Got woken up at 5 this morning....

[Mark Pajak]

Hi all,

I was woken up at five this morning by a bizarre knocking sound coming from the spider area - two bursts of high pitch druming like "........dudududududu.....dududududu......."

I have never heard this noise before and it did not sound like P.murinus clawing at hier lid or the hustle and bustle of hissing cockroaches.

- could it have been a mating call?

I have two mature males and what I think may be a mature female Poecilotheria fasciata in close proximity, although one male has only just shed and the other has not left his hide in a month or so.

If this was the mating call, how can I tell which male was doing it? and are they normally active in this way only at 5 in the morning?

[Peter Lacey]

There's an excellent vid on YouTube of 2 Pokies (sorry can't remember which species) during the mating call. The male is drumming away on the glass creating a sound similar to drumming a key on the glass. Both the Pokies are in the same enclosure next to each other. What's also interesting is the rapid shaking movement that's also part of the call. Worth searching for.

[James Box]

Mark, you should set your alarm for 4:30am, get a nice cuppa tea and watch the show! really interesting stuff

[Mark Pajak]

so you think its time to let them in together?

[Mark Pajak]

There's an excellent vid on YouTube of 2 Pokies (sorry can't remember which species) during the mating call.

yep that is the noise alright!
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[Louise~Nichols]

so you think its time to let them in together?

Well drumming is generally a sign of wanting *playtime*....although I also have mature males residing in close proximity and sometimes it seems as if they drum to say *back off...my territory*. I've noticed when my boys start acting up, eventually one male will cower at the furthest point away from the adjacent male's enclosure. So that's another possibility...other than that, I'd try for an introduction. Good luck!

[Peter Lacey]

Here's another vid: http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?vid...7GBRxXED&hl=en

amazing to watch
Good luck Mark

[Mark Pajak]

Cool,

the tanks are designed in such a way that I should be able to create a simple cross link between the two to minimise any disturbance - then the male can wonder in if he feels like it, or not bother.... up to him!

[Richard Shah]

Rarrr I didn't know about mating call - very interesting.
But Mark, how did you get woken up by THAT? You must be a very light sleeper...
I am asking this cuz I do not know how loud the sound is and I'm a light sleeper

[Mark Pajak]

pre mating comminication is widespread across many arachnid groups..... its the male's only chance of distinguishing himself from dinner!


well yes I do sleep with one eye open.... got to keep on your toes when there are ...(quick calculation)...176 legs prying at container lids! The slightest creek and I sit bolt upright in a cold sweat.

although I can't work out what is worse... P.murinus on the loose or the housemates finding out.

...Its the housemates!

[Richard Shah]

pre mating comminication is widespread across many arachnid groups..... its the male's only chance of distinguishing himself from dinner!


well yes I do sleep with one eye open.... got to keep on your toes when there are ...(quick calculation)...176 legs prying at container lids! The slightest creek and I sit bolt upright in a cold sweat.

although I can't work out what is worse... P.murinus on the loose or the housemates finding out.

...Its the housemates!

I swear they usually end up as dinner anyway, either by dying naturally then being available as food or being killed after mating.

You have 22 tarantulas? Quite a bit, but not many in comparison with most on hese forums. I have one tarantula, which for some is enough already!

They shouldn't be able to escape if you just have everything secured; everything is secured - right?

Housemates knowing = P. Murinus escapee
due to the fact that both = trouble for you and them

[Mark Pajak]

I swear they usually end up as dinner anyway, either by dying naturally then being available as food or being killed after mating.

yes probably - I don't have the reference to hand but I think it has been found that there is a trade off between being eaten and thus providing food for your offspring, or carrying on to mate again and producing more offspring, knackering yourself in the process.
(either way can have benefits for lifetime reproductive sucess, if you measure it by the number of children you raise to go on and reproduce themselves.)

or from the non scientific perspective... "Life's a b**** and then you die!!!"

[James Box]

i don't know, having read about a gigas family cohabiting, the male eventually offered himself to the female, almost as if he instinctively knew his time was nearly up, and she could use the protein for the babies...which is pretty amazing behaviour if you ask me.
so yeah, they end up as food for something, but then don't we all? so that doesn't really convey any information. even the females end up as dinner for scavenging bugs and bacteria one day.

[Mark Pajak]

yup.... and we all travel around in cars powers by rotten dinosaur remains

[Colin D Wilson]

The male gigas i had was treated like royalty for a while, over the first night (after mating) he hung around the entrance to the females burrow, she however was else where digging another (apparently for him). the second night (after mating) he shot off to the new hole and she returned to hers. (strange that he headed straight for the entrance too, the tank was 30 x 20 inch floor area)
Four more matings were seen, the first three with a hasty retreat, but after the forth the male just turned around and very slowly sauntered off (almost complacently) without hesitating she jumped him and over the next two days kindly piled the "leftovers" in one corner for me to retrieve.