big _Brachypelma emilia_ (Mexican redleg) that appears on page 31 of _The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide_.

We bought her in July 1972 from an animal importer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At that time she was large enough that we’re certain she was full grown. As a crude estimate, we think she was at least 15 years old at the time, probably older, possibly much older.

She finally died for us in January 1991, almost 19 years later! Her total life span was probably in excess of 34 years.

We still have several _Brachypelma smithi_ (Mexican redknee) that were imported just before they were put on CITES Appendix II in 1985. They were full grown adults at that time, at least 15 years old. That would place them at 35+ as I type this.

How much longer will they live? We have no idea. We do know that several of them produced eggsacs about 3 years ago that were destroyed by Phorid flies before the eggs could hatch. Thus, at least some of them are still fertile.



			
				koldaar said:
			
		

> Wow!! 22 years!?!? That's awesome! I'm just hoping some of mine will live 10 years.


In our experience and from watching many others, this tarantula keeping thing commonly develops a lot like this:

At first you're fascinated by them. They're so bizarre and many of the New World kinds, at least, seem to be so cuddly and friendly. (Once you learn to tolerate the bristles!)

After a few years you begin to get bored of them. (Oh God! You still here? When are you goin' to die?)

After a few more years, if you can stick it out, you begin to realize that you've been popping crickets into their cages for *YEARS* now! Maybe more than a decade! "Good grief! That thing's older than my kid!" is a common remark.

At that time you begin to really appreciate what they are. You begin to treasure them like a fine Renaisance painting or a 1914 Stutz Bearcat.

Ten years is nothing. When you write them into your *Last Will and Testament*, you can start bragging!

Reactions: Like 1 | Love 1 | Award 1


----------



## Spiderling LT (Apr 14, 2005)

I have male N. coloratovillosum he is 4 years old


----------



## Jasonic (May 13, 2005)

Stan,

WOW!!!

Those numbers are amazing!  I have somewhere around 100 T's these days myself.  Interesting to think many of my beloved little friends will be around to see my retirement..lol.  Who knew.  Are you comming to this years ATS show?  I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations last year, very much looking forward to this year as well.

-jasonic (aka: the animator who worked on Eight Legged Freaks)


----------



## Fred (May 13, 2005)

Holy 35+!!! that's insane, my G rosea is only 7....


----------



## wicked (May 13, 2005)

You mean my 2 year old daughter will be in highschool before my 1.5" Brachypelma auratum is full grown to maturity? OMG! <groan> 
I better start T shopping again...dang this is getting expensive.


----------



## Randolph XX() (May 13, 2005)

nice to see your post here Stan
just wondering are you willing to let your old lady smithi go after you start your traveling plan for golden years?


----------



## evil_educator (May 13, 2005)

how about some pics of your old t's?


----------



## bagheera (May 14, 2005)

evil_educator said:
			
		

> how about some pics of your old t's?


  I second that. I will post my 9 y/o later. I would love to see a pic of Dr. Zum's old girl!


----------



## bug2 (May 14, 2005)

*B. smithi*

I have a friend that purchased a wild caught adult before he went into college 27 years ago. She is still alive and doing very well. He gave me one of her molts as a souvenier! She is amazing I hope my captive ones live as long.


----------



## critterz (May 14, 2005)

bug2 said:
			
		

> I have a friend that purchased a wild caught adult before he went into college 27 years ago. She is still alive and doing very well. He gave me one of her molts as a souvenier! She is amazing I hope my captive ones live as long.



So if my math is right, your friends spider is over 40 years old. Amazing...


----------



## Cooper (Jul 24, 2005)

That is truly incredible. I am now going to guy a one/one and a half inch B. smithi and raise it, and see just how long it lives! I think this could be really neat, still having a spider when I am sixty!


----------



## Code Monkey (Jul 24, 2005)

My oldest confirmed was a WC B. smithi that I had for over 16 years before she died. 

Probably the oldest I ever had was WC female A. bicoloratum that was full grown when I got her and died of apparent old age a few months ago.

The oldest one in my collection now is undoubtedly a WC sub-adult A. anax that grows at a rate that makes bristlecone pines look rushed. I've had it 3 years now and unless it turns out to be a male, I may very well have it the rest of my natural life (along with the Flagstaff orange slings I've been raising from 2nd instars for the same length of time).

Otherwise, if talking confirmed age and presently living, nothing so impressive at the moment, just a couple of CB sub-adult B. smithi males that are 4 years old.


----------



## Immortal_sin (Jul 24, 2005)

my oldest is also a B smithi adult female, she's 13 years old this year. I expect she'll live alot longer. I also have a very small A eutylenum that I got as a tiny sling 3 years ago. It's still only about 2.5", confirmed female, and I suspect she will outlive me!


----------



## Vanisher (Jul 24, 2005)

koldaar said:
			
		

> Just wondering who has the oldest tarantula here. What kind and how old?


I have no idea! But i have an G rosea and she is around 15 cm in legspan, so i think she is very old. But i bought her as an adult, so i really dont know her age though it should would be fun to know.!  CHEERS!!!///Johan


----------



## Cooper (Jul 28, 2005)

My oldest is 14, G. rosea.


