The Life Cycle of the Male Mouse Spider

The life cycle of the male mouse spider of Australia is not one of the most romantic to be sure. The male mouse spider lives a life of frustration and danger for the most part and it all ends kind of suddenly.

When the male mouse spider is born, they stay in the burrow and feed until they mature. This burrow is a trap door built into the soil from which they spring out and take their food. This takes about two years for most male mouse spiders. Once they hit the mature, ripe old age of 2, they head out in search of a female mouse spider to party with and mate.

At this point, the mouse spider is fully grown. They have very large fangs and grow to about 2 centimeters in length. Unlike many other spider species, the mouse spider is very bulky looking. They are quick to raise up on their hind legs and show their fangs if they feel threatened. This is very similar to the deadly funnel-web spiders of the region.

While out in the open and searching for their mating partner, the mouse spider is at great risk of being killed. Other predators including human beings present danger at every turn, and the male must certainly be rather careful. These male mouse spiders are often seen wandering around on the ground after a rain, and are occasionally mistaken for the deadly funnel-web spiders of Australia.

The mouse spiders are highly aggressive in much the same way as the funnel-webs are, but they are thought to have less toxic venom. Still, a mouse spider bite to a human is dangerous and requires medical attention right away. Some people react in similar fashion as they would to a funnel-web bite.

Once the mouse spider finds a suitable mate, they enter the burrow of the female. The female never leaves their burrow for their entire lifetime, unless they are dug up by accident or hunted by a predator. They tend to live a bit longer than the male for sure.

This romance between the female and male mouse spider is short lived. They mate and then the male mouse spider dies. Thus ends the life cycle of the male mouse spider. While it is a short life, it is also an important one to the species. Given that the females never leave the burrow, the males are given the challenge of heading into dangerous worlds to find their mate.

Source:

Mouse Spider Fact Sheet