M. Balfouri Info.

[Richard Harper]

Hey people of the BTS, hope everything is all good and cool in your neighbourhoods.

A couple quick questions about my lovely little M. Balfouri.

I read that M. Balfouri become mature around 2 years old at about 4 inches. Is this true?

If it is true, why is it that my M. Balfouri after having it for 15 months is only just about 1 inch?

Hmmm, now that I think about it, about 6 months in from when I got it, it tried to escape and lost a leg in the process. It regained the leg a month later after a moult, then somewhere between regaining the leg to now it has moulted once, found the exo skeleton a month ago when I moved it to a bigger container. Maybe losing the leg had an effect on this. In all it has moulted 4 times since I had it as a 0.75cm spiderling.

I'm not worried about it or anything, just wondering if that was the case and why is mine still so small since the care sheet I used has it down as a fast grower. Want to know if I've been fed bull on the species info part of the sheet.

This is the care sheet I was using :- http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forum...are-sheet.html

Thanks

[Phil Geraghty]

Hi Richard,

What sort of temperatures are you keeping the balfouri at? Is it eating often? Does it spend a lot of time 'underground'/in a hide etc?
Also is your specimen a 1" legspan, or a 1" body length (just to check we're all on the same page.)

Our balfouri did indeed mature after a couple of years, but environmental influences would affect this for sure.

Cheers.

Phil.

[Richard Harper]

Hi Phil,

Well I keep the balfouri at room temperature like I do the rest of my T's which is around 25 degrees.

Yes it eats every time there is prey (though it usually does it's hunting at night when the lights are off), however, it's abdomen is quite big so I stopped feeding it about 2 weeks ago.

It's hide is a little bark tube that it uses instead of burrowing.


It's always at the entrance of the hide. There is a lot more web now than when that picture was taken. It comes out at night to web and explore/hunt. I spy on my T's a lot hehehehe .

1" leg span.

Thanks

Richard

[Peter Roach]

I read that M. Balfouri become mature around 2 years old at about 4 inches. Is this true?

If it is true, why is it that my M. Balfouri after having it for 15 months is only just about 1 inch?

I bought 3 balfouri slings at the BTS expo May '11, one matured as a male after approx 1 year and the other two (females) are now around 4 inches. They are fed once per week and the temps are kept around 25C (+/-2C)

First . . A possibly silly question. . .are you sure you have actually got a M balfouri ?

Second . . . What do you feed to the balfouri and more importantly what food are you giving the prey insect and for how long ?

[Richard Harper]

First . . A possibly silly question. . .are you sure you have actually got a M balfouri ?

Well I bought it from The spider shop and I've never had a problem with them so yes.

Second . . . What do you feed to the balfouri and more importantly what food are you giving the prey insect and for how long ?

Red Runner roaches/crickets/lobster roaches depending on what I have available at the time. I feed them a dog and fish food mix with some fresh vegetable/fruit every other day obviously getting rid of any uneaten food the next day. I feed them that for a week before I send them to their deaths.

[Peter Roach]

That sounds all OK to me.
The only thing I can think of is increase the temperature and feed it more often or more at each feed.

One of the main reasons why I use red runners is because I can leave one or more of them in the tub during the actual moult with no problems. Perhaps always have a suitable sized red runner in the tub (1/2 to 3/4 the size of the T)

[Richard Harper]

Oh ok I was always under the impression you don't leave any prey around a moulting tarantula because it will be stressed. But that's good to know that red runners can be left without worry, thanks.

It's not actually a problem it being smaller than it should is it? I'll just have to wait longer for it to mature.

Thanks Peter

[Peter Roach]

The only thing I can think of is increase the temperature and feed it more often or more at each feed.

I was searching through some stored documents today and found a little info about the natural temps of M balfouri that may be helpful.

. . . . . . In the spring 2000, temperatures were measured 4 times in the holes of four individual spiders found on plateau Deksam. Following temperatures were measured (together with time of measurement): 30oC (10.30 am), 27,5oC (12.30 pm; the only found female with whitish cocoon of about 4cm), 28oC (2.45 pm)and even 37oC 3.15 pm;it was young male spider of about 1,5 cm approx. 15 m from the previous one).
Shady temperature was usually between 31-36oC, although even 60oC at the sun. When considering the night temperature at plateau Deksam (around 10oC; probably lower in high altitudes above 1000m), it is clear that this spider must face up to thermal differences of several tens of degree Celsius. . . .

[Richard Harper]

The M. Balfouri finally moulted, and has literally doubled in size... from 1 inch to 2.5 inches :O! Next moult it should be blue!

[Peter Roach]

Have you tried to sex the moult yet ?

[Richard Harper]

No i haven't sexed the moult as yet. I don't have a microscope.

[Peter Roach]

No i haven't sexed the moult as yet. I don't have a microscope.

I sexed moults for many years using something very similar to one of THESE

Mine has 2 lenses with a x20 and x30 plus both can be put together for a x50 although I usually only needed a x20 to do the job.

[Richard Harper]

Thanks will look into getting one