Communal neoholothele incei?

[Skwid]

Hi all
Veteran hobbyist of 30 years but just coming back into the hobby after a couple years out due to not having the space, but back and have accumulated 15 slings in a very short time

I have been looking at setting up a communal enclosure and want to do something different than the balfouri everybody seems to do.

I have read a few times now that the neoholothele is not a cannibalistic species and would rather avoid eating their own, unless in times of severe starvation.

Has anybody tried a neoholothele commune with success?

Tried to look through posts but all people seem to talk about is tried and tested balfouri.

Thanks in advance guys

 

[Lawrence b]

Some people say there communal and other say there not . I have not tried but what I have seen I would edge toward M. balfouri being safer bet . But if you want to try maybe keep as all updated with your result .

 

[Skwid]

Some people say there communal and other say there not . I have not tried but what I have seen I would edge toward M. balfouri being safer bet . But if you want to try maybe keep as all updated with your result .

It seems a sore subject with some people, I was berated on Facebook for even thinking it, let alone asking if anybody has tried. It's definitely something I'm going to have to look further into. If I do decide I'm going for it I will indeed post regular updates

 

[PanzoN88]

Hi all
Veteran hobbyist of 30 years but just coming back into the hobby after a couple years out due to not having the space, but back and have accumulated 15 slings in a very short time

I have been looking at setting up a communal enclosure and want to do something different than the balfouri everybody seems to do.

I have read a few times now that the neoholothele is not a cannibalistic species and would rather avoid eating their own, unless in times of severe starvation.

Has anybody tried a neoholothele commune with success?

Tried to look through posts but all people seem to talk about is tried and tested balfouri.

Thanks in advance guys

while I’ve heard of a few success stories, most communals of this species don’t pan out well.

 

[Skwid]

while I’ve heard of a few success stories, most communals of this species don’t pan out well.

Unfortunately that seems to be the general consensus throughout the community, found a couple of vuds of youtube of some people who have tried it but I don't think they're husbandry has been on point yo be honest. Seems like they put it together and just left it. I've noticed similarities with them all,
leaving mature males in

dumping food into the enclosure and hoping it finds its way to all them

Not enough individual hides/retreats.

However

Richard, from the tarantula collective has spoke with an entomologist, who is highly knowledgable in her field and who keeps them communally constantly and even has active breeding within the commune. That's intriguing to be honest.

Need more research though. There is a lot to suggest if done correctly it will succeed, but seems like that there is a lot to get right.

 

[Gizalba]

Unfortunately that seems to be the general consensus throughout the community, found a couple of vuds of youtube of some people who have tried it but I don't think they're husbandry has been on point yo be honest. Seems like they put it together and just left it. I've noticed similarities with them all,
leaving mature males in

dumping food into the enclosure and hoping it finds its way to all them

Not enough individual hides/retreats.

However

Richard, from the tarantula collective has spoke with an entomologist, who is highly knowledgable in her field and who keeps them communally constantly and even has active breeding within the commune. That's intriguing to be honest.

Need more research though. There is a lot to suggest if done correctly it will succeed, but seems like that there is a lot to get right.

I was just about to mention that entomologist Richard interviewed! I think she repetitively keeps massive groups of them together successfully too? Which surprised me after everything I'd hear about them going wrong. Very interesting, your conclusion that there is a lot to get right sounds accurate.

Sadly my communal balfouri failed I followed all the guidance about staggered feeding etc but there were only 6 of them and they were tiny babies when they arrived. I suspect they were separated from their mother too early as I know some people keep massive balfouri groups and never get any cannibalism. For both species maybe there is something in the big community being beneficial and them being left with the mother - maybe the dynamics of the group work then and there is some kind of social hierarchy?