At what stage/size can a tarantula be sexed?

[max7890]

Hi, I'm a beginner, I'm planning to buy B. vagans and N. chromatus, I want female ones but I want it to be as small as possible so I could savour growing them, I've thought about getting 3 vagans slings and 3 chromatus slings but my anxiety is telling me that I might get 6 males. I saw a seller who is selling 2.5-3" brachys and other common Ts and the seller is indicating that they're all females, is that possible? Can they really be gendered at 2-3" DLS? Please give me some advice.

I would appreciate all replies, thanks.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Sexed, not gendered.

Most species can be accurately sexed from 2" DLS upwards. They can be sexed at even smaller sizes if you have a good microscope and are good at untangling tiny moults without tearing them.

 

[Rittdk01]

Never buy “unsexed” that’s 2 inches or more. Trust me.

 

[jrh3]

Never buy “unsexed” that’s 2 inches or more. Trust me.

I feel the same way, most breeders are experienced enough to sex at that size. Chances are you will end up with a unsexed male.

 

[max7890]

Never buy “unsexed” that’s 2 inches or more. Trust me.

At what size do you think is safe? 4"?

 

[Vanisher]

If you have a microscope, they can be sexed from slings

 

[max7890]

If you have a microscope, they can be sexed from slings

I see. One of my relatives have lots of microscopes but I feel shy borrowing or using it just for that. lmao nvm

 

[EulersK]

At what size do you think is safe? 4"?

Well, at 4" the B. vagans will either be a female or a mature male, most likely

Their point was that much past 2" and a breeder will likely already know the sex. So if they're saying it's an 'unsexed' 3" individual, you can bet it's a male. People are trash. Best thing to do is to learn how to check for yourself. Just use the sexing gallery (here) and basically have them as flashcards for yourself. Only way to learn is through repetition.

 

[Ungoliant]

Their point was that much past 2" and a breeder will likely already know the sex. So if they're saying it's an 'unsexed' 3" individual, you can bet it's a male. People are trash. Best thing to do is to learn how to check for yourself.

While I don't think that's always true (that "unsexed" tarantulas over 2" are known or suspected males), it's always good to learn how to verify it yourself.

 

[Vanessa]

I've sexed them as small as an inch and I have purchased moult confirmed females of a number of species, and most of my Brachypelma, at about 2-2.5". In my own experience sexing them, Brachypelma are one of the easier species to sex at the smaller sizes. I sexed my female Brachypelma baumgarteni at 1.75" and it was obvious at that size already, so it is not impossible for the seller to have sexed a bunch at 2".
However, that's not to say that they are telling the truth. If it is a large dealer, with a reputation to maintain, then I would be far more willing to take their word for it. If they end up making a mistake, they will likely make good on it. Private sellers don't offer the same assurances.

 

[Frazam]

I had a chat with a breeder and he told me they can sex a T even as slings. He was telling me about in slings, you look at the spinnerettes and you can determine sex through that. Something about looking for a dark circle or something. I was also told for 1" slings, you can fatten them up to the point that the flaps in females open up. Now, I don't believe in the spinnerettes thing and the fatten up method may make some sense, but I'm still skeptical.

BTW, breeders here try to sell only females and try to keep all males for themselves.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

While I don't think that's always true (that "unsexed" tarantulas over 2" are known or suspected males), it's always good to learn how to verify it yourself.

More often than not that turns out to be the case though.

You're right in that people should learn how to sex tarantulas so that they don't get ripped off, your prized "female" hooking out is a real kick in the balls.

 

[Ungoliant]

More often than not that turns out to be the case though.

I know one seller who only sells molt-confirmed tarantulas as sexed, because she doesn't want to erroneously label something based on ventral sexing or the previous owner's representations.

 

[Theneil]

More often than not that turns out to be the case though.

Is that the case or do we only hear complaining about the times that somebody gets a male?

Personally, i am not usually confident sexing until closer to the 3" mark and 2" is usually the smallest i can unravel a molt without destroying it, so most of my specimens are unsexed (or suspect) until 3+ inches and even then not everybody likes to provide an intact molt (or any molt at all LOL) Just my thoughts/experience though.

Personally i think it is reasonable that a lot of juveniles would be sold as unsexed, HOWEVER when an ad has multiple sp. listed with sexed females and unsexed of thr dame size, but no males, then i can't help but be a bit skeptical.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Is that the case or do we only hear complaining about the times that somebody gets a male?

List of everything I've purchased as an "unsexed" juvenile and what they've turned out to be.

P. cambridgei - male
P. burgessi - male
B. auratum - male
B. smithi - male
P. cancerides - male (also not a P. cancerides, possibly atrichomatus)
A. avicularia M#6 - Still unsexed
B. emilia - female
C. versicolor - female

I seem to have much better luck getting females when purchasing slings.

There was also the debacle with my A. variegata "female".

 

[cold blood]

I cant count how many people have bought unsexed juvies from me and later confirm they are female...sometimes unsexed actually means unsexed.

 

[Nightstalker47]

I cant count how many people have bought unsexed juvies from me and later confirm they are female...sometimes unsexed actually means unsexed.

Yeah, I think its one of those things that would really depend on the vendor.

 

[Vanessa]

I know one seller who only sells molt-confirmed tarantulas as sexed, because she doesn't want to erroneously label something based on ventral sexing or the previous owner's representations.

I recently got a steal for a 4" Lasiodorides striatus female from Tarantula Canada. They were selling her unsexed, because they could not confirm with a moult, even though it is obvious that she is female if you look at her ventrally and the person that she came from said she was female. It is not good business to be selling 'suspect' females at confirmed female prices. There should only be two options - unsexed or moult confirmed female.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I cant count how many people have bought unsexed juvies from me and later confirm they are female...sometimes unsexed actually means unsexed.

As @Nightstalker47 said, it depends on the seller but more often than not sellers will just put up unwanted males as "unsexed" to get rid of them (and make an extra couple of quid on them in the process).

 

[Teal]

Spiders are the sex they are from first instar... so the size they can be sexed at depends on your magnifying equipment.

I was finally able to confirm via molt the sex of my N. tripepii, who ventrally I would have sworn was male and is probably 4" now... he is a SHE She destroyed her last molt and I ruined the previous ones. So, I can understand honest hobbyists selling larger specimens as unsexed.

But as someone else said, I see a lot of dealers selling multiple 3" confirmed females and multiple 3" unsexed... but no 3" males?? It definitely looks suspicious.

and are good at untangling tiny moults without tearing them.

Which I am so NOT