Newbie here. My question is what is the minimum size of exuvium for sexing. I bought 4 tarantulas last October and most of them are about 3+ inches now. I tried sexing them via cast skin and suprisingly, it looks like they're all male. I know that sexing at smaller sizes is difficult but the flaps on a 3-4" exuvium are supposed to be visible to the naked eye right? Any thoughts?
Appropriate tarantula size for sexing
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Beary Strange
Arachnodemon
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The answer is at whatever size you have the equipment to see. I, for example, only have my eyeballs and a flashlight so between the 2-3" mark is where I can usually sex--provided they leave their molts intact (I'm looking at you every Poec I own). If you have a microscope, it can be a lot smaller. 3" is more than ample size to be sexed so if even after double checking when the molt is dry, it still looks male, you probably have males.
awiec
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I have a small 10x lens so I can get away with 2 inch molts but for the most part anything above 2 inches is ideal for sexing without instruments. I work in a lab with fancy microscopes so if I was really impatient I could use those (boss even gave me the okay). Yours should be the right size to do normal molt sexing, I have white counters so it makes it easy for me to see the structures if they are there. I know for my male pokies you'll see two curved lines (looks like an atari symbol) instead of a flap or spermathecae.
Beary Strange
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I don't suppose they have a Take Your Fellow Forum Member to Work Day?
Thanks for the replies. I guess I was just fairly unlucky for getting all males for my first 4 Ts. So 3"+ should be good enough to see without scopes? Noted. I actually have access to light microscopes but I intentionally didnt use them because I wanted to train my eyes for future sexing. Thank you again for your opinions.
awiec
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I could ask. My office mate asked if his buddy from a different uni could come up to our lab to do his corner stone project and he got the okay; we even have a high schooler coming in this month to do a study.
Beary Strange
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It happens, even to experienced hobbyists (I have a thread on a similar subject active right now and a very experienced hobbyist posted her luck on getting females vs males); don't let it get you down. Were they all the same species?
No. 4 different species. But I'm not really that disappointed. I bought them for a very cheap price (about 9$ for 3 brachys and 6$ for an lp) and I have learned alot from raising them from 1.5 cm.
ARACHNO-SMACK48
Arachnoknight
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Odds are you are just not seeing the flap or it is folded down. Take a flashlight, a magnifying glass, and a toothpick and look for the flap spermatheca.
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All males is to be expected when only buying one of each species and is the reason why many of us try to buy multiples when possible.
I'll give an example....I have a friend who's been in the hobby nearly as long as myself, actually he was deeper into the hobby sooner than myself. His tendencies are to buy one at a time and just last year he finally raised his FIRST confirmed female from a sling. I have been getting multiples when I could over just the past 2 years.....in just the last year I've raised at least 7 confirmed females, probable a lot more if I was better with sexing smaller ones.
When you have the option to get them cheaply, like you did, buy as many of each species as you can. Had you just dropped an extra $20. you'd likely have a few females
Just something to consider for future purchases.I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.All males is to be expected when only buying one of each species and is the reason why many of us try to buy multiples when possible.
I'll give an example....I have a friend who's been in the hobby nearly as long as myself, actually he was deeper into the hobby sooner than myself. His tendencies are to buy one at a time and just last year he finally raised his FIRST confirmed female from a sling. I have been getting multiples when I could over just the past 2 years.....in just the last year I've raised at least 7 confirmed females, probable a lot more if I was better with sexing smaller ones.
When you have the option to get them cheaply, like you did, buy as many of each species as you can. Had you just dropped an extra $20. you'd likely have a few females