What to do with adult female b. smithi?

[Sharno]

Hey all, wanted a quick opinion.

I have an adult female (presumably) B. smithi - not hamorri. She was sold to me as B. smithi a couple of years before the name change. Like a lot of people, I assumed she was B. hamorii after that.

A few different times more experienced keepers have seen very up close photos of her carapace and said "oh, that's a B. smithi." For the life of me, I cannot tell the difference. Enough people have told me this, so I am leaning toward believing it.

I keep a few B. hamorii adult females and have attempted some breeding when I come across a mature male. If I succeed at some point, great, if not, that's fine too.

My question is - what do I do with her? If she is indeed B. smithi and not hamorii, I don't want to breed her with a MM b. hamorii obviously. Should I attempt to trade or sell her to someone who may want to pair her with a confirmed MM b. smithi, or are hobbyists pretty much focused on B. hamorii anyway and the B. smithi lines will disappear?

The best scenario would be if someone who had the knowledge and was 100% sure if their skill could verify she was indeed B. smithi and wanted her for that reason. I am hesitant to label her as 100% B. smithi but I also don't want to pair her with any of my MM B. hamorri.

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[Killertut]

supply the community with some pictures and we might be able to identify it.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

The option of "No, I will continue to care for her until natural death" (since your specimen is a female) isn't ok?

 

[Minty]

Posting a photo would help with identification.

Either way, I'd just keep her and enjoy taking care of her.

 

[EtienneN]

I don't think B. smithi are in such high demand that giving her up to breed "for the greater good of her species" is necessary. It sounds like she's a nice spider. Enjoy her and if she is a smithi relish in the fact that you have a unique tarantula!

 

[Sharno]

supply the community with some pictures and we might be able to identify it.

Sure let me get some good close ups of her tonight.

The option of "No, I will continue to care for her until natural death" (since your specimen is a female) isn't ok?

Of course not, that's the absolute default solution I just didn't know if people were actively trying to keep the specific line intact and hoping to breed.

Let's see if I can get these two photos posted -- I am told one is hamorii and the other is smithi. Any ideas?

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Let's see if I can get these two photos posted -- I am told one is hamorii and the other is smithi. Any ideas? View attachment 310713 View attachment 310714

They are both B. hamorii. We just went through this in a recent post for another person. Carapace patterns are irrelevant. Both of your’s have white hairs on the legs which indicate B. hamorii. B. smithi has yellow hairs on the legs. Feel free to pair your B. hamorii males with both!

Since you have females, you can further diagnose the species by the shape of the spermathecae baseplates.

Edit: I just remembered I posted instructions on using the spermatheca for distinguishing B. hamorii from B. smithi. The whole thread is a good read as well. Click click

 

[The Grym Reaper]

A few different times more experienced keepers have seen very up close photos of her carapace and said "oh, that's a B. smithi."

You can't use carapace colour to identify them, too much variation between specimens, my hamorii and smithi have virtually identical carapaces.

Let's see if I can get these two photos posted -- I am told one is hamorii and the other is smithi. Any ideas?

Both hamorii

 

[viper69]

Sure let me get some good close ups of her tonight.


Of course not, that's the absolute default solution I just didn't know if people were actively trying to keep the specific line intact and hoping to breed.

Let's see if I can get these two photos posted -- I am told one is hamorii and the other is smithi. Any ideas? View attachment 310713 View attachment 310714

Not Smithi