definitions

[paul fleming]

Hi all,
Can anybody tell me the exact meaning in relation to size/maturity in tarantulas of the terms.....
sling......juvenile.....sub adult and adult ?
Eg.....what size and age would a juvenile be ?
Thank you
paul

[Kurt Baird]

It all depends on the species.

A 2 year old B.smithi would probably be classed as a juvi yet a 2 year old OBT would be an adult / sub-adult; and a 6" B smithi might be classed as an adult but a T.blondi wouldn't.

I personally go sling up until it gets adult coloration, at which points it becomes a juvenile. When it gets pretty close to its adult size (within an inch or two) I go for sub-adult.

[Lisa Ashforth]

I've got a C. elegans which is about 1" legspan, and it's adult or nearly so. If it's male it'll probably mature next moult. But I've got a T. blondi who is about 7" and she's got a lot of growing to do yet.

I'd go with what Kurt said. Once a sling shows adult colour I'd call it a juvenile, and would call it sub adult once it was maybe 2/3 adult size and looked like a mini-adult.

Of course a male isn't "adult" until he has his maturing moult.

[Peter Lacey]

I don't think I've seen a table that describes this but by my reconning
sling up to 4th moult
juvenile up to 7th moult
sub-adult up to maturing moult which might be 8th or 9th moult.

[Phil Rea]

A juvenile shows adult colouration, an adult has either emboli or fully sclerotised spermathecae, a sub-adult is one or two moults away from maturity.

[paul fleming]

Thanks all
Just seems to me that these are common phrases used in the hobby so I thought there would be a definitive answer like Phil has said