Behavioral ecology of the Colorado brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi): Activities displayed around the burrow through juvenile group dispersal

<p>The life history strategy of the Colorado brown tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi) typically includes males spatially scattering in search for a female mate in the fall, followed by female attendance of fertilized eggs the following summer. Here, I highlighted aspects associated with this female parental care. Specifically, I compared the activities of maternal (egg-attending) tarantulas to their non-maternal (not egg-attending) counterparts, as this may be a costly time for these egg-attending individuals. I concluded that maternal individuals tended to show reduced activity at the burrow entrance, however; these, results were significant in only one comparison. After weeks of this parental care, juveniles will emerge from their silk egg casing before they disperse from the natal site. In the additional study reported in Chapter 5, I describe the first days post-emergence and, ultimately, the group dispersal processes of juveniles. This work provides foundational knowledge towards these particularly understudied aspects of tarantula biology.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year dc:date.available

2024

Author dc:creator

• Allendorfer, Bradley

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cara Shillington, Ph.D.
• Peter Bednekoff, Ph.D.
• Jonathan Hall, Ph.D.

• Natal Dispersal
• Parental Care
• Spiderling
• Tarantula
• Biology
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Zoology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1261

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2597