Does anyone else wish that mature males lived longer?

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
So, I was feeding my two poecilotheria slings when I noticed some movement from one of my S. Calceatum enclosures. Since I never see them out, I quickly took the enclosure into the kitchen to snap a few pics. When we got into the light, much to my chagrin, my largest S.Cal is a mature male. My other S.Cal is growing much more slowly. I suspect it to be female. When I got them they were nearly the same size. They both molted twice in my care. Both times within the same week. At this rate, he'll be long dead by the time she matures.
Barnacles!!!!! IMAG0124.jpg IMAG0123.jpg IMAG0124.jpg IMAG0123.jpg
 

Attachments

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
Now is a good time to send him off to someone who needs him.

I found out today the last unknown M.balfouri in my 1st communal is just matured out as a male. I'm trying to decide if my known female in there is mature enough that keeping him is worth while or if I should send him off like the other MM for someone to make use of.

It's be nice if all my Ts lived long times but they don't so I try to make sure my MM Ts get to go out and meet the ladies. :D
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
Now is a good time to send him off to someone who needs him.

I found out today the last unknown M.balfouri in my 1st communal is just matured out as a male. I'm trying to decide if my known female in there is mature enough that keeping him is worth while or if I should send him off like the other MM for someone to make use of.

It's be nice if all my Ts lived long times but they don't so I try to make sure my MM Ts get to go out and meet the ladies. :D
I plan on finding someone with a mature female. I know I wouldn't want to die a virgin, so I doubt he does....well if he could understand the concept he wouldn't. The only reason I was sad is because I've only paired H.Maculatas and C.Lividus before and was looking forward to possibly getting a breeding pair. Or at least two females so I could shop for a male.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
I can't say that I get too upset about MM's anymore. I just sell them, loan them off, or trade them for new spiders. Just part of the hobby at this point, but that's just me. I enjoy it, because then I get to make new relationships with people here on the boards. I wouldn't have met some really cool people had MM's not been sent off.
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
Now is a good time to send him off to someone who needs him.

I found out today the last unknown M.balfouri in my 1st communal is just matured out as a male. I'm trying to decide if my known female in there is mature enough that keeping him is worth while or if I should send him off like the other MM for someone to make use of.

It's be nice if all my Ts lived long times but they don't so I try to make sure my MM Ts get to go out and meet the ladies. :D
I know M.Balfouri do better in a communal setting, but that's one reason I haven't been a fan of communals. I find it hard to assess each individual's needs.
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
I can't say that I get too upset about MM's anymore. I just sell them, loan them off, or trade them for new spiders. Just part of the hobby at this point, but that's just me. I enjoy it, because then I get to make new relationships with people here on the boards. I wouldn't have met some really cool people had MM's not been sent off.
That's the case with myself. I've sent off mature males (C.Darlingi and Euthalus Sp. Red) and created new relationships here in my area.
 

Jason B

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 10, 2016
Messages
88
I always find it double bitter sweet in some species like pamphos where the mature male is extremely colorful. When I had an sp platyomma molt male molt mature was like sweet your beautiful then it was and your gonna die soon.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,896
I know M.Balfouri do better in a communal setting, but that's one reason I haven't been a fan of communals. I find it hard to assess each individual's needs.
It's not so bad. As slings it was easy to keep them fed and let them do their thing. Now they are maturing out I just want them to be useful. If I knew the female was mature (I personally think she has one more molt to go) then I'd just leave him in and let them breed. But I have to look at her molt dates to see if she'll likely be ready before he times out. Most likely I'll trade or sale him off and wait for my other communal male to mature. I'm planning on merging the communal enclosures as some point.
 

