Rare tarantula species bred in captivity for first time

Zoo keepers at the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom said they were excited to see hundreds of baby spider burst from the ground as it signified the first time Montserrat tarantulas were successfully bred in captivity.

(This is probably the first time anyone has ever been excited to see hundreds of baby spiders burst from the ground)

The tarantula species is known to only inhabit one Caribbean island, and this tiny range makes them highly vulnerable to extinction.

They newborn spiders were bred from 13 individuals that a Chester zoo keeper brought back from the island in 2013. Three years of study have led to this inspiring birth, the researchers told BBC News.

“It’s kind of a race against time, whether you can synchronize the sexual maturity between individuals,” said Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo’s curator of lower vertebrates.

Differences in lifespan make for breeding difficulties

The main breeding hurdle facing Montserrat tarantulas is the fact that males live for about 30 months and the females live much longer and develop at a different pace. Like other species, the females may not see an approaching male as a suitor.

“The female can take it as a prey, rather than a partner,” Garcia said. “There were a lot of sweaty moments.”

To make the breeding happen, the biologists at the zoo observed the spiders’ courtship routine. The ritual begins with the male beating out a complex rhythm on the female’s web, which is typically located on the ground close to her burrow. The scientists said they thought they observed three successful matings, and had to wait to see if their efforts were successful after three possibly-pregnant female disappeared for some time.

“They literally dig a burrow in the ground, and they’re gone,” Garcia said. “They don’t feed, they don’t show up, we don’t know what’s going on. You just have to leave it for several months and see what happens.

“Then eventually… spiders started popping out of the earth like crazy. From one single burrow, one female, we had about 200 tarantulas – tiny spiderlings.”

The hatchlings represent the first juvenile specimens of the species that scientists have ever observed.

“We’re keeping them in small, individual pots,” Garcia said. “A member of staff is feeding them one-by-one with small flies, at the beginning. Then we’ll go for bigger prey like crickets.”

The British biologist said being able to observe the spiders’ entire life cycle will further inform future breeding efforts.

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Image credit: Chester Zoo

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