# Skittish Tarantula



## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Hi all!

My B.smithi a few months ago had a moult after not moulting for about 18 months. He's now been sexed as a he. But since I've gotten him, he's hardly eaten and become VERY skittish. I could just walk in the room and I'll see him skuttle around the tank. Is this usually something that happens to a male when they mature?


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Trice said:


> Hi all!
> 
> My B.smithi a few months ago had a moult after not moulting for about 18 months. He's now been sexed as a he. But since I've gotten him, he's hardly eaten and become VERY skittish. I could just walk in the room and I'll see him skuttle around the tank. Is this usually something that happens to a male when they mature?


pretty much- they hunt for females, stop eating, & die after a few weeks/months.


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## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

wilkinss77 said:


> pretty much- they hunt for females, stop eating, & die after a few weeks/months.


Unfortunately this. Is it full mature?


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Crownan said:


> Unfortunately this. Is it full mature?


TBH, I'm not entirely sure


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Trice said:


> TBH, I'm not entirely sure


Send me a pic and ill tell you if hes mature or not


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## Tongue Flicker (Oct 26, 2014)

Mature male B.smithi do get glove-like pedipalps not to mention tibial hooks. You could check for that one out


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

Tongue Flicker said:


> Mature male B.smithi do get glove-like pedipalps not to mention tibial hooks. You could check for that one out


He has his hooks.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Trice said:


> He has his hooks.


defo mature then, & typical male t behaviour. sadly he's not long for this world.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

He's probably got about a year, perhaps a little more. 
Get him out there, and let him do his thang!


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

wilkinss77 said:


> defo mature then, & typical male t behaviour. sadly he's not long for this world.


I often see this kind of post and wonder where people are getting their information or experience from. A mature male tarantula is in his prime, its what his whole life has been about, its time to sow his seeds and get reproducing of the species. He's built for speed, he's healthy enough to go for extended periods without food, and he's on heat!
The Brachpelma species, and that of other long lived tarantula, tend to produce males that will last a year or so. Ive known of a MM Lasiodora parahybana that lived for 4 years after maturing, and was still mating too!
Lampropelma and Cyriopagopus species, and infact most arboreal species, don't have the same lifespan. Some of these last about a month, but most seem to pass within a year.
So, its dependant on species and of course whether they continue to feed. I find providing water (possibly sugared/honey) and small crickets (about half the size they'd normally take) lengthens their life.
So, its not all doom and gloom for the males, they're needed to reproduce and can do so multiple times as long as they're fast enough. Obviously weak males will suffer as victims, which by the "law of the jungle" isn't too surprising.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Poxicator said:


> I often see this kind of post and wonder where people are getting their information or experience from.


in my case the experience of having the following species mature as males:
Brachypelma klaasi
B. vagans (2 of them)
B. albopilosum
Acanthoscurria geniculata (2)
Avicularia metallica
A. Guyana
A. versicolor
GBB (2).
None of them fed after maturing & none survived beyond 6 months, in several cases less than 3.


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## Squishy35 (Aug 28, 2014)

Do most spices of mature T act like this?? 
My OBT matured about 3 months ago and acts completely normal, still eating like a trooper and no signs of skittish behaviour. 
He has his hooks so know he's fully matured.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Squishy35 said:


> Do most spices of mature T act like this??
> My OBT matured about 3 months ago and acts completely normal, still eating like a trooper and no signs of skittish behaviour.
> He has his hooks so know he's fully matured.


I found OBT last 6 months or more, and Ive had them survive a good month with the female, and I've also found them to continue to eat.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

wilkinss77 said:


> in my case the experience of having the following species mature as males:
> Brachypelma klaasi
> B. vagans (2 of them)
> B. albopilosum
> ...


Sorry Wilkinss, I don't like to suggest you're doing something wrong but the top 4 of these should last longer than you have suggested. Brachypelma and Acanthoscurria are long lived species, perhaps unto 25 years, so the mature males lifespan should reflect that. The GBB should last longer than the Avics and I'd expect the Avics to be between 3-6 months, but I also know of an MM Avic in America that survived almost 2 years!
I suspect diet and husbandry during their life must have an influence on that. I'd strongly suggest water and small food as Ive suggested, but Ive also experienced males that won't eat after maturity and have subsequently had a short life.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Poxicator said:


> Sorry Wilkinss, I don't like to suggest you're doing something wrong but the top 4 of these should last longer than you have suggested. Brachypelma and Acanthoscurria are long lived species, perhaps unto 25 years, so the mature males lifespan should reflect that. The GBB should last longer than the Avics and I'd expect the Avics to be between 3-6 months, but I also know of an MM Avic in America that survived almost 2 years!
> I suspect diet and husbandry during their life must have an influence on that. I'd strongly suggest water and small food as Ive suggested, but Ive also experienced males that won't eat after maturity and have subsequently had a short life.


all of my female t's do fine though, it's just all the males that have died in the times i've posted, after refusing to feed on maturing.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Try small very active feeders. I'd also suggest removing them from heat, fertility wise they are better in colder conditions, and there's good argument for removing them from adult females of the same species - a different room if possible.


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