Tarantula lifespans listed by species?

[Windchaser]

Has anyone ever compiled a list of expected life expectancy for the many species of tarantulas? Such a list would be helpful. It would be great if it included both male and female life expectancies. Most of the material I have read ("The Tarantula Keeper's Guide, Marshall's book, various ATS publications) is fairly general and doesn't differeniate much between species.

 

[NoS]

I think this may be a problem considering that allot of species have not been kept in captivity long enough. I rembered reading something from the authors of the Tarantulas Keepers guide and it said something along this line.
Correct me if im wrong, because Im still new and learning.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Interesting question. An abbriviation of it could be wether all Brachypelma or Theraphosa or whatever live equally long?

 

[Immortal_sin]

Too many unknown factors would make it too difficult to do anything but 'guesstimate'. Also, like NoS mentioned, many species just have not been in captivity long enough to know.
Generally speaking, we know that Aphonopelma, Grammostola, and Brachypelma spp females can *supposedly* live for 3 decades or more. There are surely other genera that fit that supposition as well. I don't know enough about them to do more than offer that one sentance speculation though

 

[oblivion56]

i have a l.parahybana that i raised from a sling,12 years ago. :razz:

 

[shogun804]

i agree only the few listed above but T keeping has not been popular or as popular for that long of a time yet maybe we will have some more answers in about 10-20 years from now.

 

[Deschain]

As others have said, and as most things with Ts, there are just too many variables. Even the differences between siblings is staggering. I wish it wasn't so, it would certainly make things easier...but it is.

I doubt that even in 10 or 20 years things will be narrowed down like we can do with dogs and cats, etc.etc., which have been in out care since the begining of recorded history, and even further back than that.

I would like to see it someday though.

 

[JohnxII]

This article may give you a very rough idea.

 

[jw73]

I read that Avicularias femals live short about 6-10 years.

 

[Fince]

The other interesting article in this subject. http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v30_n3/arac-30-03-571.pdf

 

[MilkmanWes]

There are species that were not raised in captivity until recent years, in fact for some the first captive breeding is recent enough that the offspring will not have reached old age.

What the TKG noes is that the average lifespan is increasing steadily with improved captive care as we learn more and more. So what we may have thought was a ripe old age at one time is now just middle aged.

 

[WingedDefeat]

Hmm... This is almost along the lines of the alligators in the sewers problem. When an inexperienced or prospective tarantula owner purchases a new pet, they probably have expectations of life-span. But suddenly, they find that their pet has lasted much longer than they expected! The Mexican Red they purchased at the age of 12 --despite mother's glaring visage-- is still with them when they leave for college!

It would be nice if someone made an effort to determine the age of a spider based on physical features (cells on a turtles shell, rings in a tree stump), rather than trying to determine this just by size. Even better, gathering information to give us a clue as to how long these neat-o pets actually live. Not that I'm unhappy about having a life-long companion, but it would be nice have known before I purchased it.

 

[Windchaser]

Not that I'm unhappy about having a life-long companion, but it would be nice have known before I purchased it.

My reasons are slightly different. There are some very nice T's out there and some are fairly expense. I was not planning on breeding my T's, but that may change over time. However, I do like some of the more rare species. But, if I am going to spend several hundred dollars, I would like to know that I will have this pet for more than a couple of years. Certainly the expense is easily recouped if you breed, but not so if they are simply a pet.

As I do get some of the more expensive and rare T's, I may decide to breed them to help offset the expense.

 

[Windchaser]

This article may give you a very rough idea.

Thanks for the link. That is an interesting article.

 

[MilkmanWes]

Keep in mind that breeding may affect lifespan, as will climate. Warm temps and power feeding mean a faster growth rate and a shorter lifespan, but by how much is still the subject of much debate.