----------



## Czalz (Jul 29, 2005)

I have a B. Smithi that is 10+ yrs, they said she was 7 when I bought her(like they really knew though). I am eagerly waiting to get her bred (hopefully in a few months). She's a beautiful t. measuring 6 inches without even pulling on her legs.  (  ) <------insert grin here.


----------



## Raqua (Jul 29, 2005)

Code Monkey said:
			
		

> ...grown when I got her and died of apparent old age a few months ago.


How do you know this for sure ?


----------



## Code Monkey (Jul 29, 2005)

Raqua said:
			
		

> How do you know this for sure ?


I don't, but I don't need to, hence the word "apparent".

As for why I figure it's old age: There were no signs of parasitic infection, no accidents, and the spider has been slowing down (intermoult periods roughly 2 years) and only eating every few months. The spider was also a smuggled adult from Mexico when I got her as "captive bred" from a European import (I paid $60 for an adult female of a species that would take 15 years to rear a decent juvenile/sub size in captivity - that ain't captive bred).

You add that up and you either believe she died of a premature brain aneurysm, or you go with the most likely explanation: end of her lifespan.


----------



## Raqua (Jul 29, 2005)

Code Monkey said:
			
		

> I don't, but I don't need to, hence the word "apparent".
> 
> As for why I figure it's old age: There were no signs of parasitic infection, no accidents, and the spider has been slowing down (intermoult periods roughly 2 years) and only eating every few months. The spider was also a smuggled adult from Mexico when I got her as "captive bred" from a European import (I paid $60 for an adult female of a species that would take 15 years to rear a decent juvenile/sub size in captivity - that ain't captive bred).
> 
> You add that up and you either believe she died of a premature brain aneurysm, or you go with the most likely explanation: end of her lifespan.



My bad ... Understood that 'apparent' in a different meaning .... 

BTW. She might have died of being kept too long in a bad conditions ....      ;P  ;P   
(noticed the reference to another thread ??)


----------



## jezzy607 (Jul 29, 2005)

My oldest besides my wc adult A. anax (which I don't know their age), is a   5 1/2 yr old P. murinus "usumbara orange" that I got as a 0.5" sling and has been an adult for at least 3 yrs.


----------



## Code Monkey (Jul 29, 2005)

Raqua said:
			
		

> BTW. She might have died of being kept too long in a bad conditions ....      ;P  ;P


Doubtful since she'd been in my care for years at the point she died; that would be one seriously long decline if it had something to do with her initial capture. Then again, speculate is the best you can do when an adult T of unknown history kicks it without any obvious cause of death.


----------



## mackids (Nov 14, 2005)

*how old?*

hey everyone I just thought this would be a fun/interesting question to throw out to you all. How old is or was the oldest T you have had to date?

-Julius (G.rosea) I've had for 14 and a half years and when I got her she was already quite large so her true age is most likey far beyond that. (and shes still very active!)


----------



## Staley (Nov 14, 2005)

*Chilean rose*

My brother has had his Chilean rose for over 18 years i believe
its is really getting old now


----------



## Sobrino (Nov 15, 2005)

My G. Rosea is only...........5 months. lol!


----------



## Beccas_824 (Nov 15, 2005)

I'm just wondering, for those of you who have wild caught T's and you've "estimated their age" how on earth do you do that? I mean, once they reach maturity (given they are female) don't they all kind of look the same? For example, how can you distinguish between a a T that is 10 years versus one thats maybe 20 plus years?


----------



## Windchaser (Nov 15, 2005)

Beccas_824 said:
			
		

> I'm just wondering, for those of you who have wild caught T's and you've "estimated their age" how on earth do you do that? I mean, once they reach maturity (given they are female) don't they all kind of look the same? For example, how can you distinguish between a a T that is 10 years versus one thats maybe 20 plus years?


Unless you know the date the tarantula was hatched, there is no way to know or even estimate its age. Too many variables affect the growth rate. And as you state, sub-adults and mature tarantulas look pretty much the same. Sub-adults may be a little smaller, but again, unless you know the hatch date, size will not give you enough information to estimate the age.


----------



## Cpt.nemO (Nov 15, 2005)

Fred said:
			
		

> Holy 35+!!! that's insane, my G rosea is only 7....



O MY GOD !~!!!

BTW your book totally kicks ass , i love IT !!!!!! simply love it, I have quite a few books and yours is the best by far.  Even better, its the best book i ever came across about Ts.


----------



## eman (Nov 15, 2005)

Windchaser said:
			
		

> Unless you know the date the tarantula was hatched, there is no way to know or even estimate its age. Too many variables affect the growth rate. And as you state, sub-adults and mature tarantulas look pretty much the same. Sub-adults may be a little smaller, but again, unless you know the hatch date, size will not give you enough information to estimate the age.


This is quite true.  I don't think one could factually guess the true age of any given T based on speculative data.  

