New to Ts

[TinaM]

i just brought home an Arizona Blond. She's about 1" to 1 1/4". How old might she be?

I'm 59, have had many exotic pets since I was very young but this is my first arachnid.

Looking forward to learning a lot.

 

[miss moxie]

A couple of years, but it's hard to say for sure. Lots of factors play into spider growth. Genetics, temperatures, feeding schedule, etc.

Also, you'll want to keep her on dry substrate. This species comes from an arid environment.

 

[TinaM]

Thanks. It's all dry except for one wall I sprayed and then wiped off.

 

[Moakmeister]

The Aphonopelma chalcodes is EXCRUCIATINGLY slow growing. Yours might be five years old.

 

[TinaM]

Wow! To imagine her out in the wild for 5 years and not even grown up yet. They are amazing animals.

 

[Denbert]

She might be 3-5 years old. I must say, one fine looking tarantula you have there. Tarantulas are great pets. If you're new to the hobby, you'll find tarantulas as an amazing pet. The major things that you must consider are the substrate, the water dish, the feeders, the hide, the enclosure and basically that's it. They're easy to take care but some requires more patience like the one you have there since they're slow growers and some species require discipline, experience and knowledge especially on the Old World Tarantulas like the OBT. Happy keeping!

 

[elportoed]

I'd say older than a couple of years. I had a few in the past, sometimes the smaller ones molted only once a year.

 

[cold blood]

Here's the thing...the spider you pictured is significantly larger than 1.5"...clearly a juvenile and likely 3" or better...you may be measuring body size....measure Diagonal Leg Span.

Spider could be anywhere from 4-12 (or more) years old. No way to ever know age, and its not as relevant (or important) with ts as it would be with other animals.....the DLS is the most telling thing with regards to where it is in its life and its needs.

See, some individuals grow fast, others painfully slow...most are just slow...or somewhere in the middle...on top of that, temps and food availability greatly effect growth rates. For instance 5 slings from the same sac could all be kept differently, all be fine and healthy, but at the end of a few years vary greatly in size from 3/4" to 3".....so great that it would be hard to believe they were sac mates.

In the wild, due to temp fluctuations, its likely that they would grow on the slower end of the scale.

 

[Moakmeister]

In the wild, due to temp fluctuations, its likely that they would grow on the slower end of the scale.

And the fact that food is less healthy and harder to find in the wild. Im betting the OP's tarantula is over ten years old now.

 

[darkness975]

Thanks. It's all dry except for one wall I sprayed and then wiped off.

If there is not one yet, give her a water bowl. They don't have adequate access to the water they need from spraying or misting.

 

[RemyZee]

If there is not one yet, give her a water bowl. They don't have adequate access to the water they need from spraying or misting.

Totally agree. Also, it’s absolutely adorable to see them drinking from a water bowl Also, it’s hatd to tell from your picture, so forgive me if I’m wrong, but it looks like you may need some additional substrate height in there. Terrestrial T’s climb, but they suck at it, so sometimes they fall. You want to make sure the space between the substrate and the lid is, at maximum, no more than twice the DLS of the T.
Great choice for a first T! These are one of my favorite species. Happy keeping! But beware: T’s are mad addicting!!

 

[Moakmeister]

If there is not one yet, give her a water bowl. They don't have adequate access to the water they need from spraying or misting.

Especially if the OP apparently wiped off the wall

 

[Moakmeister]

Totally agree. Also, it’s absolutely adorable to see them drinking from a water bowl

Wow, really?

• Moakmeister
• May 29, 2017
• 6

Tarantula logic

 

[Andrea82]

Hi Tina, welcome to the hobby
Useful info for new keepers can be found here:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/beginner-info-read-before-posting.153508/
Info on basic anatomy here:
http://arachnoboards.com/threads/basic-tarantula-anatomy.5095/

What kind of enclosure is that, an aquarium with a lid? If yes, is it a mesh/screen lid?