What determines maturity?
- Thread starter jeryst
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This is kinda a guess but I'm thinking it's just depends on size with the females and when the males hook out(if that species hooks out)
I may be wrong.
Matt
I may be wrong.
Matt
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Sexual maturity? Males are easier because as previously posted, they get visible sexual "equipment" in the form of palpal emboli which are used to deliver their sperm to the female. Some species also get the hooks that were mentioned, but not all species. Female maturity is a little harder to determine. Sclerotization (darkening and hardening) of the spermathecae can be observed by microscope and later by the naked eye. Eric Reynolds mentioned several years ago when I became interested in breeding that often when the males in a group become ultimate males their female siblings are mature enough to procreate as well. I have found this to be true with several of the species I have been successful in breeding. Hope this helps a little.
Diane
Diane
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When someone uses the word 'mature' when referring to theraphosids they are referring to the animal's sexual maturity level and whether or not the animal is developed enough to reproduce.
Female theraphosids usually reach sexual maturity when they have attained 75% of the full expected growth of their species. Males attain sexual maturity when they begin building sperm webs. Some males go a dramatic physical change when they have attained sexual maturity such as developing mating hooks, bulbus pedipals, and a color/body composition change.
Here are some links:
http://www.tarantulas.com/sexing.html
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.tarantula.store/breeding.htm
The size rule that determines when a female is mature also differs from species to species. For example, the size at which Theraphosa blondi females mature differs greatly from the size a dwarf species such as Cyriocosmus elegans mature at. You have to know at what size the the specific species in question is considered mature to understand it's sexual maturity level.
Female theraphosids usually reach sexual maturity when they have attained 75% of the full expected growth of their species. Males attain sexual maturity when they begin building sperm webs. Some males go a dramatic physical change when they have attained sexual maturity such as developing mating hooks, bulbus pedipals, and a color/body composition change.
Here are some links:
http://www.tarantulas.com/sexing.html
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/the.tarantula.store/breeding.htm
The size rule that determines when a female is mature also differs from species to species. For example, the size at which Theraphosa blondi females mature differs greatly from the size a dwarf species such as Cyriocosmus elegans mature at. You have to know at what size the the specific species in question is considered mature to understand it's sexual maturity level.
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Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Do you know how many molts, or does it vary?
Cant remember if it was 8 or 10 before they can breed, not sure of that.
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I just had a Female molt, but I am not sure if she is sexually mature to breed or not, the molt was too mangled. Is there any other way to tell?
Specie and what size?
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P. Irminia and 5-5.5"
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Probably best determination would be if they're ready to breed. Males at least make their time obvious with the appearance of emboli.
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Uhm.. I have a h.lividum that has already molted 5 times in my care, only growing a few mm each time. It's now around the 2 cm mark. If it keeps going at this rate, as it is in pre-molt again, will that mean it will be ready to breed at the size of 3 cm?
It will grow more between the molts each time, the mm will turn to cm
. My Brachypelma baumgarteni just to name one has molted 9 times and is 14cm.But i will come back as soon as i have the correct answer.
I was curious, because I have been told that feeding a male tarantula too much will shorten its lifespan. Since frequent feeding decreases the time between molts, because the T is growing faster, that suggests that there is some set number of molts that a male T goes through before reaching maturity.
If that is the case, does that mean you can significantly increase the lifespan of a male by restricting its feeding?
If that is the case, does that mean you can significantly increase the lifespan of a male by restricting its feeding?
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Yes. .