New World Communal Tarantulas?

[Budget Bio]

I’m looking for some beautiful new world communal tarantulas. Any ideas?

 

[Psychocircus91]

I won't claim this as experience, but generally research will indicate this isn't a good idea or likely to work out.
M. Balfouri (old world) is more and more accepted as having more success than not.
A few other species, poecilotheria species for example have mixed success, often significant casualties.

I try not to comment on things I haven't tried personally, but it is not likely to work out well for the animals.

 

[Ic4ru577]

Why people like communal so much?

 

[Psychocircus91]

Why people like communal so much?

I understand the appeal. It adds an extra layer of intrigue when you have animals interacting with each other. There is perhaps more to observe. But it isn't okay at the animals' expense.

 

[moricollins]

None! No communal tarantula species truly exists. New world or old world.

 

[Vanessa]

The only species who has provided scientific proof of voluntary social behaviour is Monocentropus balfouri. Yes, there have been plenty of species who have been observed living in close proximity to each other, and other species caring for their young for an extended period of time, but that is not the same as seeking out the company of their own kind over living in a solitary situation.
If they were given the choice of living in one burrow with their extended family, and branching out to their own burrows, the only species who chooses to voluntarily cohabitate with others is Monocentropus balfouri.
All those other species merely tolerate each other until they don't anymore.
Even communal setups of Monocentropus balfouri are not the same as what you would witness in the wild. That's because males would leave the group, and unrelated males would join the group, to avoid having the gene pool contaminated with only inbreeding, and no outcrossing, of genetics. So, unless you're doing that in captivity - removing some/all of the related males and introducing unrelated ones - then you aren't keeping a true communal setup of that species either. All you're doing is keeping a family group living together.

 

[EtienneN]

Why gamble with tarantulas' lives?

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I’m looking for some beautiful new world communal tarantulas. Any ideas?

Mostly those that tried had M. balfouri and P. metallica (so Old World) communal set up/s. Obviously, the P. metallica weren't adult specimens at all.

If I'm not wrong, I reckon that someone did, with exactly not so much luck, a H. incei (ain't even sure if today this is still the correct scientific name) communal set up.

Like everyone above said, and like others will probably say, isn't exactly a great idea.
It's only complicating a quite 'easy' thing like T's care is, while placing at the same moment at serious risk the spiders.

 

[Ic4ru577]

Communal without proper control are bound to get out of hand.

 

[Smotzer]

I’m looking for some beautiful new world communal tarantulas. Any ideas?

NOOOOOOOO just no, forget you ever had the idea.

 

[cold blood]

There is no new world communal species...period.

 

[Matt Man]

I prefer to just light twenty dollar bills on fire

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Not to further crush your dreams, OP, but if the dream communal would be your first spider(s) I'd highly reconsider why you want Ts in the first place. If not, just get a cute NW terrestrial since most of them are great display Ts and leave it at that.

 

[jrh3]

None! No communal tarantula species truly exists. New world or old world.

So we have discovered every Tarantula species on earth?

 

[Rigor Mortis]

So we have discovered every Tarantula species on earth?

Well I guess the wording would be "there is no communal species of tarantula in the hobby since none have been discovered yet and evidence suggests we won't."

 

[Matt Man]

I try to visualize a NW Fossoriral or terrestrial communal set up and I envision something like those massive model railroad set ups where you have access points by cramming underneath it. Like a giant 20 x 20 (feet)
set up so each T could have it's owned defined space / range. Something on this scale

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I try to visualize a NW Fossoriral or terrestrial communal set up and I envision something like those massive model railroad set ups where you have access points by cramming underneath it. Like a giant 20 x 20 (feet)
set up so each T could have it's owned defined space / range. Something on this scale View attachment 361384

Yeah, you know, joking a bit now... If someone (with plenty - but plenty - of space, time and money to throw away) build a sort of - huge like a Roman fountain - enclosure. Puts tons of substrate into that enclosure. Place various cork bark pieces with pre-holes made nearby, in the four corners of said giant sized enclosure.

Then he place four 'Haplos' or other obligate burrowers, one by one, nearby those pre-holes previously made. Well chances are that said person would really have an obligate burrower communal, peaceful set up

 

[Matt Man]

We are redoing our front yard in a more Xeriscape Style fashion, rocks, dirt, low water shrubbery, etc... I told my daughter when we build it we need to make some burrows and then in we have a good breeding of A Stendachneri we could do as you are suggesting

 

[Chris LXXIX]

We are redoing our front yard in a more Xeriscape Style fashion, rocks, dirt, low water shrubbery, etc... I told my daughter when we build it we need to make some burrows and then in we have a good breeding of A Stendachneri we could do as you are suggesting

It's awesome. You will post some pics, when finished?

 

[moricollins]

So we have discovered every Tarantula species on earth?

You are correct. Not every Tarantula has been discovered and documented.

None of the ones that have been discovered are truly communal, particularly in captivity.