B.smithi... a male after all?

[Mark Pajak]

could it be that my 9 yr old B.smithi is a male after all? Having moulted about 4 months ago all he/she does is wonder round the tank digging things up and never seems content to sit still and put on weight?

or.. is it likely that this is a just a phase and she'll settle down soon after eating a bit. It just struck me that the abdomen/ leg ratio is a bit on the male side and I assume there are no external features to give me a clue?

[KJ Vezino]

I'd say at that old it has to be a female. The males that I have seen have gone from an inch to mature in 2 years.

If you get a good clear ventral shot, we can try to sex it that way. Does it have enlarged pedipalps?

[Mike Conabeer]

Have to say it's a possibility, a friend of mine had what he assumed to be female for 10 years until "she" molted out into a nice mature male!

Mike.

[Mark Lynes]

Sounds suspiciously male. B smithi is notoriously slow growing.

Mark

[Mark Pennell]

I agree with Mike, I had a B, Smithi over 9 years before it matured into a male, he was a whopper too....

Males will have hooks on the front pair of walking legs and the pedipalps will have swollen ends like the spider is wearing a pair of boxing gloves.

Cheers
Mark

[Mark Pajak]

Thanks for the info.... as yet no spines on forelegs and no swelling of pedipalps - perhaps after another moult?

I'll keep feeding to see if he/she fattens up, but I just always assumed it was a female (have had the spidfer since was a sling)