Avic project thread

[octanejunkie]

So how old is michaelanhelo?

I got them at 4i, maybe 5i, and have had them a year, so I would guess 18 months, plus or minus

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Damn, your’s rocketed in size! Got my only one last year in September at 1/8”. Hasn’t molted since.

 

[octanejunkie]

Damn, your’s rocketed in size! Got my only one last year in September at 1/8”. Hasn’t molted since.

I haven't fed them aggressively and I keep them at a temperature that I'm comfortable with making sure they always have access to water

No secret recipe, no special formula

 

[MrGhostMantis]

I haven't fed them aggressively and I keep them at a temperature that I'm comfortable with making sure they always have access to water

No secret recipe, no special formula

Huh, mine just must be taking their sweet time.

 

[Oursapoil]

Huh, mine just must be taking their sweet time.

He doesn't tell you his secret, he sings to them and rub their bellies.
Jokes aside, I have a few versicolors from the same sac that started growing and developing at a different pace although their are next to each other in the same room, conditions. My two slow growers ended up being female when the fast grower is male. Considering the males shorter life expectancy, and stopping short of making a claim out of what is just an observation, I wouldn't be surprised if females develop (at least for this species) slightly slower than males.

 

[octanejunkie]

He doesn't tell you his secret, he sings to them and rub their bellies.
Jokes aside, I have a few versicolors from the same sac that started growing and developing at a different pace although their are next to each other in the same room, conditions. My two slow growers ended up being female when the fast grower is male. Considering the males shorter life expectancy, and stopping short of making a claim out of what is just an observation, I wouldn't be surprised if females develop (at least for this species) slightly slower than males.

Breeding aside, part of my focus in the various different projects is to understand the different growth rates and patterns of species and genders within each species. I would imagine that there's some some aspect of both nature and nurture involved in growth rate. Not to mention endemic conditions, like a monsoon season or a dry season, influence maturity rates. I would also imagine that over a significant enough period of time, evolution, can definitely theorize why males and females of the same sac mature at different rates, males faster to ensure diversity and bloodlines so that members of the same sack don't reproduce, ensuring genetic diversity and minimizing expression of genetic singularities, undesirable traits and bad genes.
That being said, it's also fun to raise a bunch of tarantulas and hope you get some females.

 

[Leepbby]

Phase 2 is is staged to launch

View attachment 45475
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5.5oz snack cups for 3i slings inbound

Ok now your just showing off LMAO ... very nice ... I'm sure your very proud of yourself right now hahha ..

 

[octanejunkie]

Well, part of the project goal was to grow out 4 unsexed slings to confirm or deny my earliest experiences of buying slings, only 1 out of 4 will be female.

The first 3 slings I bought when starting all turned out to be male, my T vagans (purchased as G rosea) turned out to be female. In this case, with Avic Project #1, the theory, or suspicion, was disproven; 2 out of 4 were male, the other 2, female.

Now the next phase of the project begins, tracking maturity and breeding these 4, but not with each other, with individuals from other sacs/sources.

Since beginning this "experiment" of sorts, I have tested this theory many times and have found it no to hold true (25% female) and have many females forcing me to look for males. So it was potentially just bad luck that my first 4 purchases worked out to be 1 female out of 4 total purchased. Also, those were 4 different species from 4 different sources, but it's irrelevant.

Next up, rehousing all 4 of my ninja turtle Avics

 

[Phobik1]

I think it is just random. You can get 1 out 4, 2 out of 4, 3 out of 4 on any given group. Right now I have 3 Trio's. A. Bicoloratum, G. Pulchripes and L. Striatus w the Pulchripes just over a year and each a different size. I'm gonna guess, the smaller and slower eater is the female. Slow n steady will live longer. ( just theory ). I have also just gone and purchased juvenile females of Iherenghi, Actaeon and Pulchra just to see how good the sexing is from dealers. Im pretty confident in the Dealers I have purchased from. I also have a young female A. Moderatum, an Arizona Blond and adult Iodius of which none have molted yet. Im just babbling. You inspired me w Avics and the one I have is coming along just great.

 

[Kazegal]

These are some awesome enclosures and great updates. Keep up the good work!

 

[octanejunkie]

Been a minute since I've updated this project thread and many developments have occurred

Several species and individuals have been tracked from sling to sub-adult with consistent growth histories.

2 different "avic" sacs have been harvested:
1 x Avicularia avicularia
1 x Caribena versicolor

Optimal sac "pull times" have been observed to differ between avic-species and other species.

Several adults have been maintained in different enclosure styles with similar, consistent success.

 

[octanejunkie]

Avicularia sac report

RESERVED

 

[octanejunkie]

Versicolor sac report

RESERVED

 

[octanejunkie]

Sac pull observations

RESERVED

 

[paperwitchs]

Abdolu

Well, it must be the covid because I couldn't stop myself and now there are these 4 new deli cup slings on my T shelf

I'll let these guys acclimate before making proper introductions, but here are a few pics

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Thanks to @treynkarissa for a smooth transaction!

Absolutely gorgeous enclosure set up

 

[octanejunkie]

Donatello was paired with this MF I picked up in a trade, and today I saw her sac for the first time. She ate last week so this is new... and the countdown begins again lol

 

[MidnightArachnids]

Well, it must be the covid because I couldn't stop myself and now there are these 4 new deli cup slings on my T shelf

I'll let these guys acclimate before making proper introductions, but here are a few pics

View attachment 45161View attachment 45162

Thanks to @treynkarissa for a smooth transaction!

This is clever. I'm going to steal this idea.