Poecilotheria rufilata Growth Rate

MrCrackerpants

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Anybody notice that Poecilotheria rufilata grows much faster than the other Poecilotheria? I had/have a good number of Poecilotheria slings and my newest group of communal Poecilotheria rufilata slings are growing VERY fast. All factors are equal with my other Poecilotheria slings but (WOW!) they are getting big fast...maybe they are all males? :) Even then they seem to be growing faster than my other Poecilotheria that ended up being males. Even seem faster that my Poecilotheria ornata male slings.
 

Beary Strange

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I haven't owned rufilata yet and this definitely makes me want to get a few. But all being males...I wouldn't be so sure. I've had three girls recently make the "males mature faster" adage seem like maybe a myth-or at least an over-generalization. My largest P.cancerides, B.albopilosum and P.ornata are all female. Each one obtained at the same sizes as the others of their group, each fed no differently than their siblings and yet...the cancerides and albo are about 2 molts ahead of their siblings and molt confirmed females and my P.ornata, while only ventrally sexed(but I'm very confident, hopefully this next molt will prove me right), is nearly twice the size of the two siblings who remain in my care.
 

MrCrackerpants

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I haven't owned rufilata yet and this definitely makes me want to get a few. But all being males...I wouldn't be so sure. I've had three girls recently make the "males mature faster" adage seem like maybe a myth-or at least an over-generalization. My largest P.cancerides, B.albopilosum and P.ornata are all female. Each one obtained at the same sizes as the others of their group, each fed no differently than their siblings and yet...the cancerides and albo are about 2 molts ahead of their siblings and molt confirmed females and my P.ornata, while only ventrally sexed(but I'm very confident, hopefully this next molt will prove me right), is nearly twice the size of the two siblings who remain in my care.
Cool and thanks for the great information. I am hoping they are all not males...lol.
 

Poec54

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My ornatas grow faster, but then I keep them 10-15 degrees warmer than my rufilata in the summer. Rufilata is high elevation can't be kept at those temps.
 

MrCrackerpants

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My ornatas grow faster, but then I keep them 10-15 degrees warmer than my rufilata in the summer. Rufilata is high elevation can't be kept at those temps.
Thanks for the info, Poec54. What temperatures do you keep your P. ornata at? :)
 

Akai

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Is it temperature or humidity the main factor for growth rates in tropical species? I know humidity is principle factor in tropical plant growth like for instance elephant ears. Elephant ears get HUGE in high humidity. Is it a main factor in tropical spiders? hmmmmmm......
 

ratluvr76

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I read an article one time that posited the theory that everything used to be alot bigger than it is now. Plants were huge, Animals, insects, everything because the earth was about 10-15 degrees hotter on average around the globe than it is now and much more humid too. I'm not sure how accurate it was but definately made me think. I had been looking up stuff on Titanboa and prehistoric animals like that that have been discovered.
 

cold blood

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I read an article one time that posited the theory that everything used to be alot bigger than it is now. Plants were huge, Animals, insects, everything because the earth was about 10-15 degrees hotter on average around the globe than it is now and much more humid too. I'm not sure how accurate it was but definately made me think. I had been looking up stuff on Titanboa and prehistoric animals like that that have been discovered.
If I'm not mistaken a main reason was higher oxygen content in the atmosphere. Imagine walking through the jungle with a 35+" Pamphobetus or Acanthoscurria or Poec waiting by your path. You'd be watching for big dinosaurs and get snatched up by a huge t or other predatory invert.
 

gumby

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Anybody notice that Poecilotheria rufilata grows much faster than the other Poecilotheria?
when I had my regulars I notice it grew much faster then my other poeci. I also felt like it was more docile then my other Ts accept for my P. metallica.
 

Akai

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If I'm not mistaken a main reason was higher oxygen content in the atmosphere. Imagine walking through the jungle with a 35+" Pamphobetus or Acanthoscurria or Poec waiting by your path. You'd be watching for big dinosaurs and get snatched up by a huge t or other predatory invert.
Can you imagine a tarantula the size of a skateboard or larger? :eek:
 

Poec54

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Thanks for the info, Poec54. What temperatures do you keep your P. ornata at? :)
Most of my spiders are warm, 90 daytime for half the year and 80 at night. The other half of the year they're 75-80 daytime and 65-70 nights. Room humidity is usually 50-60%. Spiders grow fast like this.

