Lycosa Tarantula

[markowolf]

Hello!
This is my female Lycosa Tarantula(not sure) with her eggsack. I can't wait for slings to hatch!

Is it normal for her to be hidden in her burrow all the time?

 

[markowolf]

This is her old terrarium in which I had a male wolf spider but when she came I let him go...



This is the male...






Sharing an apple with his prey...

 

[markowolf]

This is her new terrarium...



This is her burrow... She made it in that way that she can see everything from inside out but I can barely see some movement inside.

 

[Arachtion]

Was it actually eating the apple?!

 

[markowolf]

I think it was because there was piece of apple missing and he was "chewing" it while he was on it... At first I thought he is only drinking apple juice...
The apple was not for him...

 

[Arachtion]

I think it was because there was piece of apple missing and he was "chewing" it while he was on it... At first I thought he is only drinking apple juice...
The apple was not for him...

Yeah I get that it was for the locust, just find it fascinating the spider takes any interest in it at all, perhaps we as keepers dont know as much as we'd like to think, perhaps he was getting some of the moisture, makes you wonder doesn't it, whether it would actually drink apple juice and what effect it might have!

---------- Post added 09-01-2013 at 08:49 PM ----------

Nice spider by the way

 

[markowolf]

Here are some more pictures of him eating an apple

 

[markowolf]

He was the most interesting spider of all I had in three years of keeping wolf spiders... He was always exploring and hunting...

Now I hope I'll be able to make a smaller colony of wolves... After they part from their mother I'll let the mother go and give them a lot of space and food so they don't kill each other.... I'm hoping to keep 5-10 spiders in 60x35x35 tank...
I can't find any data on lycosa colonies anywhere...

 

[Arachtion]

He really likes that apple!
Did you catch them yourself then? Can't really advise you on the communal, I've never kept wolf spiders before, maybe you should keep some together and a few seperate just in case they do eat each other

 

[MarkmD]

That's one cool apple eating wolf spider :-D

 

[Shagg]

Nice setup, and a very pretty spider! I'm sure she is quite comfortable in there. I was unaware that they would feed on fruit, although I've heard of some nectar-feeding spiders (of course I'm no expert...yet haha)

 

[markowolf]

He really likes that apple!
Did you catch them yourself then? Can't really advise you on the communal, I've never kept wolf spiders before, maybe you should keep some together and a few seperate just in case they do eat each other

Yes I caught them myself! We have a lot of them here around our houses!The male was roaming around but the female was hidden in her burrow and I had to dig her out!
If they start eating each other then I'll separate them but it would be very interesting to see them all together...

 

[Arachtion]

Lucky for you guys, most spiders here are tiny, hope it goes well for you, the set up looks really good.

 

[markowolf]

She is a beauty...

 

[Plissken]

Beautiful indeed!

I have a species of Hogna right now, and I'm thinking about putting a slice of apple in there and seeing what it does!

 

[JayDangerVL]

That picture with the spider and the grasshopper together at the apple is hilarious! XD That'd make for a great short story...

 

[Tarantula_Hawk]

Just want to point out that this spiders is not Lycosa tarantula, but Hogna radiata which is, in fact, commonly called "false tarantula".
As opposed to L. tarantula, which is a burrowing wolf spider, H. radiata is a wanderer and doesnt really require that much substrate. A simple thin layer of debris is enough. They will occasionally build temporary retreats for molting and egg deposition (such as the case for your female) so a concave piece of bark or stone is ideal.
They also have a much smaller lifespan compared to L. tarantula. The male will die very soon, the female will live some more months but generally dies during winter (probably before in the wild). Best thing you can do to lengthen her life is not overfeed her.

 

[Smokehound714]

Dang that sac's like a big ole golf ball!

awesome

Spiders have been observed obtaining moisture by biting leaves, and fruit. Many species get a large portion of their moisture from nectar, which is also nutritious, and a great energy food. Perhaps Lycosa tarantula obtains a large amount of moisture in the wild by drinking from fallen ripe fruit?

 

[markowolf]

Just want to point out that this spiders is not Lycosa tarantula, but Hogna radiata which is, in fact, commonly called "false tarantula".
As opposed to L. tarantula, which is a burrowing wolf spider, H. radiata is a wanderer and doesnt really require that much substrate. A simple thin layer of debris is enough. They will occasionally build temporary retreats for molting and egg deposition (such as the case for your female) so a concave piece of bark or stone is ideal.
They also have a much smaller lifespan compared to L. tarantula. The male will die very soon, the female will live some more months but generally dies during winter (probably before in the wild). Best thing you can do to lengthen her life is not overfeed her.

Thank You for that information!! I wasn't sure because we have both of these spiders here in Croatia...

 

[markowolf]

I just got back from my vacation and found a nice surprise!!!!

Proud mother with slings waving :biggrin:





PLEASE if anyone has some info about feeding the slings and how to grow/collect(??) food for them it would be very helpful!?

And how to determine when to separate slings from the mother?Should I wait for them to disperse themselves and then remove the mother?