this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Arachnology
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Do males of this species die earlier than females? I'd read that male tarantulas native to my area die earlier than the females due to the hooks on their forelimbs (used for mating at sexual maturity) that interrupt their ability to extricate themselves from the old skin during molting.
Edit: I guess this is common to all tarantulas.... :(
https://www.tarantulaheaven.com/tarantula-mating-how-it-works/#:~:text=Males%20that%20reach%20sexual%20maturity,the%20end%20of%20their%20pedipalps.
Yes unfortunately it's common to all tarantulas. Some species the males live longer than others but their sole purpose is mating. I believe this guy in the photo made it to 3-4 years old. He actually lost a limb and regrew it over several more molts.
That's got to be rough as an owner. I've wild caught a few, but only to show to friends. I put them back shortly after.