I keep my high elevation Poecs under a/c (rufilata, smithi, and subfusca) so they're mid to high 70's. Humidity is lower.

---------- Post added 08-28-2014 at 06:25 AM ----------

Is it temperature or humidity the main factor for growth rates in tropical species?
I think temp is the biggest factor, but that humidity plays a part too. When you have both, you get the best growth.
 

MrCrackerpants

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Most of my spiders are warm, 90 daytime for half the year and 80 at night. The other half of the year they're 75-80 daytime and 65-70 nights. Room humidity is usually 50-60%. Spiders grow fast like this.

I keep my high elevation Poecs under a/c (rufilata, smithi, and subfusca) so they're mid to high 70's. Humidity is lower.

---------- Post added 08-28-2014 at 06:25 AM ----------



I think temp is the biggest factor, but that humidity plays a part too. When you have both, you get the best growth.
Wow! That is warm. I keep my at 75 all year.
 

Mike41793

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I second what poec said. All my T's get warmer temps in the summer and their growth rates are far quicker! :)
 

awiec

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I haven't owned rufilata yet and this definitely makes me want to get a few. But all being males...I wouldn't be so sure. I've had three girls recently make the "males mature faster" adage seem like maybe a myth-or at least an over-generalization. My largest P.cancerides, B.albopilosum and P.ornata are all female. Each one obtained at the same sizes as the others of their group, each fed no differently than their siblings and yet...the cancerides and albo are about 2 molts ahead of their siblings and molt confirmed females and my P.ornata, while only ventrally sexed(but I'm very confident, hopefully this next molt will prove me right), is nearly twice the size of the two siblings who remain in my care.
I have a female P.regalis who is keeping pace with my suspect male P.vittata and she is turning out the most "spirited" the vittata just likes to chill in his hole. They are kept the same and fed the same food, but he molts more often while she has larger gains when she decides to. Those rufilata just could just have some strong genes or their ideal environment has been provided to them so bravo to the OP.
 

Pociemon

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Anybody notice that Poecilotheria rufilata grows much faster than the other Poecilotheria? I had/have a good number of Poecilotheria slings and my newest group of communal Poecilotheria rufilata slings are growing VERY fast. All factors are equal with my other Poecilotheria slings but (WOW!) they are getting big fast...maybe they are all males? :) Even then they seem to be growing faster than my other Poecilotheria that ended up being males. Even seem faster that my Poecilotheria ornata male slings.
I have noticed that the poecs you can keep in communals grow faster than they normally do. I am sure it is because of the increased competition for food. Of course temps play an important role. But i think under normal circumstances ornata grows faster than rufilata. Actually i see alot of poecs that grows faster than rufilata. I am sure it has to do with you keeping them communal.
 

Smokehound714

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If I'm not mistaken a main reason was higher oxygen content in the atmosphere. Imagine walking through the jungle with a 35+" Pamphobetus or Acanthoscurria or Poec waiting by your path. You'd be watching for big dinosaurs and get snatched up by a huge t or other predatory invert.
Well, spiders never got big enough to kill dinosaurs (with the exception of small gliding species). I remember when BBC incorrectly identified a species of seascorpion as an enormous spider. The largest species ever known (leg length) was a species a nephila, and even that wasnt too much larger than the largest spiders alive today.

Insects never got particularly enormous, save for giant griffinflies the largest of which had wingspans of 30 inches or more. But still not large enough to kill any dinosaurs with the exception of tiny dromaeosaurs or troodontids..

IMO insects got larger because air was "thicker" back then, and not because of high oxygen levels. With denser air, it's similar to being in water, in a sense. Which is much more realistic IMO than simply higher oxygen content fueling massive growth. There are theories that suggest many dromaeosauridae were capable of gliding, even with such short feathers, like velociraptor. In such a dense atmosphere it's certainly possible, and decreasing oxygen levels requiring a lighter smaller body, and longer larger wings certainly makes sense to me!
 

BobGrill

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There were no flying dinosaurs. There were only pterosaurs which were flying reptiles :p
 

ratluvr76

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They are finding that a lot of dinosaurs actually had feathers.
 

BobGrill

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Old news. Pterosaurs most likely didn't since they were in a separate class from dinosaurs. It's unlikely that larger dinosaurs had feathers. A hatching T.rex was likely covered in a light fluffy down, much like a hatchling bird. Adults probably didn't have any feathers. Or so some scientists believe.
 
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