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RE: Funnel Webs
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by theemojohnm on November 17, 2010
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Forgot to mention that I traded that female off to a friend, with some other inverts and a few snakes during a remodel of my herp building some time back.
I haven't talked to him in a while now, but I believe that he still has that female, and last I heard (around this time, last year I think), that spider was still doing well..
Next time I talk to him, I will ask if he still has her, and how she's doing.
Anyone know what the average lifespan is for the Hexathelidae species? If she is still alive, that has to be a 6-7 year old spider!
For some reason, I didn't think that their lifespans were as long as most of the Theraphosidae species, the tarantulas, but again, I could be wrong..
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by hajelegionis on December 19, 2010
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Hi,
The Sydney funnel web is not available in the Hobby. And if someone would have some for sale the prices would be about some hundred dollars per Spider.
Some people buy Macrothele calpeiana as the real deal....:) Without doubting that they got some Atrax robustus.
Macrothele sp. are available without problems.
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by theemojohnm on December 19, 2010
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I am very certain that these were in fact, A. robustus.
This was a few years ago, but I am willing to bet that many specimens from this line are still out there.
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by hajelegionis on December 19, 2010
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Hi John,
you can believe me. You said that you were not that deep into spiders. For unexperienced there is no Chance to see the differences. If you know the phenotypic and taxonomic interesting characteristics that differs the genus from others just tell me.
Its a fact that people searching for atrax get scammed. 30.- is usual for Macrothele and faaar away from what people would take for atrax. If someone sells atrax for 30.- it is no atrax. Even if you put a additional zero to it (300) it is not the price some people are willing to pay for them.
Next to this is the problem about raising them to adults. They are, as far as I`ve heard from people knowing someone that has the permit to keep this species for scientific researches, extremely hard to keep alive if not adult.
Getting atrax is much harder then getting Oxyuranus microlepidotus.
If there where atrax robustus on a exotic animal show it would have echoed trough the hobby.
You know that sellers on shows have the chance to look around long before the normal costumers come in? Atrax are one of the animals which were selled directly long before normal keepers can get a look at them.
Someone selling them for 30.- don`t know what he have there. And someone not knowing what he have will never get one. Or he sells Macrothele. Thats the deal.
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by hajelegionis on December 19, 2010
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You wrote something about a line? If there would exists a line of atrax what means someone had bred them, the F1 generation would have produced thousands and thousands little atraxslings which would flood the market.
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by theemojohnm on December 19, 2010
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All that I do know is that someone that I know fairly well has worked with them, and had a moderately large number of them. Whether they were captive bred, or related, I cannot say.
You are right in that I am far from a spider expert, but the guy that worked with said specimens, is, in my opinion, and I have absolutely no reason not to believe him (if they were something else, I would have been informed of it).
The carapace of these specimens was nearly bald, and a brown/plum color, they built the typical tubular webs, and took the raised defensive pose (typical, at least to me), and exposed a jaw structure identical to what I have seen from photos of A. robustus.
I am not familiar with the Macrothele, but from the photos that I just brought up in search, they do not really resemble the specimens that I have seen from this man. In general, they are darker-colored, and the bodies look more elongated and slender compared to the 'robustus' that I have seen from him. (I know general colors can be somewhat variable).. He did mention that the spiderlings were very hard to raise up, and all of these specimens were large (adult or close to it).
$300 seems outrageous for a spider, but hey, I guess I can believe it.. That's nothing compared to the price of some of the snake species I've kept.
You may indeed be right, but I will say that they looked like textbook A. robustus in my (yes, limited) opinion.
By the way, the show which I have encountered this vendor at is a tiny local show. Do you really think that word would have spread so quickly? Or, that just because you haven't heard of captive A. robustus makes it impossible..? Not nit-picking, just looking for an honest opinion. Again, spiders aren't really my thing.
I know that the true robustus are endemic to Sydney hence the common name 'Sydney funnel-web Spider', but there are other Aussy natives in the trade. True, they aren't very common, but they are out there..
Interesting information, thanks for posting.. So, if I was able to get a photo from a friend (the person who ended up with my specimen), you could positively ID it..? Would any special positioning be required for a positive photo ID (that thing is NASTY in temperament!)..? I’m not even 100% sure if he still has the spider, but I will ask, and see if I can get a photo.
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RE: Funnel Webs
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by hajelegionis on December 19, 2010
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Hi,
some people pay 400.- for an adult female Birdeater (P.mettalica). I would never pay such prices for spiders, but that doesn`t mean that nobody would.
Atrax robustus is dark black.
Take a look at this Macrothele:
http://entomogesp.blogspot.es/1195867380/
A Ventral view from the full spider would be enough to say if its a real or not.
Don`t underestimate small Shows. Most "spidercracks" visit every single "garage" show which they can reach. I know really many people in the spiderhobby, and the ones that sell on shows visit every spidershow even if they have to drive some hours. And thats the people which lurk around the tables and catch the higlighst before the show opens.
I don`t wan`t to pick a fight on that but there are so much people searching for atrax and every guy who's into that thing knows its almost impossible.
BTW: Hadronyche sp. is more venomous to humans than atrax.
If someone has a breeding pair of Atrax robustus you can be sure that within a few years the hobby would be full of atrax or at least one of the spiderpros had heard of it.
Try to get some pictures and we`ll see what the critter is or "want to be"...:)
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