Can you cross-breed tarantulas? This is a very controversial topic to cover. However, the answer is quite simple, although there are caveats which we will explain in more detail in this article.
In short, yes, it is possible to cross breed a tarantula. Hybrid speciation is a huge area of research for molecular studies and the like. Does hybridization occur in the wild? Yes, it does but not as often as you would believe. However, for tarantula keeping hobbyists, this is very frowned upon.
Now we have provided you with the basic answer, keep reading to find out what species are able to cross breed, why it’s generally thought of as a bad idea and more!
Why Are Hobbyists So Against Cross Breeding?
There are hobbyists who truly care about the hobby. The hobby involves keeping a true bloodline to sustain species. Note that “species” and “breed” are entirely different. Using an analogy of cats and dogs for example, two breeds can reproduce and still make the same species.
Pairing different species of tarantula is more akin to breeding lions and tigers rather than the domesticated cat. To keep the purity in the species within the hobby, breeders must not hybridize, not to mention what they own now may be illegal to own ten years from now.
Of course, there is also the fact that maintaining pure blood lines means these tarantulas can potentially be re-introduced into the wild if the population become damaged.
A cross bred tarantula, however, obviously becomes useless for this purpose.
Unscrupulous dealers will sell cross-bred tarantulas as exact species purely for profit. Hybrids often look very similar to the real thing and will eventually make their way into the hobby among unsuspecting collectors and breeders. Someone may purchase a tarantula as a sling thinking that they’ve acquired a certain breed only to find out it’s a cross breed and unfit for carry on the lineage.
It is therefore advisable to always purchase your tarantulas from a reputable breeder.
Different Reproductive Organs
Regardless of what the true hobbyist thinks, cross breeding is generally only possible between closely-related species.
The reproductive organs of tarantulas differ quite remarkably in design which can end in an unfertile egg sac or no egg sac at all (animals can overcome mechanical incompatibility of genitals, but not secondary genetic and karyologic incompatibility).
Also, different species of tarantula have different mating dances/calls. It goes without saying therefore, that a distantly related male may not be able to calm a female successfully from a different species before mating.
Close Cross Breeding
Examples of the importance of this closeness is the cross breeding between different Brachypelma tarantulas for example. Cross breeding a b.smithi with a b.emilia will result in a fertile egg sack yielding hundreds of tarantulas that will live for decades. However, at the end of the day they are still hybrids.
Dangers of Cross Breeding
The main two dangers of cross-breeding (from a scientific viewpoint) is the lack of egg sac or infertile egg sac and the danger that the male may end up as a tasty meal for the female if she is unable to correctly identify his drumming (mating ritual/dance).
In summary, if a tarantula is of the same sub-species, it is possible (although not advised) to cross breed them.