Juvenile Ephebopus murinus with tibial hooks???

[ErinM31]

My Ephebopus murinus tarantulas have always been skittish -- quick to dash into their burrows at any disturbance. I believe this is normal for the species. I was quite surprised when feeding the other day when one of the tarantulas did not hide but instead reared up and showed its fangs. It held this pose for several minutes at least after I had closed the lid and just stood there watching. During this time, I noticed.. tibial hooks??? That can't be! It is much too small yet and not even two years old! I haven't been power feeding and keep all my tarantulas at room temperature.

small Ephebopus murinus male

• ErinM31
• Apr 28, 2017
• 6
• ephebopus male murinus skeleton small tarantula

I got three gorgeous E. murinus T's about a year ago and they'll be two years old in June. I had...

The focus and lighting are not great, but hopefully you can see the tibial hooks and perhaps it is my imagination, but the ends of the pedipalps look larger too me as well. But it can't be mature yet, can it? I am confused.

 

[sdsnybny]

Yes it can be mature, some species can mature in 12-18 months. Even if you didn't power feed him, some males will mature quicker and smaller than others. My E. uatuman male matured in less than 20 months.

 

[ErinM31]

Yes it can be mature, some species can mature in 12-18 months. Even if you didn't power feed him, some males will mature quicker and smaller than others. My E. uatuman male matured in less than 20 months.

Wow, I was not expecting that at all! He is much smaller than my Euathlus sp. "red" male was and that is a dwarf species!

I guess I should let him live out his life in his current Sterilite box. The enclosure is still plenty big for his size and even if I gave him more space, I'm sure he would still be looking to get out. I don't think that I should look to offer him for breeding as at this size, he would probably end up an hors d'oeuvre.

 

[korg]

If it has tibial hooks it's had its ultimate molt. Looks like yours has tibial hooks. What's the DLS? Two years wouldn't be too surprising for Ephebopus spp.
I documented my E. cyanognathus going from EWL to MM (3.75'") in 18 months if you're interested:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/growth-log-with-feedings-e-cyanognathus-from-2i-to-mm.265836/

I think you should give him a chance to breed regardless of size!

 

[ErinM31]

If it has tibial hooks it's had its ultimate molt. Looks like yours has tibial hooks. What's the DLS? Two years wouldn't be too surprising for Ephebopus spp.
I documented my E. cyanognathus going from EWL to MM (3.75'") in 18 months if you're interested:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/growth-log-with-feedings-e-cyanognathus-from-2i-to-mm.265836/

I think you should give him a chance to breed regardless of size!

Female Ephebopus tarantulas generally take around three years to mature, correct? (I know feeding and temperature are huge variables.)

Wow, that is detailed record-keeping! I keep track of molts but haven't recorded feedings. This tarantula molted four times since I got him last March, with his final molt being a month ago (a long time, I know, but I wasn't remotely thinking he could be mature and hadn't looked closely). I will try to get some measurements but I would estimate DLS at 3.5".

Perhaps I shall see if anyone is looking for an MM E. murinus, but in addition to his small size, he's been mature for 1-1.5 months now.

 

[Andrea82]

Female Ephebopus tarantulas generally take around three years to mature, correct? (I know feeding and temperature are huge variables.)

Wow, that is detailed record-keeping! I keep track of molts but haven't recorded feedings. This tarantula molted four times since I got him last March, with his final molt being a month ago (a long time, I know, but I wasn't remotely thinking he could be mature and hadn't looked closely). I will try to get some measurements but I would estimate DLS at 3.5".

Perhaps I shall see if anyone is looking for an MM E. murinus, but in addition to his small size, he's been mature for 1-1.5 months now.

If he still makes spermwebs, he's good to go

 

[johnny quango]

I had this happen with a couple slow growing species the 1st was an Aphonopelma serratum I bought it as a 1cm 11.4.14 by 23.6.16 it was mature he died 11.1.17, he was small at 4" max. The other was a Brachypelma verdezi I bought him 29.7.14 by 23.8.16 he was mature he was bought as a 2cm sling he's currently sat grooming himself now still the sweet guy he's always been, he's a pretty big guy aswell around 5.5 -6" I've also had a D diamantinensis do the same but im not sure of the dates although he also died in January this year so hearing this doesn't surprise me at all

 

[Moakmeister]

@Paiige has a GBB male who has matured at like 3 inches, but very strangely, he has no hooks. His legs are normal.

 

[EulersK]

@Paiige has a GBB male who has matured at like 3 inches, but very strangely, he has no hooks. His legs are normal.

Well, no, that's not true. A good picture was never posted. In her words:

He has what could possibly be hooks but to me just look like small tufts of hair. A 3" MM is a sad thing indeed

Thread:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/mm-gbb.293436

 

[Moakmeister]

Well, no, that's not true. A good picture was never posted. In her words:


Thread:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/mm-gbb.293436

Ah i havent looked at the thread in a bit

 

[korg]

Just to clarify: all male tarantulas develop their sexual organs (emboli) during their ultimate (sexually maturing) molt. The majority of, but not all, tarantula species also develop tibial hooks during that same molt. It's impossible for a male tarantula to reach sexual maturity without emboli (and tibial hooks in most species) just like all male tarantulas with emboli (and hooks in most species) are by definition sexual mature/ultimate males. The biological definition of sexual maturity for male tarantulas is directly tied to these physical characteristics, so it doesn't really make sense to talk about non-mature males developing ultimate molt characteristic or questioning whether males with hooks/bulbs are sexually mature. The physical characteristics tell the full story, and that's about all there is to it.

 

[Andrea82]

@Paiige has a GBB male who has matured at like 3 inches, but very strangely, he has no hooks. His legs are normal.

I 'm having an approximately 3 inch GBB maturing last week as well. Really small to imagine, but then again, since I've seen the vid on A.junodi mature males..maybe he's not THAT small.