Do G. pulchra grow THAT slow?

[SmokeyMountainInverts]

I’ve had these two G. pulchra for 7 years. They were bought as slings in 2018 (separately). Temps for their room drops down to 65F at nights during the winter. As high as 78F during the day in summer months. Humidity above 50% year round, as it is a plant/greenhouse room. I’ve read extensively that these are very slow growers but they seem very small for 7 years old. I traveled with work for a few years, but always fed them every few weeks during this time. They only molt once a year, typically during the summer at this point. Is this a normal growth rate? Or should I be changing their feeding/enclosure to help them along?

 

[Ratmosphere]

They do grow slow.

 

[viper69]

One of the slowest.

many variables affect growth rates- posted all throughout the forum, just search you’ll see.

 

[jennywallace]

Normal, one of mine is still around yours size and I've had it a similar length of time.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I’ve had these two G. pulchra for 7 years. They were bought as slings in 2018 (separately). Temps for their room drops down to 65F at nights during the winter. As high as 78F during the day in summer months. Humidity above 50% year round, as it is a plant/greenhouse room. I’ve read extensively that these are very slow growers but they seem very small for 7 years old. I traveled with work for a few years, but always fed them every few weeks during this time. They only molt once a year, typically during the summer at this point. Is this a normal growth rate? Or should I be changing their feeding/enclosure to help them along?

One of the slowest growing there is, higher temps and more feeding will speed it up slightly but not by much.

 

[A guy]

They could definitely be but then again, there's too much factors in a tarantula's growth.

I had one for a year and it went from 1" to 3" before I ultimately decided to sell it.

 

[Mustafa67]

I’ve had these two G. pulchra for 7 years. They were bought as slings in 2018 (separately). Temps for their room drops down to 65F at nights during the winter. As high as 78F during the day in summer months. Humidity above 50% year round, as it is a plant/greenhouse room. I’ve read extensively that these are very slow growers but they seem very small for 7 years old. I traveled with work for a few years, but always fed them every few weeks during this time. They only molt once a year, typically during the summer at this point. Is this a normal growth rate? Or should I be changing their feeding/enclosure to help them along?

Yep, they can

 

[fermine]

The first tarantula I got was a G pulchra which was 3/4" Dec 2023, it molted 5 times during 2024 and has been around 2 3/4" since Nov 2024. I've slowed down feeding with the winter coming and sexing the spider to be male. Out of all my Ts atm it has molted the most in the span of 1 year so milage may vary per individual and how they are kept.

 

[Wolfram1]

yep, growth rates can very a lot even with identical care

yours look well nourished and perfectly healthy, so i would take this as a good sign, you will likely have them for many more years to come

you could probably speed up growth a little by raising the temperatures and eliminating seasonal changes, but it may reduce their lifespan in equal measure

just keep it up

 

[stormblessed]

my first T ever was a g. pulchra who i bought back in 2019-2020 (somewhere in that area), and it's still very similar in size to the ones you have pictured here. it's never refused a meal for me, never had any problems with it whatsoever, just an incredibly slow grower!