Ever seen a.......?

[Nome]

Ever seen a spider mate?

I know this will disturb some of you (well, most of you :wink: ), but I thought I'd put some pics up that Steve took of a tarantula (bird eating spider) mating we did today.

These two are the Phlogiellus species (one of the 7 named species of tarantulas). The big black female 'Jewel' is 17cm legspan, and the pink coloured male is a little smaller. Note the sexual dimorphism in this species

So, this is what spiders look like doing their thing

 

[womas4me]

If left will the female kill the male?

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

great looking spiders nome..how close can you get to them??
great pics to
baz

 

[Nome]

Jim,
Males can be eaten but we are careful not to let that happen. They are usually sensible enough to get out of the female's enclosure into the waiting container we have ready for them. They back very slowly and carefully away...they know what can happen

ssssnakeman,
The spiders could be handled which I don't do because of the stress on them (unless absolutely necessary) and you really would have a good chance of getting bitten. They are a look but don't touch pet . The Australian ones aren't like the exotic tarantulas, as ours use biting as their main defense rather than hair kicking like their American counterparts.

 

[pugsly]

She is massive! Awesome!!

Always wanted a Bird Eater but id rather handle my pets.. maybe one day Ill give ya a buz Nome

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

i got bitten by a huntsman when i was holding it just like this
bit me on the palm,,,never held one since,
this isnt the one that bit me

 

[BROWNS]

Pic of one from my yard and i got pretty well as close as you can get with handling this one under experienced guidance....

Fascinating animals but i'll stick with my reptiles

 

[westhamsc]

sweet as naomi always wanted to see that thanks for showing

p.s tell steve he takes **** pic's

 

[Guest]

Ever seen a....?

Browns thats monsterous mate it looks like it could kill a full grown mouse or someting pretty dam big.

 

[womas4me]

RE: Ever seen a....?

How many offspring would you expect to come of this, and how many of those would make it to adulthood?

 

[BROWNS]

RE: Ever seen a....?

Browns thats monsterous mate it looks like it could kill a full grown mouse or someting pretty dam big.

Yeah ol mate,that's an Airlie Beach special :wink:

 

[NoOne]

p.s tell steve he takes poo pic's

Sorry westie i'll try and get up to the standard of your trapdoor pics next time :wink:

 

[westhamsc]

Sorry westie i'll try and get up to the standard of your trapdoor pics next time

lmao it's the $50 scaner i tell ya

 

[trader]

Ever seen a spider mate?

No 'mate' I haven't :wink: just kiddin Nome, great pictures, thanx for sharing, not something you see everyday! :shock:

 

[alexr]

how good do they look... can't wait to see more pictures of the result of there hard work :wink:

I think that I would be aloud 100 snakes before my wife would let me have one of these...let alone a breading pair. Thanks for sharing that with us Nome!!!

How often do they mate ?


I'll show this to both my boys first thing tomorrow.

My eldest has had a thing for spiders since birth. He even managed to find a nest of syd funnelwebs in the pre-school sandpit. Correctly identified them played with them for a bit and then got the teacher. Needles to say they ended up getting the exterminator in, and we were called in to help explain to Jake why this is wrong (did no good I might add)

He often catches and hides red backs in jars in his room. Drives his poor mum mental. He is only six and we are waiting for the day he gets bitten.

 

[diamond_python]

My eldest has had a thing for spiders since birth. He even managed to find a nest of syd funnelwebs in the pre-school sandpit. Correctly identified them played with them for a bit and then got the teacher. Needles to say they ended up getting the exterminator in, and we were called in to help explain to Jake why this is wrong (did no good I might add)

He often catches and hides red backs in jars in his room. Drives his poor mum mental. He is only six and we are waiting for the day he gets bitten.

You need SUPER NANNY!!! LOL

 

[instar]

EEEK!

 

[Nome]

Thanks for the comments Alex, lol, sounds like the stories my parents tell of me as a kid. With my kids I have taught them to pick up nothing but a daddy long legs, after a few events like yours happened.

The spiders mate about every 2 weeks when the male has produced more sperm. I put the males in fairly often as when mature, they don't have long to live

 

[hugsta]

Great pics Steve. Thanks for sharing nomes, they are awesome, blooody huge too."D

 

[pugsly]

lol alex man sounds so much like me as a kid hence were i got the nickname pugsly, i would get dragged ointo to other classrooms to take spiders outside by teachers lol

Ill post some pics in a sec of a few Ive kept