this will be interesting, the ones i obtained from you are also not nearly as fat, though they are healthy and happy in their new home.

Till when do you intend keeping them communal?

The plan is to keep these with their mother for the time being. Seeing that the second egg case has hatched, I will take five from that and add to this communal in the hope that they will be accepted. The third egg case will hatch by the end of August or early September. I will take five from those and add to this communal as well.

Once I have the 15 living together, I will construct an enclosure big enough to house 15 adults. Once this is completed, I will remove the adult female and place the 15 juveniles into their new home. I envisage a 1700 X 800 X 800 enclosure with slopes and rocky outcrops, resembling the slopes of the Deksam plateau in Socotra. Here they will remain into adulthood and with any luck, reproduce naturally by 2013/14.

It has been a dream of mine for years, now it is happening...

Cant wait to see pics of that set up..

Scarab, that is going to be epic.
Can't wait to see it completed!!

I sort of can't wait either. The advantage in my case is the abundance of young I will have by the end of the year. I acknowledge that many keepers would want a few, and they will surely get some, the opportunity to create a "one of a kind" communal has been an obsession from the day I learnt of their possible communal behavior. I am not very scientifically orientated and not an expert on Tarantulas by any stretch of the imagination, but what I have learnt and now know about M balfouri and their amazing nature gives me enough confidence to go large. I could probably write volumes on what I have noticed about their behavior, parenting and tolerance towards each other.

The communal setup is something I must do, not only for personal satisfaction, but to share with those interested enough to read. One day in the not to distant future, more communal setups and ultimately more M balfouri will be in the hobby.

Then, the cherry on this already magnificent cake will be a month or so in Socotra, walking the Deksam highlands with local herdsman looking for "Fitams". This will be documented in detail. If it was not for the political instability in Yemen, my wife and I would have been there already... We shall see...

Scarab wrote:

If it was not for the political instability in Yemen, my wife and I would have been there already

Have you got place for one more? :whistle: :whistle: Just joking :laugh:


We are all waiting!! The anticipation is killing me!!!! :woohoo: :woohoo: