If you have a tarantula, you probably already know that male tarantulas generally live much less than female tarantulas. There are also other differences between male and female tarantulas, including behavioral and gender-specific. In this post, you will find answers to your questions about male vs female tarantulas, how long male tarantulas live, if male tarantulas die after their last molt, if male tarantulas die after mating, how to prolong male tarantula’s lifespan, whether male tarantulas are more aggressive and many other questions.
Are male tarantulas more aggressive (defensive)?
Generally, there is a little difference between male and female tarantula temperaments, and it mainly depends on species. However, sometimes male tarantulas become more skittish or laid back once reaching maturity, as their main goal becomes a search for a female mate.
Are male tarantulas bigger than female tarantulas?
Often, female tarantulas are bigger than male tarantulas. Female tarantulas often have thicker legs and bigger abdomen so they can carry lots of eggs and have larger silk glands.
Having said that, there are some tarantula species in which males have longer legspan than females (even if not thicker). Also, female tarantulas often have simpler pedipalps than males. Pedipalps in females end in claws that are similar to claws on their legs, while in males they end in sperm bulbs.
Male vs female tarantula lifespan
Unfortunately, male tarantulas generally live much less than females.
Male tarantulas mature by 1-3 years of age, while females – 3-6 years. And males generally live for around 6 years, or 2-24 months after reaching sexual maturity and entering their ultimate molt, while females – up to 20 years and more.
Tree-dwelling (arboreal) tarantulas generally live less than ground-dwelling tarantula species. That is because they are more active throughout their lifetime. So, female arboreal tarantulas might live for up to 10 years, and males – even less than that.
Why do female tarantulas live longer than males?
One of the reasons why male tarantulas live less than females is because they spend lots of energy and resources to look for a female mate after reaching sexual maturity.
Once a male tarantula reaches sexual maturity, it starts traveling long distances to look for a mate. During its travels, male tarantula has to stay at various places that might have inadequate humidity levels and other living conditions. And in general, higher activity levels and quick onset of sexual maturity decrease their lifespan.
Do male tarantulas die after mating?
Male tarantulas don’t necessarily die straight after mating, but their lifespan is indeed limited to around 2-30 months after they reach their sexual maturity. Male tarantulas look for a female mate, and after a few receptive females or mating sessions they slowly start to lose their physical strength and die.
An adding factor is that they reduce or stop feeding after reaching sexual maturity and their main goal becomes mating. Spending lots of energy by traveling adds to the reason why they die quickly after reaching maturity. But even captive tarantulas are not saved from this fate, unfortunately.
Do female tarantulas eat male tarantulas?
Female tarantulas might eat male tarantulas, and that’s especially true after mating. The mating process itself allows male to be shielded from female’s attack because of the mating position.
That is why you should not leave male and female tarantulas together after mating. If you want your tarantulas to mate (even a few times), you should introduce a male tarantula into a female’s enclosure.
Right after mating, a female will often kick a male tarantula away from her, and get inside the burrow. But sometimes, she might become aggressive and try to attack and even eat a male. The chances of a female tarantula eating a male are higher if she is hungry.
Why are female tarantulas more expensive than males?
Female tarantulas are generally more expensive and sought after because they live longer than males. While females can live to their 20s and longer, males only generally make it to 5-6 years of age.
Male tarantulas also become skittish after reaching their ultimate molt, and only focus on looking for a female mate. They stop eating, become skittish and often try to escape their tank.
On the other hand, female tarantulas grow at a slower rate, become larger than males, and their behavior doesn’t change much throughout their lives. In this male vs female tarantula battle, females definitely win.
Is my tarantula a male or a female?
To check whether your tarantula is a male or female, you need to look at certain characteristics. First of all, you will not be able to identify your tarantula’s gender while it is a spiderling or a juvenile.
Male tarantulas also start to develop sexual characteristics 1-2 molts before their ultimate molt. And all male characteristics will start being visible after their ultimate molt.
If you have got an adult tarantula, then female tarantulas are generally larger and have a bulkier abdomen. Males have skinnier, even shriveled-looking abdomens. However, male tarantulas often have longer legspan than females, while females have thicker legs.
If your tarantula has possibly reached sexual maturity, you can determine whether it is a male or female. While determining tarantula’s gender can be hard and stressful for them, some owners use their molt to determine the sex.
In mature male tarantulas, a tip (tarsus) of their pedipalp changes its structure – it slightly increases in size or changes its shape to become a structure called cymbium. Cymbium holds a sperm bulb, which ends with embolus (hollow). What is more, male tarantulas develop a straight epigastric furrow between the anterior bok lungs.
Male tarantulas also have tibial hooks or apophyses, which are large hooks at the end of their walking legs. However, not all species of tarantulas have them, so this might be an inaccurate way to determine gender. There are also other gender-specific characteristics, and you often need an experienced keeper to determine a tarantula’s gender.
What should I do if my tarantula has turned out to be a male?
If your tarantula has turned out to be a male, don’t worry. If you wish, you can allow your male tarantula to mate, and sometimes you can agree on getting some spiderlings if mating turns out to be successful.
Also think about positives – you have learned a lot about keeping a pet tarantula, and had fun raising a spiderling or juvenile. Male and female spiderlings and juveniles are pretty much same in terms of behavior.
How to prolong a male tarantula’s lifespan?
If you want to prolong your male tarantula’s lifespan, you might consider moving him to a smaller cage once it reaches maturity. This will make him move around less as he starts feeling the need to look for a female, thus expending less energy.
What is more, you can keep your male tarantula at lower temperatures and feed him same as before (however he is likely to eat less anyway). One of the main things to do to extend your tarantula’s lifespan is to make sure that he always has access to fresh drinking water and that humidity levels are optimal.
Lack of humidity and water are on the main reasons for death in tarantulas or their decreased lifespan, regardless of gender.
You can find a guide on optimal temperature and humidity ranges here (new tab). And if you wish to learn about feeding schedules, see this post.