# OK...stupid newb question



## Creepy Crawler (Mar 3, 2011)

Is there a diagram or chart that classifies the age groups of tarantulas?  If not, is there someone here who is willing to break down the age categories for me?

For instance, when are tarantulas instars vs slings, or slings vs juveniles?  When does a juvenile become a sub-adult...or are they the same thing?

Please advise, and WITHOUT telling me to "go buy [_so-and-so's_] book"...I have wicked ADHD and simply do not have the patience to filter through an entire book to find the specific information I require.  That's why I always wait for the movie!!

Thanks guys.


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## Spidershane1 (Mar 3, 2011)

Eggs are what the T lays in the sac.
Eggs w/ legs are when the eggs sprout a little carapace and legs.
1st instar is when the eggs w/ legs molt and look like little spiders.
2nd instar is after the next molt & they start to look like tarantulas.
So on and so forth 3rd 4th 5th 6th etc instars(or L3, L4, L5, etc).
Sling is anything from 1st instar to maybe 2 inches.
Juvie is from 2in to about 4in.
Sub adult is 4 to 5in. 
Adult is when they mature so between 5-6in.

This is just how I classify em, so I dont know if there is a scientific standard or anything. Other people may do it a lil different. Also this is for a "normal" sized tarantula that grows 5-6in at adult size. Dwarf species or the giants will obviously be different sizes at the different stages of growth.

Reactions: Like 1


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## xhexdx (Mar 3, 2011)

So how do you classify something like H. incei or C. elegans?

Also, with tarantulas, we don't use L3, L4, L5, etc.  They're all instars.


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## JC (Mar 4, 2011)

Spidershane1 said:


> *Eggs w/ legs* are when the eggs sprout a little carapace and legs.


The term *post-embryo* should be used instead.




Spidershane1 said:


> 2nd instar is after the next molt & they start to look like tarantulas.


Exceptions to this rule include _P.metallica_, _P. miranda _ and some others which become hunting spiders at *third* instar.




xhexdx said:


> So how do you classify something like H. incei or C. elegans?


What do you mean?


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## Creepy Crawler (Mar 4, 2011)

OK, so I was given this L.difficilis sling, 







and it just molted into this...








Is it still a "sling"? If so, how many more molts until its NOT a sling?


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## Hobo (Mar 4, 2011)

IME, terms like sling and juvenile/juvie are arbitrary. When it's really small you call it a sling. When it's bigger, but not big enough yet to be an adult, it's a juvie. When its nearly adult size, but sexually immature, its a sub-adult. When it's big enough to breed, it's an adult.

Why do you need to know what to call it? Are planning no sellin it? Giving a DLS should suffice.

JC, I think Joe was referring to their size. Giving specific measurements for what constitutes a sling/juvie/adult in the post before his is silly, seeing as how those spiders get to be only around 2.5"


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## 2oCHEVYo0 (Mar 4, 2011)

You can't really say a certain size means it's a sling, juvi, sub adult, or adult. Tarantula's do not all get to the same size as adults. For instance, dwarf's are not considered slings at 1-1/2" to 2" because some of them are fully mature at those sizes. There is no set standard for age that all tarantulas follow. 

IMO it depends on the tarantula and what the average size is of that tarantula when it reaches maturity. Say you have a spider that matures at around 6". I would say that it be considered a sling right up to 1-1/2" as that would be 1/4 of its mature size. Then juvenile up until 3" from that point and so on. And adult would be anything after 6" for it.


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## Creepy Crawler (Mar 4, 2011)

Hobo said:


> Why do you need to know what to call it? Are planning no sellin it?


No, it was a gift...I would give it away if I wanted to get rid of it.  I was just curious because its my very first sling and my first attempt at "raising" a tarantula (all my others I purchased as adult/sub-adult), so as I photograph its development I wanted to catalog it correctly.  That's all.

Thank you everyone for the input...much appreciated (as always).


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## Falk (Mar 4, 2011)

Imo they are juveniles when they get the adult coloration. Ex. when a _Pamphobeteus spp._ loose their christmas tree they are a juvenile, when a A. versicolor get red setae on the abdomen it is juvenile.


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## Arachnethegreek (Mar 4, 2011)

The term instar related to how many times the spider has molted since hatching, so 1st instar 2nd instar etc. 
Spiderling (sling) is usually the term given to a spider over the first few molts, but not yet past being a baby. (usually still in 1/10 or 2/10 it's adult size. 
Juvie would related to about 3/10-5/10 size. Still small but not a baby anymore
Sub adult would relate to almost full age, kind of a teenage stage. 5/10-7/10 size
Adult is fully mature and would be 8/10- full size. 

Bear in mind I'm guestimating here


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