Haplopelma Albostriatum Question

[Matthew Baines]

I bought a juvenile H. Albostriatum at Newark show and it recently shed . It is only about 3 inch leg span but it has what looks like tibial hooks and if my eyes aren't deceiving me (barring in mind my eye's do often deceive me !!!) what looks like very small emboli on the end of the palps. Is this just a coincidence or do juvenile male spiders sometimes show signs like this? I'm rather confused !

Cheers

Matt the Colin Slayer

[Colin D Wilson]

I bought a juvenile H. Albostriatum at Newark show and it recently shed . It is only about 3 inch leg span but it has what looks like tibial hooks and if my eyes aren't deceiving me (barring in mind my eye's do often deceive me !!!) what looks like very small emboli on the end of the palps. Is this just a coincidence or do juvenile male spiders sometimes show signs like this? I'm rather confused !

I've noticed some considerable size difference between male and female in the Haplopelma genus Matt, and a 3 inch male doesn't sound that unusual to me in my limited experience with these spiders.
there's an interesting piece by Guy here

http://giantspiders.com/article16.html

Matt the Colin Slayer

Damn!!!!

[Ray Hale]

Your spider is no longer a sub adult male Matthew. If it has the hooks and the bulbs the it is now mature. H.albostriatum males are often quite small.

Ray

[Matthew Baines]

Thanks for that think its time he went out for loan then

[Lisa Baines]

I didn't realise the males could be sooo dinky!
better keep him well fed to take on the mighty female!