Trantula Bald spot

[ErikH]

i dont think mature males can live past 2 years after they mature.it's possible but it's rare for them to even make it past the 1st year.it's possible that it was 5 yrs. old but maybe it wasnt fully mature,but growing instead.

I would have thought so too, but she had pictures, "boxing gloves" and all. It looked like it was halfway to a death curl, though.

[Schlyne]

I'd be pretty surprised. Most of the male T's I've heard of that make past the post ultimate molt end up loosing the pedipalps. The "boxing gloves" generally get stuck.


And hybridization is a huge No No in the invert world. There are a few T's, like B. smithi that would not be available in the hobby without captive breeding. Brachy's cannot be imported. The infertility of the hybrids could wipe out programs like that.

[Shadowspider]

That's something I'd have to see to believe. A mature male living that long post ultimate molt would go down in the books as a first for any male tarantula. I could see 2 years, but 5, I'd want to see the proof for that one; their bodies just don't hold out that long....as least as far as anyone in the scientific/tarantula keeping community has ever been aware of.