Mature male advice

[MrPole]

I've had/have a few snakes but this will be my first T. I was wondering about getting an older male. My thought process being I'd have whatever time I have with it to learn general maintenance and care first hand so as I am better equipped when getting another.

As I am in my mid-forties, I'd rather know what the commitment would be like before actually having to make a 20-30 year commitment.

Is there anything wrong with this thought process? I know some of the online breeders say they should go to 'breeding homes' only, but I assume that is because of their shortened life expectancy. Whereas I am (and is this wrong?) counting on this shortened life expectancy to let me see if I'm wanting to spend the next 30 years with a little beastie... or ten.

 

[HeartBum]

At the end of the day, people want MM's to go to be paired just so there's more of that species available in the hobby. However, if you're considering getting something that is very common and therefore pretty cheap, I honestly don't see the problem. It's a trial run, and is a good idea rather than jumping in, getting loads, and then eventually having to rehome them. I think this is actually a very smart decision.

T's are not a lot of work, period. I have 30 & 2 mantids at the moment, and maintenance does not take me long at all. Maintenance for 1 T would probably take literally a minute every other day, which would just be removing uneaten prey/feeding, filling water dish, and that's about it!

I see this as a bit like having to look after a flour or animatronic baby to ward off teen pregnancies

 

[Matt Man]

there are species with shorter lifespans you can start with. And if they are unsexed slings, you may wind up with a male anyhow. MMs should go to breed, it's the last thing on their bucket list and any opportunity to make slings shouldn't be wasted. So you can do some searches, a N.incei would be a great species with which to start. Cool looking, make lots of webbing and females go about 7 years

 

[spideyspinneret78]

Could get a juvenile male. Pretty inexpensive compared to a female, and you'd still have the satisfaction of watching him grow and develop. And also see interesting behavioral changes when he matures. Then you could always send out for breeding if you wanted.

 

[Smotzer]

Could get a juvenile male. Pretty inexpensive compared to a female, and you'd still have the satisfaction of watching him grow and develop. And also see interesting behavioral changes when he matures. Then you could always send out for breeding if you wanted.

I second this, i think this is a good way to go about it.

and @MrPole I commend you for fully thinking out this decision to keep a tarantula for the potential decades long commitment. To be honest I feel like people miss this when thinking about getting some long lived species. It was personally part of what made me stray away from certain hobby staples like Brachyplemas, Grammastolas, and slow growing Aphonoplema. Really good job of considering the full span of care, that I dont here many people come on here and state.

There are some fast growing species like Neoholothele incei that is said, but they can potentially be tough for true first time keepers due to their are fast speed and small sling size, but their fast growth gets them out of that small size fairly quickly. Some fast growing dwarfs would be something to consider for if you were hoping one matured male faster, but I wouldnt normally say to get a dwarf, or at least certain dwarfs as first T's.

You may be able to find some immature or pen-ultimate males of Tliltocatl albopilosus which are true blue great beginner tarantulas that are also very good looking and fluffy.

 

[MrPole]

there are species with shorter lifespans you can start with.

It's not so much the length of the lifespan, per se, but everything that goes along with it. I do not like bugs. And for years I never even considered one because I did not want to have to deal with crickets. It was only when I heard about dubia roaches (and how they differ from red runners) I started to pay more attention.

One of my worries is that I may get something and find out I really have no desire to keep it's food in the house for a few decades (it's not like the snakes where I keep a freezer full of food no problem). That's why I was thinking about an older male as I could "suffer" through that if I didn't like keeping a feeder colony.

The other reason why I was thinking older male, is that I have never been a proponent for "giving up" an animal. As I would worry about the manner in which they would be kept. I would hate to have one mistreated, in whatever fashion, because of me. But I think the community is a little different than say, giving up a dog, and it seems there is maybe more reverence for the animal. (especially considering how many people are worried about the tarantula having a case of the blue balls! )

or pen-ultimate males

Yeah, that's what I was looking at but I liked the word play of mature male given my age. I suppose twas only funny to me though.

 

[Smotzer]

One of my worries is that I may get something and find out I really have no desire to keep it's food in the house for a few decades (it's not like the snakes where I keep a freezer full of food no problem). That's why I was thinking about an older male as I could "suffer" through that if I didn't like keeping a feeder colony.