Although, one possible determining factor is the size of the carapace.  After comparing a considerable amount of wild caught specimens over the years to CB adults, the most distinctive feature I have noticed (aside from locality and color variations) is the size of the carapace.  I've seen some pretty scary looking carapaces on certain wild-caught specimens!  I've also seen some of these wild caught monsters produce eggsacs with viable offspring - so I don't think carapace size has anything to do with fertility.  But, how much it has to do with age however is certainly food for thought/research...


----------



## psionix (Nov 15, 2005)

i had 2 female WC Aphonopelma Hentzi that lived 15+ yrs.


----------



## syndicate (Nov 15, 2005)

my oldest t would be my b.smithi.havent had her for to long but she/he? is round 4"+.dunno how old that makes it tho:?


----------



## OldHag (Nov 15, 2005)

My friend got a female rosie 15yrs ago. She was mature when my friend bought her.  You know how  LOOOONNNNNGGGG those darn rosies take to grow!


----------



## dragontears (Nov 16, 2005)

I had a B. smithii that lived 32 years before she died.  Currently my oldest T is my B. albopilosum.  I'm not sure how old she is, but I've had her for 5 years and she was quite big when I got her...I'm guessing she's around 10 years, give or take.


----------



## 8 legged freak (Nov 16, 2005)

my oldest T is my G. rosea, i've had her for about 4 years this year, but when i got her she was big anyway so i'm guessing around 15+ maybe?  who knows:?


----------



## Cemykay (Jul 8, 2020)

*Update 2020:*
How old is your oldest tarantula?


----------



## Wolfram1 (Jul 8, 2020)

Windchaser said:


> Unless you know the date the tarantula was hatched, there is no way to know or even estimate its age. Too many variables affect the growth rate. And as you state, sub-adults and mature tarantulas look pretty much the same. Sub-adults may be a little smaller, but again, unless you know the hatch date, size will not give you enough information to estimate the age.


Thats something i have been wondering about as well, how do you guys determine adult, sub-adult, juvenile and sling? Does it have to do with instar? Thats the only compareable thing that comes to my mind or is it just a rough term referring to size? In males it schould be easy enough to tell if it reached majurity but apart from seeing adult bits in the exuviae i cant even beginn to guess how to be certain in females.

My oldest Ts are L. parahybans at just over 5 years, nothing to brag about, but at 7"+ i love those big monsters


----------



## jrh3 (Jul 8, 2020)

Wolfram1 said:


> Thats something i have been wondering about as well, how do you guys determine adult, sub-adult, juvenile and sling? Does it have to do with instar? Thats the only compareable thing that comes to my mind or is it just a rough term referring to size? In males it schould be easy enough to tell if it reached majurity but apart from seeing adult bits in the exuviae i cant even beginn to guess how to be certain in females.
> 
> My oldest Ts are L. parahybans at just over 5 years, nothing to brag about, but at 7"+ i love those big monsters


I consider them slings until they get juvenile colors. 

I think Tom Moran has a G. Porteri over 30 years old.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## jezzy607 (Jul 8, 2020)

My G. rosea RCF I got as a sling back in 2001...so she is about 19 years old now. I also have three sisters of T. albopilosus "Honduran" that I got as slings back in 2005, so they are about 15 now.

Reactions: Award 1


----------



## Cemykay (Jul 8, 2020)

I am always amazed, that most tarantulas live longer then your common cat/dog. If everything goes right, my brachypelma emilia lives till i am 60 .


----------



## cold blood (Jul 8, 2020)

When i got my G. porteri she was already an old adult molting on a 6 year schedule...I estimate she was a minimum of 15 at the time, not likely younger, but very possibly much older...ive had her 22 years now and shes still healthy as can be....by my best guess shes pushing 40 at minimum, and likely older.

Reactions: Like 2 | Wow 2 | Award 1


----------



## Vanessa (Jul 8, 2020)

My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.












My Senior Brachypelma emilia Female



__ Vanessa
__ Nov 14, 2019
__ 3
__
adult
adult female
brachypelma
brachypelma emilia
emilia
female
mexican redleg tarantula




						My lovely old girl - she's about 26 years old and still going strong.
					
















Brachypelma emilia Senior Female



__ Vanessa
__ Mar 7, 2020
__ 4
__
adult
adult female
brachypelma
brachypelma emilia
emilia
female
mexican redleg tarantula
senior




						My lovely old girl who is likely pushing 30 at this point - maybe about 28 years old.

Reactions: Like 4 | Wow 2 | Love 1


----------



## RezonantVoid (Jul 9, 2020)

Vanessa said:


> My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Make sure she gets a roach cake when she makes it to 30!


----------



## PidderPeets (Jul 9, 2020)

I'm going to have to assume my A. seemanni, though I couldn't make a guess at her age. I got her as an adult almost 3 years ago, she molted after 5 months in my care, and has not molted since.


----------



## NukaMedia Exotics (Jul 10, 2020)

Stan Schultz said:


> One and All -
> 
> Some of you may remember the story of the Duchess, the big _Brachypelma emilia_ (Mexican redleg) that appears on page 31 of _The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide_.
> 
> ...


Wow, pretty cool 19 years.



Vanessa said:


> My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's awesome


----------

