Tliltocatl albopilosus

[Vagor Dacil]

I bought my first tarantula about 11 days ago at Petco (it was marked down 75%, I would absolutely not have paid the $100 they originally wanted.) I was told that it is a Curly Hair. I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me it’s gender and give me an approximation of about how old it might be.

I am also open to any tips or suggestions that anyone may have for a new tarantula owner.

Thank you, in advance.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

I'm no expert on ventra sexing, so hopefully someone else would wade in, but I would edge towards female.

Age etc is a lot harder to tell, as they all grow differently.

my tip would be more substrate or a shorter enclosure. Ideally you want them to be able to reach their toes to the substrate from the lid, in case they fall.

 

[Vagor Dacil]

I'm no expert on ventra sexing, so hopefully someone else would wade in, but I would edge towards female.

Age etc is a lot harder to tell, as they all grow differently.

my tip would be more substrate or a shorter enclosure. Ideally you want them to be able to reach their toes to the substrate from the lid, in case they fall.

I added a few more inches after taking that photo. It’s currently about 5 inches from the lid at it’s highest point and about 7 inches at it’s lowest point. I also moved the water dish to the high point. Thank you for your input.

 

[birdonfire]

Female

 

[octanejunkie]

Welcome, looks female

There is a ton of info about your species, husbandry and the hobby in general on this forum

Enclosure size
Substrate depth / free climbing height
Hydration needs (water bowl always, damp substrate at best)
Feeding (what, when, how often)
Handling (never)
Hobby etiquette (always use scientific names)

 

[Vagor Dacil]

Welcome, looks female

There is a ton of info about your species, husbandry and the hobby in general on this forum

Enclosure size
Substrate depth / free climbing height
Hydration needs (water bowl always, damp substrate at best)
Feeding (what, when, how often)
Handling (never)
Hobby etiquette (always use scientific names)

Thank you for your reply.

She is now in the 10 gal. enclosure that she will likely stay in for the foreseeable future. The 7x9 critter carrier (due to the taper of the container the actual footprint was only about 6.5x8.5) that was recommended at the store was definitely too small (considering the large majority of sources encourage an enclosure at least 2x as large as the spider in width and 3x it’s size in length,) after placing a hide and a very small water dish there was almost no room for her to move. Within 48 hours of being placed in the new enclosure she began to work on her burrow, something she did not even attempt in the week+ that she was in the smaller enclosure.

The substrate depth is about 7 inches at it’s deepest point (this would be the depth where the hide is located) and about 5 inches deep at it’s shallowest point. The general rule of thumb I have see across multiple sources is that the height of the lid should be about 1.5x the leg reach of the spider from the substrate (that said the 7.5 and 5.5 inch distances should be well within tolerance levels.)

Currently maintaining a humidity level of about 65%. I expect it to be easier to maintain a stable humidity level when I construct an acrylic lid next week, currently using a wire mesh lid lined with window screen (the screen is there in an effort to prevent her from getting her feet or legs stuck in the mesh if she should decide to climb onto the cover. Fresh water is provided daily to the dish.

I’m planning to attempt a 4 day feeding schedule (recommended schedules vary from every 3 days, the frequency at which was supposedly was fed at the store, to once every 2-3 weeks depending on the source/handler.) She has not yet eaten since I got her, which could be due to a couple of factors: 1.) I am currently unsure when her last molt was, so she could be in a pre-molt phase. 2.) The handler at Petco was tong feeding her (I have no plans to continue that practice due to the risks it presents for both the spider and the handler,) so it may take some time for her to adjust to hunting for herself. She was presented with food (1 large cricket) twice for periods of about 15-18 hours since I have had her.

I have no plans to physically handle her unless absolutely necessary.

I caught that, hence the thread title.

Once again, thank you very much for your input.

 

[sunset]

Hi, and welcome