Poecilotheria rufilata drumming query

[Stuart Common]

Hi Folks,

I have noticed something over the last 2 days in when I have been nearby the tank that contains my P.rufilata and just happened to start tapping my fingers on the surface the tank sits on, and it actually started drumming back to me so.....

Do they only drum when they are mature and ready to mate, or do juveniles also exhibit this behaviour? I was unable to measure him or her properly before I left for the library, but the body length is probably nearly 2 inches I think.

Unfortunatly I dont have a skin with which to check if it is male or female as I believe that it had molted just reciently before I got it. Is there any indication to difference between rufilata males and females in regards to their colouration or anything, reason being that if they do drum only when mature, I dont want to wait till he dies to find out he was a MM.

Thanks in advance

[Nicola Dolby]

Mine haven't begun to drum until mature, i fact a few weeks after maturing and getting used to the idea. I doubt your spiders are going to die, if they are eating ok, have water and the temp/humidity is fine. Also with pokies it is important to give them a dark space like a bark tube, even when growing up. Also if your spiders seem stressed give them a couple of hours in a dark room, like a cloak room or airing cupboard. Not too much though as it might disrupt their normal day/night cycle.

[Stuart Common]

thanks Nicola

oh and what I meant was that I wasnt afraid that it would die, I just wondered if there was any way to tell the sexes apart without a molt, just in case it is a he and has matured, in which case there wont be another molt to check, I would rather he be sent out to find a lady friend if thats the case

[jason holland]

well... this prob isnt exactly... infact scap this begining. it will prob be nonsence. but from what ive seen, males tend to be more "Leggy" and they'll also (in most cases) have a smaller opisthosoma

[Nicola Dolby]

Stuart all male tarantulas have embolus. If you look on the underside of each pedipalp then just above the foot there should be a red bulb on each. If not then he (or she) ain't a mature male. With rufilatas there sometimes (depending on the size of the spid) is another way, but its not certain. Look at the diagonal pattern on the top of the abdomen. If its black then male and if its light then female. This only applies I've found to sub-adults and is not a guarantee. external checking with pokies epigastrics is tough, better to wait for a moult. If there's no embolus, there'll be one.
all the best

[Peter Lacey]

Your thread corresponds with my current situation.
I heard some drumming on Monday but couldnt figure what it was. I then noticed one of my rufilata roaming lots within the community tank. It therefore wasnt hard to get a good opportunity to see the emboli. So, its seems one is male and quite different in build to the other two.
So from my very recent observations look out for the emboli, listen out for the drumming and once you notice a sperm web you'll know he's mature and ready to breed. Its quite likely he'll be more active too, in his search for a female.
I haven't noticed any drumming at the smaller sizes but mine are now all approaching 6" full LS.

[Stuart Common]

thanks everyone, I have managed to get a better look at it, and decided that its not yet a mature male, not been able to check the colourings yet Nicola but going by the palps they still look like normal ones (had a very close look at my MM and female rosies palps, yeah I know they are completely different species but at least it gave me a better idea of what I'm looking for)

So I think I'll just let him or her be, certainly on the activity side I cant say that its been off exploring as far as I have seen, although when I get up in the morning its obvious that it has, it usually poos on the front window in exactly the same spot (especially if I have just cleaned it, it usually does a big one then lol) and it takes the bins out as well, it likes to keep its living area nice and clean