How old is the oldest T you've ever seen/owned/heard of?

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
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Oct 6, 2016
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741
I always thought the longest s T could live was 30 years, and that was relegated to the slowest growers like B. smithi and G. porteri. But I've heard of tarantulas lasting longer. @cold blood has a G. porteri that's over 30 now, and showing no signs of slowing down. Dang. So who's your longest lived T? Or the longest lived T you've heard of?

Heck, while we're at it, we could throw scorpions in the bucket too.
 

Ungoliant

Malleus Aranearum
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So who's your longest lived T? Or the longest lived T you've heard of?
It may not be a record breaker, but I was told that my Avicularia avicularia (Twinkle Toes) was seven years old when I got her, which would make her ten now. That is pretty old for the species.
 

REEFSPIDER

Arachnobaron
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May 6, 2016
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412
There is a T i donot own but regularly see via a friends collection, prior to him acquiring it the t was owned by a middle school science teacher who owned it for 20 years as a pet before it became a class pet for 9 more. And has now been with my friend 2 years. Essentially this T is roughly 31 years old. (Older than I) and It looks aged but doesn't act like it. It is an A. Chacoana. Correct me if im butchering that one.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Feb 22, 2013
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Not the oldest T, but I had a C. andersoni lived as a mature male for just under two years. Not wildly impressive for NW species, but pretty impressive in my book for an OW.
 

ledzeppelin

Arachnobaron
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Jan 8, 2013
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433
I've heard Brachy's can go over 40.. I have not heard of a T that old though.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
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Oct 6, 2016
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It may not be a record breaker, but I was told that my Avicularia avicularia (Twinkle Toes) was seven years old when I got her, which would make her ten now. That is pretty old for the species.
I didn't know Avics had shorter lives.
 

Olan

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
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Dec 23, 2002
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They are quite short lived relative to other Ts. 8-10 years is pretty old for them.

Keep reading there's a lot for all of us to learn ;)
Even versicolors? Mine is about 9 years old and I was hoping to have a decent amount of time left with her..
 

Paiige

Arachnobaron
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Oct 2, 2016
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335
My porteri is my oldest...no idea how old she actually is but I've had her for 8 years and she was probably at least 2 when I got her. A friend of mine supposedly got a female B smithi in the 80s that lived 25 years after he got her. No idea how old she was when he got her but he said she was about 2"
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Dec 8, 2006
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My porteri is my oldest...no idea how old she actually is but I've had her for 8 years and she was probably at least 2 when I got her. A friend of mine supposedly got a female B smithi in the 80s that lived 25 years after he got her. No idea how old she was when he got her but he said she was about 2"
A friend of mine had a smithi make it to 30.
 

AphonopelmaTX

Moderator
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My last living Grammostola sp. "porteri" died last month (December 2016) and I had it as an adult female since December 2000 so 16 years. Another G. sp. "rosea" that was my first tarantula ever was with me for about 20-25 years.
 

Vanessa

Grammostola Groupie
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Mar 12, 2016
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My first tarantula was a wild caught adult female when I got her - a neglected pet shop Grammostola porteri (rosea when I got her). I bought her in August 1999 and she died last spring.
 

Dovey

Arachnobaron
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Apr 9, 2016
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My first tarantula was a wild caught adult female when I got her - a neglected pet shop Grammostola porteri (rosea when I got her). I bought her in August 1999 and she died last spring.
So I guess another good question would be what's the most times you have had to change the label on a single tarantula habitat? Dang those taxonomists!
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
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Oct 21, 2017
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Females of some Selenotypus live 30-40 years if they die of old age, but I think 35 is as old as they'd usually get
 

starnaito

Arachnosquire
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Jul 12, 2017
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Related question: how many of you have written your tarantulas into your will?
 

Tia B

Arachnopigeon
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Oct 11, 2017
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Related question: how many of you have written your tarantulas into your will?
Don't have a will yet, but if I ever write one I'll have to include plenty of pets. I have an African Clawed Frog, a Red-Eared Slider, 2 Peach-Faced Lovebirds and an Amazon in addition to my many tarantulas. The lovebirds are only 2 and can live to be 30, the African Clawed Frog has the potential to live well past 30, the Amazon is 8 and could live to be 50, and the Red-Eared Slider is 4 and could live to be a 100+. Any long-lived Ts will join them in my will.
 

FrDoc

Gen. 1:24-25
Arachnosupporter +
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Jul 18, 2017
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Related question: how many of you have written your tarantulas into your will?
Seriously, I am tremendously bummed that I got into the hobby later in life (55). When I started collecting I was all about females because they live longer. A couple months ago I was shopping for the next asset and came to the realization, "Hey moron, get a female Brachy sling and she'll probably be at your funeral". I actually talked with a family member over Christmas about one of my specimens she thought was pretty (juvie G. Iheringi, go figure), and made sure she would take her if she outlived me. So, now it's about looks and their appetites. It's also why I'm moving into the true spider realm. Gotta make up for lost time.
 

beaker41

Arachnoknight
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May 23, 2012
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I have a big beautiful Chaco lady I took over for 7 years ago and her previous owner had her for 15 years. Still going strong!
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
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Oct 21, 2017
Messages
672
Related question: how many of you have written your tarantulas into your will?
I don't have a will get but I could see myself doing that, one day I want to end up with heaps of reptiles and inverts. I've got a turtle who may live to 80 so that'll be a fun ride
 
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