Is it possible to sex spiderlings at any stage?

[HitokiriSessha]

Is it possible to sex spiderlings at any stage of their development?


I'm rather intent on aqquiring a female Gramostola Rosea and I'd like it as young as possible, is anyone of the opinion that I'd be able to start off with a spiderling?

[St0n3y]

The way I've been informed about tarantula sexing is to examine the cast off skin although if you do a quick search on google there are other ways. The smaller the tarantula the harder they are to examine – like Tescos mentioned you would more than likely need access to a microscope on a small Spiderling..

If you really want a female your probably best getting a juvenile or sub adult off a breeder – in my experience most pet shops will not tell you the gender.

When I first started keeping tarantulas I was also very keen to get just a female but found it hard to get a guaranteed female unless you buy an adult. My advise is to just take the plunge and buy a spiderling the odds are in your favour of getting a female. If yours turns out to be a male then there are always breeders who will take him off you in various deals (buy, trade, 50/50 etc)

[Carl Portman]

SEXING SPIDERS

It is a generally accepted principle on the British Tarantula Theraphosid Sexing Course, that sexual determination of spiderlings is best done from fifth moult onwards. There are exceptions, but that is the answer to your question. Good luck.

[Steve_Nunn]

Re: SEXING SPIDERS

Do you guys sex theraphosids by location of epiandrous fusillae??? I undertsand with some species this can be difficult, but a determination can be made far earlier in the spiders life then waiting for spermethecae to develop.

Thanks,
Steve Nunn

[Larry Loos]

sexing young spiders

Once tarantulas reach around 3 inches they should be sexable.

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

he-he...
one of my favourit topics here

As far as I remeber and as Carl said it is possible to determine the sex of theraphosids after 5th molt.
Why fifth?
I think it is because of people who are long time in hobby and practicing with sexing spiderlings by exuvium noticed that a spermathecae is possible to find in most theraphosids after 5-6th moilt depending on species (or not?), but...
As far as i dig on this subject not any documentary except the only one describing this can be found. The one I mean is fairly old papers by Galiano, 1984 and Stradling, 1978...
Is it hard to made a project would be usefull for ALL in hobby on behalf of the BTS to made some studies this way?

"Study of developing the spermathecae of theraphosid spiders of the World"
The subject of the study:
To determine and find at which study in didderent theraphosid subfamilies the spermatecae starts to developing.
"Method"
Established a small groups of spiderlings of different genera belonging to different all exist subfamilies of Theraphosidae, raise them from nymphs and examine every molt of the groups representatives with writing data of every group.
==========
Something like the above... ?

I'm ready to take part in this if I can, but I do not have any handful technic like binocular or microscope for this study, but I think this is a good idea... very needed long ago for hobby..

As as rezult I can tell You for shure that it would be rather different for different genera...
I'm not Nostradamus but I like to think hard on the problems I faced to find the way out as I possible to do...

Maybe some of the interest for BTS and theATA, Steve? In a part of the Aussie selenocosmiinae fauna?

As far as the determining the sex by fusillae I always do it it is some species and even groups which is not good for this method but most of terrestrials like Brachypelma, Nhandu, Theraphosa (only blondi in my case, etc) it is far simple after several years of practice and some mistakes in the past, but works well.
I know some people tell that spermatheace is the only way to... and i'm not dispute this. but this one I've found rather usefull too, since so it based also on tarantula anatomy as well...
BTW the fussilae method also works on the defferent species from 6-7th molt...

Anyone wants to conduct the study, Carl or...?