DrowsyLids

Arachnosquire
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
95
For some beautiful male species, like certain pamphobeteus spp. as an example, I would love for them to have long lifespans after reaching maturity. I'd imagine there'd be more rare/expensive species available in the hobby if breeders could produce sacs with the same pair for many years with no worries other than cannibalism. Possibly less hybridization and less inbreeding. I could be wrong but it doesn't really matter much because we live in a world where it doesn't work that way.
 

chanda

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
2,229
Yes, I do wish they lived longer - particularly the pretty ones like the Pamphobeteus sp. - but even with the ones that aren't strongly dimorphic, I hate to see those tibial hooks appear. I've gotten rid of a couple of my favorites because they hooked out on me. Once they hit that last molt and the clock is officially ticking, it feels like all I'm doing is waiting for them to die and free up the cage for something else. I'd rather trade them for a younger spider and let them have a chance to mate - though there have been a few exceptions. My first MM - an A. versicolor (that was still the correct name at the time) - matured without me realizing it. By the time I noticed the pedipalps, it was long enough past his last molt that it wasn't really worth trying to mate him. I also haven't traded off my MM native tarantulas because I'm unsure of the exact species. Aphonopelma something-or-other isn't good enough to offer them for breeding.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Once a MM passes his breeding prime, as far as I am concerned its just taking up an enclosure and valuable space....I wish some didn't live so long...and MMs always seem to live a really long time in my house.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
433
I just wish I had enough breeders to sell/lend them to.. I can't afford to breed yet, so I have to find others ><
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
I just wish I had enough breeders to sell/lend them to.. I can't afford to breed yet, so I have to find others ><
I'm actually in that position now. I had some heavy losses due to a heater malfunction last year. I need to build my collection back up.
 

GreyPsyche

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 19, 2016
Messages
92
That's one thing I worry about is winter, winter is coming.

Also, I'm kinda of the opinion that males are just breeders and females get named and kept in nice enclosures as display Ts. Males get to mate.

But I'm a beginnner so...
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
That's one thing I worry about is winter, winter is coming.

Also, I'm kinda of the opinion that males are just breeders and females get named and kept in nice enclosures as display Ts. Males get to mate.

But I'm a beginnner so...
That opinion is held by most of us. I wish they lived longer for more pairings
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
I just wish I had enough breeders to sell/lend them to.. I can't afford to breed yet, so I have to find others ><
Sooo, I am confused...is there a pairing surcharge in your country? Here its totally free to pair two spiders...and the result makes you money....soooo, unless someone is charging you to breed, its a free activity that can help you be just a little less short on cash.
That's one thing I worry about is winter, winter is coming.

Also, I'm kinda of the opinion that males are just breeders and females get named and kept in nice enclosures as display Ts. Males get to mate.

But I'm a beginnner so...
Ummm, winter just ended...it literally couldn't be further off. Or was that just a Game of Thrones reference?
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
Sooo, I am confused...is there a pairing surcharge in your country? Here its totally free to pair two spiders...and the result makes you money....soooo, unless someone is charging you to breed, its a free activity that can help you be just a little less short on cash.


Ummm, winter just ended...it literally couldn't be further off. Or was that just a Game of Thrones reference?
What if GreyPsyche is in the southern hemisphere?

As for my part, I have two mature females right now, the rest are slings/juveniles. This is mainly due to a heater malfunction that killed 60+ tarantulas that I had last year, most of whom were pokies, taps, and psalmies. The last couple of mature males I had, I had to send off, because I honestly didn't have enough cash to buy mature females of those species. This is also due to the fact that my ball pythons and boas take up a lot more of my resources than my tarantulas and true spiders.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
As for my part, I have two mature females right now, the rest are slings/juveniles. This is mainly due to a heater malfunction that killed 60+ tarantulas that I had last year, most of whom were pokies, taps, and psalmies. The last couple of mature males I had, I had to send off, because I honestly didn't have enough cash to buy mature females of those species. This is also due to the fact that my ball pythons and boas take up a lot more of my resources than my tarantulas and true spiders.
What mature females do you have?
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
yeah...but his profile says North Carolina:meh:...heck, they barely even have winter there...at least by northern standards.:rofl:
Then yeah he's definitely not in winter. I used to live in Raleigh and we didn't see winter really until January- February.
 
Top