That is spermathecae, correct? I was a little unsure because I can only see it when the molt is damp. Is it normal to not see it when the molt is dry? Also wondering if it just hasn't fully developed yet and that's why...?
Not a molt expert by any means but I do know putting the molt in some water with a drop of dish soap helps it open up easier to give you a better look. So don't worry about not seeing it dry!!
Here is what an A. avicularia females spermathecae looks like. Let the molt dry out then backlight it. The spermathecae should be very obvious at 4.5" though they could be folded over, if you don't see anything obvious it's a male.
Not a molt expert by any means but I do know putting the molt in some water with a drop of dish soap helps it open up easier to give you a better look. So don't worry about not seeing it dry!!
That's actually exactly what I did! And that's when I was able to see what I'm prettyyyy sure is the spermathecae. My aphonopelma chalcodes' was just so obvious right off the bat without soaking it. So yes, for now I won't worry about not seeing it when it's dry. I think it's just not quite developed enough or maybe certain species it's really only visible when it's damp. Thanks!
Here is what an A. avicularia females spermathecae looks like. Let the molt dry out then backlight it. The spermathecae should be very obvious at 4.5" though they could be folded over, if you don't see anything obvious it's a male.
That's exactly what I was thinking- that it should be pretty obvious at this size. I don't really see anything obvious until I shine the light on it a certain way, like you see in my picture. It just looks so much like that notorious "M" shape. I'll definitely try backlighting it to see if I can get a definitive answer. Thanks for the tip!
I'm pretty positive I'm looking at the inside of the abdomen. Tomorrow I'm gonna soak the molt again (as I'm going to mount it anyways) and try to get a closer look once more, and make sure I'm looking at the inside for sure. I'll also get a small piece of paper to see if there's a flap (just don't wanna risk tearing it with a toothpic). There are no tibial hooks or bulbs on the pedipapls of my T so I definitely know my T is not fully mature yet if it happens to be a male. Worst case scenario- I have to wait for the next molt to really be able to tell. But right now with what I have, I'm just gonna say suspect male. I really appreciate the input, thanks!
A 4.5" Avicularia would have fully developed spermathecae. Perhaps not for the largest of the morphotypes and species (I haven't raised mine to reasonable sizes yet), but I suspect even on those, they would be sclerotized and obvious.
This is the spermathecae of a 4.5" female A.avic m1. They're folded over, very, very obvious.
I don't see any sign of spermathecae and it would be very obvious. But, a male should be hooked out at that size... emphasis on 'should'. Do you have a photo of the spider itself?
A 4.5" Avicularia would have fully developed spermathecae. Perhaps not for the largest of the morphotypes and species (I haven't raised mine to reasonable sizes yet), but I suspect even on those, they would be sclerotized and obvious.
This is the spermathecae of a 4.5" female A.avic m1. They're folded over, very, very obvious.
I'm definitely leaning male now as well. Considering I examined the molt for probably over half an hour and still never found anything super obvious, that really tells me all I need to know. I think that at this size, if there was any spermathecae, it would be very obvious esp after seeing your picture of the same size and species. It was definitely a big help so thank you for sharing!
I don't see any sign of spermathecae and it would be very obvious. But, a male should be hooked out at that size... emphasis on 'should'. Do you have a photo of the spider itself?
Unfortunately, I don't have a clear enough view of my T right now to get a good picture. But I will definitely keep a close eye on him and get a picture when I can! Yesterday I was examining him pretty closely and did not see any hooks but maybe I need to wait for him to really spread out to see clearly. I do agree now though, I think it's pretty obvious I have a male here. I think the area I circled may have just got stretched out more during the molt causing it to appear a bit thinned out...which I just mistook for looking like that notorious "M" shape that most spermathecae takes on. Maybe I was just a littleeee too excited esp since I had already been examining the molt for quite a long period of time.
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