Oxygen chambers = size ?

[JDeRosa]

So I was watching Monster Quest on the History Channel and they had a show on the search for a giant tarantula. Apparently in the 30's some British explorer went for a ride down a dirt road in the Congo and claimed to see a tarantula with 5 ft. legspan.

The narrator theorized that was most likely a freak of nature and that it's a T's book lungs that prevent them from getting enough oxygen to ever get that big. However, he theorized, that perhaps there was a time (eons ago) when there was far more oxygen in the air and just maybe such a thing could be possible.

I want a GIANT Costa Rican Tiger Rump. They are the most beautiful T's ever in my opinion, but their small stature is quite disappointing. I want to raise some from slings in some kind of oxygen chamber hoping that they will attain a good size...NOT 5 ft... just larger than average. I do not want to spend thousands of bucks on one. How would I go about making my own crude one? Any idea's welcome.

And NO I was drunk when I conceived this idea nor am I now as I sit here typing.

 

[gvfarns]

Haha. Well it's true that at other times in earth's history there was more oxygen in the atmosphere which enabled larger animals of all types, but especially the crunchy ones.

However, over time the animals *evolved* to be smaller to accommodate the lower oxygen content. They weren't just stunted by the lower oxygen. The size of an animal is usually hard coded into its genes. You can stunt growth by withholding nutrients or tweaking hormones, but you can't usually enhance it by changing food or other inputs, including oxygen. If people were in a place with more oxygen or more food, they wouldn't get taller because height is written into the genes. Anyway the genes for super sized tarantulas were lost with the extinction of the giant varieties upon the climate and atmospheric changes.

Over time by breeding the largest in each batch of tarantulas, you could develop your own strain of super large tarantulas, but I doubt that increasing their oxygen will increase their size.

But you can try it. I'm sure everyone would be interested in your results.

 

[EightLeggedFrea]

Keep dreaming

 

[JDeRosa]

Hmm. interesting input. Thanks for the info.

 

[drgonzo]

Here you go 9mins in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N63lhtx2q8o&feature=related;P

 

[gumby]

I think this is the link that gives you what you were watching this is just part one of five http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4sMjHpNTvU looks like rick west is the star I think we all know him

 

[gumby]

not sure what I think of the videos part 1 and 2 but in part 3 they eat some tarantulas.

I think I liked part 4 the best it seems to have more fact then the other parts and it shows some viliagers that build there huts to protect against tarantula attacks lol

over all a fun popcorn flick or if your slow at work like I was watch a few parts

 

[Travis K]

I think this is the link that gives you what you were watching this is just part one of five http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4sMjHpNTvU looks like rick west is the star I think we all know him

LOL, Can you say big foot?

 

[the nature boy]

Not to hijack this thread, is there any evidence (fossil?) that large (say larger than T. blondi) tarantulas existed in prehistoric times?

--the nature boy

 

[Talkenlate04]

I don't know about the fossil records, but I do know they have tested the higher oxygen= bigger theory on smaller things like roaches and within 3 generations they were 50% larger then the previous generations. They were keeping them in 30% oxygen which is thought to be one of the highest levels ever on earth back in the day.

All this was documented on the History Channel show "Evolve"

 

[Moltar]

I don't know about the fossil records, but I do know they have tested the higher oxygen= bigger theory on smaller things like roaches and within 3 generations they were 50% larger then the previous generations. They were keeping them in 30% oxygen which is thought to be one of the highest levels ever on earth back in the day.

All this was documented on the History Channel show "Evolve"

That sounds like a 6 month project with something like B lateralis, maybe even less.

Let's try it with even a fast grower like C fasciatum and it'll take... 6-8 years?

I bet they would grow bigger but I don't understand the drive some people have to improve on what's out ther already. With 100's of wonderfully diverse species available why worry about growing them to huge proportions or hybridizing this or that species? There's almost certainly something out there like that naturally already.