Well with just one tarantula and if you were going the adult route you would really not need to keep a colony of anything, they do not in reality require super regualar feeding, depending on prey size every 1-2weeks and even less often. Also with an older male pen-ultimate or MM you would not be feeding regualarly/ MM's may not even have much interest in feeding anyway, a lot of times they dont.
Likely you would only need to pick up a couple feeders at your local pet store everytime you feed. So you wouldnt get annoyed with feeders your not fond of being in your house.

Yeah, that's what I was looking at but I liked the word play of mature male given my age. I suppose twas only funny to me though.

your sense of humor is not lost on us!

 

[MrPole]

Well with just one tarantula

I honestly can't see me only getting one if I get one. That's why I had that specific train of thought: Get an older male to start. Get a feeder colony going. Give it a few months, see if the bugs bug me and then go from there. I have an area sectioned off already, shelving, space to hold up to a dozen adults without redoing the whole house. So... one was just for R&D.

But if rehoming a younger female wouldn't be an issue then the MM thing becomes a moot point.

 

[ErikElvis]

I’d say just pick up an adult female chalcodes or seemani. If you find out your not into it re home on Craigslist. But I think one spider would be super easy to care for. Literally feed once a week. Top off the water and your done. Even if you miss a week feeding it’s not a big deal.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is there anything wrong with this thought process?

No, I was originally going to get a juvenile male as my first, the logic being that if I decided that keeping them wasn't for me then I wouldn't be stuck with it for decades. That didn't happen and I ended up getting a juvenile female instead, nearly 5 years on and I have the best part of 70 tarantulas

 

[Smotzer]

honestly can't see me only getting one if I get one. That's why I had that specific train of thought: Get an older male to start. Get a feeder colony going. Give it a few months, see if the bugs bug me and then go from there. I have an area sectioned off already, shelving, space to hold up to a dozen adults without redoing the whole house. So... one was just for R&D.

Oh yeah, I think a very slight few of us have maybe been limited to one for a period of time, likely you’ll be like us and end up with more than a few. Lol

I say go for it, check out some of the classifieds here if you’re able to. Some sellers. There’s a little code thing designated for males and females and unsexed. 1.0.0 -means male. 0.1.0 - female. 0.0.1 - unsexed.

 

[coolnweird]

I really don't think we have a moral obligation to breed our males, especially the well established species. I get the appeal, but we don't need every single MM T. albopilosus, A. avicularia, and L. parahybana producing offspring. If you want a mature male, get one, or a juvenile male! As long as you're not hoarding breeding stock from rare/unestablished species, I don't see an issue

 

[HeartBum]

One of my worries is that I may get something and find out I really have no desire to keep it's food in the house for a few decades (it's not like the snakes where I keep a freezer full of food no problem). That's why I was thinking about an older male as I could "suffer" through that if I didn't like keeping a feeder colony.

I was a bug-phobic. Got used to crickets, had one jump at my face, no biggie. But they smell too much and die too fast. Switched over to Dubias. At first I started off with nymphs, which I think it's difficult for anyone to be afraid of them as they're smaller than isopods! I decided I'd want to start a colony, so purchased some sub-adult males and females. Oof, I can assure you, that was a different ball-park.

Now? I sometimes get one out of the non-breeding bin and sit with it. They are basically another pet to me, and I've grown quite fond of them. I've set them up in a naturalistic environment because I want them to feel "at home". Honestly, there's a lot of things about this hobby that you'll surprise yourself with.

 

[MrPole]

Now? I sometimes get one out of the non-breeding bin and sit with it. They are basically another pet to me, and I've grown quite fond of them. I've set them up in a naturalistic environment because I want them to feel "at home".

I have an 18x18x24 tank sitting around that I just use as a bioactive terrarium. I was thinking (granted they dont need the vertical but it's there) how easily I could breed them in that. Only issue might be the millipedes.

The negative on the crickets for me is the smell and the sound.

 

[Kitara]

As I am in my mid-forties, I'd rather know what the commitment would be like before actually having to make a 20-30 year commitment.

So I haven't read the comments yet and just assume there's a ton of good advice about everything else. This comment made me laugh because I was thinking this same thing the other day. I currently have 11 Ts, 2 mantids, 2 hedgehogs, 2 cats, 2 dogs. We are getting another 1 or 3 Ts (haven't decided) and two kittens. I keep doing the math in my head thinking, "Ok, I'm going to be at least 60 when this one is nearing the end."