Does a sperm web mean it's close to the end?

[goldenpumpkin]

Hey all, so I originally tried arachnoboards but left after a day because of the toxicity, so I'm hoping the people here are more decent. Worth a shot, eh?

As the title implies, my MM just made a sperm web. Does this mean he'll die soon if I don't find him a female ASAP?

Thanks in advance and please don't be rude for no reason <3

 

[Gizalba]

Hi, I would also like to know the answer to this question! I also wonder why they make the sperm web, if they are going to inject the sperm into the female like, away from the web? Is it to attract the female?

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience at arachnoboards. I have always found this forum very friendly and helpful

 

[Oursapoil]

First thing first, hello Goldenpumpkin and welcome to the forum.
Your male is mature, this mean he had his last molt already and he is indeed on borrowed time. Depending on the species they can last a little while to quite a few years. Your mature male is making a sperm web in order to load up his "boxing gloves" with sperms he would use when paired with a female. This doesn't mean he is close to be dying. For my experience, the fact that he is making sperm web usually means he is in good health and ready to mate

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Hi, I would also like to know the answer to this question! I also wonder why they make the sperm web, if they are going to inject the sperm into the female like, away from the web? Is it to attract the female?

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience at arachnoboards. I have always found this forum very friendly and helpful

I'm glad to hear that about this forum, thanks!

 

[Oursapoil]

To answer Gizalba, without using obscure and difficult scientific terms I can't spell, here is a simplified explanation of how it works.
If I am correct the male produces sperms from his upper abdomen (the place everyone look at to try to find the sex of their Ts). The boxing gloves can be compared to syringes (yes, the male will try to fist-f@#$ the female). The sperm web is for the male to be able to get the sperms from their location and to load up the end of his pedipalps (the syringes).
Hoping this helps

 

[goldenpumpkin]

First thing first, hello Goldenpumpkin and welcome to the forum.
Your male is mature, this mean he had his last molt already and he is indeed on borrowed time. Depending on the species they can last a little while to quite a few years. Your mature male is making a sperm web in order to load up his "boxing gloves" with sperms he would use when paired with a female. This doesn't mean he is close to be dying. For my experience, the fact that he is making sperm web usually means he is in good health and ready to mate

Thank you for the warm welcome and the helpful info he is a curly hair, if that makes a difference. Do you know if mating will make him live longer (assuming the female doesn't kill him)?

 

[Arachnoclown]

Not the end...just last chapter in his life. Some males will die shortly after maturing, some live years. I currently have a male that's been mature 4 years this fall.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Not the end...just last chapter in his life. Some males will die shortly after maturing, some live years. I currently have a male that's been mature 4 years this fall.

Ok. I did see that male Tliltocatl albopilosus can live up to 10 years so hopefully we get lucky... thanks

 

[Oursapoil]

Thank you for the warm welcome and the helpful info he is a curly hair, if that makes a difference. Do you know if mating will make him live longer (assuming the female doesn't kill him)?

I do not believe mating will increase its lifespan, usually meeting females as a tendency to shorten the males' lives A T. albopilosus male usually lives 4-5 years. Is this a T you raised from sling?

 

[Oursapoil]

Ok. I did see that male Tliltocatl albopilosus can live up to 10 years so hopefully we get lucky... thanks

Hoping yours will make it this long but I was not aware these would live that old, my home literature give them a shorter life expectancy.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

I do not believe mating will increase its lifespan, usually meeting females as a tendency to shorten the males' lives A T. albopilosus male usually lives 4-5 years. Is this a T you raised from sling?

No I got him the day before yesterday

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Hoping yours will make it this long but I was not aware these would live that old, my home literature give them a shorter life expectancy.

Yeah living to 10 is probably just a rare occurrence for them I would imagine

 

[Arachnoclown]

Each male is his own individual, when his number is up it doesn't matter if he's mated or not. Ive personally had old males that have and haven't bred. My current old boy is nearly four years mature and has never been bred. Hes Still making sperm webs even though they are probably sterile. He is a Poecilotheria regalis.

 

[Oursapoil]

No I got him the day before yesterday

I feel the need to ask why did you want a mature male if you do not have a female to pair him with. Did the place/person you got it from forget to mention it was a mature male? Either way I trust you to take good care of him for the rest of his life but keep in mind that he will do his best to escape its enclosure if he can as its main goal now is to find a female.

 

[Arachnoclown]

I just said good bye to a old male Tliltocatl albopilosum Nicaraguan. He fathered over 1200 slings. He lived 2 years mature, 7 years total.

 

[goldenpumpkin]

I feel the need to ask why did you want a mature male if you do not have a female to pair him with. Did the place/person you got it from forget to mention it was a mature male? Either way I trust you to take good care of him for the rest of his life but keep in mind that he will do his best to escape its enclosure if he can as its main goal now is to find a female.

Good question and thank you for such a respectful response. His previous caretaker thought he was a female, so I got him under the assumption that he was female. It wasn't until the car ride home that I peered into the container and saw 2 big tibial hooks and a pair of boxing glove pedipalps!

 

[goldenpumpkin]

Each male is his own individual, when his number is up it doesn't matter if he's mated or not. Ive personally had old males that have and haven't bred. My current old boy is nearly four years mature and has never been bred. Hes Still making sperm webs even though they are probably sterile. He is a Poecilotheria regalis.

In your opinion, is it "humane" to keep MMs without mating them, since that's their goal?

 

[goldenpumpkin]

I just said good bye to a old male Tliltocatl albopilosum Nicaraguan. He fathered over 1200 slings. He lived 2 years mature, 7 years total.

As sorry as I am to hear of his passing, I must say kudos to both him and you; it sounds like he led a great life. <3

 

[Arachnoclown]

A video of a male charging his pedipalps. This is a video that I made a few years ago to make people mad in another forum. It worked Turn the volume down for young ones. If you like Southpark turn it up.

 

[Oursapoil]

In your opinion, is it "humane" to keep MMs without mating them, since that's their goal?

Not sure I would be the right person to answer this question but my personal preference is to try when possible to sex my Ts at an earlier age (before maturity) and to either sell or trade the premature males. I sometimes end up with mature males, I will try first to sell or trade them but will happily hand them out if nobody has a trade or can spare the $. I believe they'd be happy to die trying to mate with a female than just dying of old age wondering around their enclosure constantly. My two cents.