Body Length or DLS?

Diagonal Legspan or Body Length?

  • Diagonal Legspan

    Votes: 35 87.5%
  • Body Length

    Votes: 5 12.5%

  • Total voters
    40

Theist 17

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
50
Which one is your preferred method of measuring your T's?

I prefer legspan because it gives me an excuse to handle my spider, and it gives me reference points for describing it to other people. Instead of saying "About an inch and three quarters in diagonal legspan" I can say, "Measuring across its legspan, it's about the size of my little finger."

It also makes me feel less impatient about the growth of my G. pulchripes, haha.
 

Dr Who

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 21, 2011
Messages
10
I think it's mostly a geographical thing..
Europeans (such as German and Dutch folk) use body length as an indicator more often.
I prefer DLS though, or both!

Just don't forget to mention which method is used when describing your specimen!
 
Last edited:

Theist 17

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
50
I think it's mostly a geographical thing..
Europeans (such as German and Dutch folk) use body length as an indicator more often.
I prefer DLS though, or both!

Just don't forget to mention which method is used when describing your specimen!
Oh, I see now. I had wondered if geography had anything to do with it. Thanks for the info!

By the way, I totally agree. The reason I started this thread was to see which measurement was more common so I could have a better guess at what someone was referring to when they said their spider was at one inch in a different thread. The accompanying pictures seem to indicate that they are using a body length measurement, but I wanted to make sure.
 

SamuraiSid

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
758
I much prefer BL to DLS, but Im Canadian and respect that whole geographic thingy.

I measure DLS when the T is sitting there comoftably. But what I see as comfortable is maybe not the same as you. but I have seen some people say the measurement is when the T is completely stretched out. I think it gives people the opportunity to exagerate and dont appreciate it in that respect.
 

jayefbe

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
1,351
I have issues with both, although I tend to use DLS since I feel it more accurately conveys the size of a tarantula. For example, unless you are very familiar with a species, body length may be misleading. A leggy species, like anything from Xenesthis, will sound much smaller if just using body length.

Conversely, DLS is more difficult to measure. As SamuraiSid already mentioned, what constitutes a relaxed pose is not consistent from one hobbyist to the next. I also feel as though some do exaggerate DLS when sharing the sizes of their tarantulas. Whenever I hear of a monstrous specimen without visual proof, my first reaction is that it was exaggerated or measured in a strange way.

So in conclusion, I use DLS but only as a ballpark estimate to help describe the developmental stage and size. Whenever I've sold tarantulas in the past I have always deliberately underestimated DLS. I'd prefer my buyers/trade partners to be pleasantly surprised when unpacking.
 

Theist 17

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
50
This is all very interesting to me, so thanks for the input so far, guys.

I never thought about the "legginess" of different species. Fair point on the "relaxed" pose, as well.


What are some methods you all use to measure?
 

rockhopper

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
114
I have issues with both, although I tend to use DLS since I feel it more accurately conveys the size of a tarantula. For example, unless you are very familiar with a species, body length may be misleading. A leggy species, like anything from Xenesthis, will sound much smaller if just using body length.

Conversely, DLS is more difficult to measure. As SamuraiSid already mentioned, what constitutes a relaxed pose is not consistent from one hobbyist to the next. I also feel as though some do exaggerate DLS when sharing the sizes of their tarantulas. Whenever I hear of a monstrous specimen without visual proof, my first reaction is that it was exaggerated or measured in a strange way.

So in conclusion, I use DLS but only as a ballpark estimate to help describe the developmental stage and size. Whenever I've sold tarantulas in the past I have always deliberately underestimated DLS. I'd prefer my buyers/trade partners to be pleasantly surprised when unpacking.
My thoughts exactly. Body length, while fairly accurate, seems to not accurately portray size for all species and DLS is popular but fairly inaccurate IMO.
 

Jared781

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
555
DLS is official.. YET its not accurate, in my opinion!

its hard to get the legs PERFECT and even to be able to measure.. example: when we measure how tall we are we stand straight and measure head to feet... we dont put our hands up and measure fingertips to feet right?

DEFFINITELY misleading! i have a P. regalis, and when stretched out it reaches 4", when i acquired him/her at 1.5"... IT ONLY MOLTED ONCE!!!!
 

SamuraiSid

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
758
This is all very interesting to me, so thanks for the input so far, guys.

I never thought about the "legginess" of different species. Fair point on the "relaxed" pose, as well.


What are some methods you all use to measure?
I never really thoguht about the 'leginess' aspect myself either, but Im definately mroe interested in overall bulk. To each their own I suppose.

Before my collection really started to grow, Id spend more time staring at my two mature T's than my wife:sarcasm:
I start noticing difference between uncomfortable, comfortable and totally relaxed (completely stretched out). I just measured the length of my index finger and hold it over the T. They are all approximations.
 

grayzone

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
2,461
i like DLS.. i eye mine in a relaxed pose (my eye is great, ive been a carpenter for the last decade so i know measurement) if they havent molted in my care, or if i wanna be REAL picky ill measure the exuvia like my post (#894) in this thread > http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?210472-Who-molted-today/page60 id call Jheri 4"....... he's now about 5" or 5.25 MAX... im assuming PU at this point, and likely to be a MM with the next molt
 

Dr Who

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 21, 2011
Messages
10
I have issues with both, although I tend to use DLS since I feel it more accurately conveys the size of a tarantula. For example, unless you are very familiar with a species, body length may be misleading. A leggy species, like anything from Xenesthis, will sound much smaller if just using body length.

Conversely, DLS is more difficult to measure. As SamuraiSid already mentioned, what constitutes a relaxed pose is not consistent from one hobbyist to the next. I also feel as though some do exaggerate DLS when sharing the sizes of their tarantulas. Whenever I hear of a monstrous specimen without visual proof, my first reaction is that it was exaggerated or measured in a strange way.

So in conclusion, I use DLS but only as a ballpark estimate to help describe the developmental stage and size. Whenever I've sold tarantulas in the past I have always deliberately underestimated DLS. I'd prefer my buyers/trade partners to be pleasantly surprised when unpacking.
100% Agree with everything said here.
Ultimately making this whole discussion quite pointless..
 

Theist 17

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
50
100% Agree with everything said here.
Ultimately making this whole discussion quite pointless..
I wouldn't say pointless, but I'd definitely say that that post has explained things very well.
 

creepa

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
260
Bodylength is the most accurate... With dls it is more of an guessing game because the legs are allmost never streched out while bodylength is allways bodylength
 
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