I don't mean that as a shot at you JDeRosa, i'm just wondering about the human nature to constantly improve and grow even when it's just not necessary.

 

[the nature boy]

I don't mean that as a shot at you JDeRosa, i'm just wondering about the human nature to constantly improve and grow even when it's just not necessary.

Yeah, but you have to admit keeping a P. murinus the size of a Clydesdale could be kind of interesting...for a while.

--the nature boy

 

[Talkenlate04]

I agree with etown. I just don't see the reason to do it. I guess you can do it just to do it, but the creatures we have today are adapted to our world today. Even if you did it they could never live outside the chamber and the largeness would not be passed on through breeding because it is not a genetic improvement that is occurring but rather an opportunistic growth because of the oxygen level.

 

[gumby]

Yeah, but you have to admit keeping a P. murinus the size of a Clydesdale could be kind of interesting...for a while.

--the nature boy

someone has a death wish I cant imagine tring to keep that in a cage ;P what would we feed it the slings alone would make me run in fear.

about making things bigger and better I dont think its all about improving nature but more about how far you can push it. I find it amazing when nature takes a course you wouldnt expect

 

[Moltar]

Yeah, but you have to admit keeping a P. murinus the size of a Clydesdale could be kind of interesting...for a while.

--the nature boy

Clydesdale? Heck, even a P murinus the size of a beagle could probably kill and eat a human. I suppose you'd be handling that too, right?

 

[somethingbig]

I bet they would grow bigger but I don't understand the drive some people have to improve on what's out ther already. With 100's of wonderfully diverse species available why worry about growing them to huge proportions or hybridizing this or that species? There's almost certainly something out there like that naturally already.

I don't mean that as a shot at you JDeRosa, i'm just wondering about the human nature to constantly improve and grow even when it's just not necessary.

the same could be said about dogs. why breed them? why do labradoodles exist? cockerdoodles? goldendoodles? cockapoos? chabs? weim a dors? bullshiz? haha ok i dunno if that last one's even real, but it would be a funny name...

in fact, labradoodles make pretty good hunting dogs, some say they're even superior to either a lab or a poodle. they also make good guide dogs for people with allergies to fur and dander.

an "improvement" on nature? maybe, but there is a justification. i always thought it would be awesome to have a horse-sized great pyrenees. yes, there are other breeds of dogs that are awesome, but the variety in breeds didn't exist until man domesticated them...

ok, enough about dogs! i just really don't see a problem in breeding Ts for one's own selfish reasons. as long as the offspring are taken care of in a proper way, why not attempt the horse-sized P. murinus??

 

[Talkenlate04]

The ability to grow large Ts is not solely controlled by genetics like it is in dogs. In the case of a tarantula it is the book lung arrangement and efficiency (or lack there of) that limits the maximum size. Even if a T could get to 20" the book lungs could not support that body mass and the result would be death.

And as I already mentioned even if you did the setup and started with a sling, and ended up with a larger then normal adult those traits in theory cannot be passed on to its babies. If it had a sac they would result in normal sized adults unless you raised them all in a high oxygen setup.

 

[somethingbig]

ha, yeah, i guess i kinda left the idea of the OP and was talking more about cross breeding and such...

 

[the nature boy]

what would we feed it the slings alone would make me run in fear.

I'd be making a lot of runs to the pound, no doubt about it.

--the nature boy

 

[Travis K]

The ability to grow large Ts is not solely controlled by genetics like it is in dogs. In the case of a tarantula it is the book lung arrangement and efficiency (or lack there of) that limits the maximum size. Even if a T could get to 20" the book lungs could not support that body mass and the result would be death.

And as I already mentioned even if you did the setup and started with a sling, and ended up with a larger then normal adult those traits in theory cannot be passed on to its babies. If it had a sac they would result in normal sized adults unless you raised them all in a high oxygen setup.

any new info or links pertaining to your Hybrids Ryan?