Oldest Tarantula???

[OldHag]

My friend got a female rosie 15yrs ago. She was mature when my friend bought her. You know how LOOOONNNNNGGGG those darn rosies take to grow!

 

[dragontears]

I had a B. smithii that lived 32 years before she died. Currently my oldest T is my B. albopilosum. I'm not sure how old she is, but I've had her for 5 years and she was quite big when I got her...I'm guessing she's around 10 years, give or take.

 

[8 legged freak]

my oldest T is my G. rosea, i've had her for about 4 years this year, but when i got her she was big anyway so i'm guessing around 15+ maybe? who knows:?

 

[Cemykay]

Update 2020:
How old is your oldest tarantula?

 

[Wolfram1]

Unless you know the date the tarantula was hatched, there is no way to know or even estimate its age. Too many variables affect the growth rate. And as you state, sub-adults and mature tarantulas look pretty much the same. Sub-adults may be a little smaller, but again, unless you know the hatch date, size will not give you enough information to estimate the age.

Thats something i have been wondering about as well, how do you guys determine adult, sub-adult, juvenile and sling? Does it have to do with instar? Thats the only compareable thing that comes to my mind or is it just a rough term referring to size? In males it schould be easy enough to tell if it reached majurity but apart from seeing adult bits in the exuviae i cant even beginn to guess how to be certain in females.

My oldest Ts are L. parahybans at just over 5 years, nothing to brag about, but at 7"+ i love those big monsters

 

[jrh3]

Thats something i have been wondering about as well, how do you guys determine adult, sub-adult, juvenile and sling? Does it have to do with instar? Thats the only compareable thing that comes to my mind or is it just a rough term referring to size? In males it schould be easy enough to tell if it reached majurity but apart from seeing adult bits in the exuviae i cant even beginn to guess how to be certain in females.

My oldest Ts are L. parahybans at just over 5 years, nothing to brag about, but at 7"+ i love those big monsters

I consider them slings until they get juvenile colors.

I think Tom Moran has a G. Porteri over 30 years old.

 

[Jesse607]

My G. rosea RCF I got as a sling back in 2001...so she is about 19 years old now. I also have three sisters of T. albopilosus "Honduran" that I got as slings back in 2005, so they are about 15 now.

 

[Cemykay]

I am always amazed, that most tarantulas live longer then your common cat/dog. If everything goes right, my brachypelma emilia lives till i am 60 .

 

[cold blood]

When i got my G. porteri she was already an old adult molting on a 6 year schedule...I estimate she was a minimum of 15 at the time, not likely younger, but very possibly much older...ive had her 22 years now and shes still healthy as can be....by my best guess shes pushing 40 at minimum, and likely older.

 

[Vanessa]

My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.

My Senior Brachypelma emilia Female

• Vanessa
• Nov 14, 2019
• 3
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula

My lovely old girl - she's about 26 years old and still going strong.

Brachypelma emilia Senior Female

• Vanessa
• Mar 7, 2020
• 4
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula senior

My lovely old girl who is likely pushing 30 at this point - maybe about 28 years old.

 

[RezonantVoid]

My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.

My Senior Brachypelma emilia Female

• Vanessa
• Nov 14, 2019
• 3
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula

My lovely old girl - she's about 26 years old and still going strong.

Brachypelma emilia Senior Female

• Vanessa
• Mar 7, 2020
• 4
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula senior

My lovely old girl who is likely pushing 30 at this point - maybe about 28 years old.

Make sure she gets a roach cake when she makes it to 30!

 

[PidderPeets]

I'm going to have to assume my A. seemanni, though I couldn't make a guess at her age. I got her as an adult almost 3 years ago, she molted after 5 months in my care, and has not molted since.

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

One and All -

Some of you may remember the story of the Duchess, the big Brachypelma emilia (Mexican redleg) that appears on page 31 of The Tarantula Keeper’s Guide.

We bought her in July 1972 from an animal importer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At that time she was large enough that we’re certain she was full grown. As a crude estimate, we think she was at least 15 years old at the time, probably older, possibly much older.

She finally died for us in January 1991, almost 19 years later! Her total life span was probably in excess of 34 years.

We still have several Brachypelma smithi (Mexican redknee) that were imported just before they were put on CITES Appendix II in 1985. They were full grown adults at that time, at least 15 years old. That would place them at 35+ as I type this.

How much longer will they live? We have no idea. We do know that several of them produced eggsacs about 3 years ago that were destroyed by Phorid flies before the eggs could hatch. Thus, at least some of them are still fertile.



In our experience and from watching many others, this tarantula keeping thing commonly develops a lot like this:

At first you're fascinated by them. They're so bizarre and many of the New World kinds, at least, seem to be so cuddly and friendly. (Once you learn to tolerate the bristles!)

After a few years you begin to get bored of them. (Oh God! You still here? When are you goin' to die?)

After a few more years, if you can stick it out, you begin to realize that you've been popping crickets into their cages for YEARS now! Maybe more than a decade! "Good grief! That thing's older than my kid!" is a common remark.

At that time you begin to really appreciate what they are. You begin to treasure them like a fine Renaisance painting or a 1914 Stutz Bearcat.

Ten years is nothing. When you write them into your Last Will and Testament, you can start bragging!

Wow, pretty cool 19 years.

My 28 year old Brachypelma emilia.

My Senior Brachypelma emilia Female

• Vanessa
• Nov 14, 2019
• 3
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula

My lovely old girl - she's about 26 years old and still going strong.

Brachypelma emilia Senior Female

• Vanessa
• Mar 7, 2020
• 4
• adult adult female brachypelma brachypelma emilia emilia female mexican redleg tarantula senior

My lovely old girl who is likely pushing 30 at this point - maybe about 28 years old.

That's awesome