California brown changes color!

[Penney W.]

hi
I have a California all brown female tarantula, I had her for about 5 months,
she molted last week and came out all black she is a female.
I was wondering does anyone know why they change colors like this?
She's a very pretty black with some long brown hairs on her abdomen.
Thanks!=D

 

[Mendi]

Normally when an Aphonopelma species turns black it is the maturing molt on a male. Maybe you need to look very closely for spurs or building spermwebs...

 

[Penney W.]

I had a well known dealer look at her and she is a Female.
Cheers!

 

[Maggie]

In quite a few species I have seen variables in adult color. Maybe this one is just darker than the norm?

 

[Code Monkey]

Well known dealer or not, if it went from brown to black in a moult, I'd wager money it's a mature male. Most if not all Aphonopelma species have pretty striking sexual dimorphism as adults and it's the male that does the changing.

 

[Maggie]

I think this one would be interesting to see pics of, particularily the underside. Another possibility is that unbeknownst to her, that it isnt what it was sold as. Most if not all Aphonopelma...has there ever been a case anyone knows of where this didnt hold true? No expert here,lol, it just has my curiosity up.

 

[Brandon]

Its very common for Aphonopelma females to darken up in captivity. It have had tons of A chalcodes change from all blonde to very rust colored red and very dark femers. I might have some thing to do with the new change in climate from out there to in here. Almost everyone has seen the change in the carlsbad greens. So it probably still is a female just a darker one.

Sincerely,

Brandon

 

[Mendi]

Originally posted by Penney W.
I had a well known dealer look at her and she is a Female.
Cheers!

Penny, even the best make mistakes in sexing unless they used an exuvia to tell the sex. Just picking them up and looking isn't always 100% correct. I had some of mine sexed by a dealer before I bought them and asked for a male A.seemanni. Seems he was wrong on at least that one, as the male is without mistake a female from the examination of the internal structures inside the molt. And with all the Aphonopelma species there is a huge coloration change when the male matures, up until it's maturing molt, they look exactly like the female. It's not a gradual change in color they go through, but one big enough to make you wonder if someone played a joke on you and switched some enclosures. Then you see the molted exuvia and it become apparent what happened.

Please post a few pictures of the underside of the belly and a sideview where we can see its front legs from any angle but straight on and I'm sure we can sex it just from those pictures.

And sheck the pictures at these 2 sites to see the differences between a mature male and female Aphonopelma

e-spiderworld

Rick West's Birdspiders

 

[Godzilla2000]

Originally posted by Mendi
Normally when an Aphonopelma species turns black it is the maturing molt on a male. Maybe you need to look very closely for spurs or building spermwebs...

I bought a texas Brown from E-Spiderworld.com that was a guarenteed female and she molted recently. She turned black as well.

 

[Theraphosid Research Team]

Good evening!

I can absolute confirm to what Brandon said. In earlier times, when I had south american tarantulas as well, I also had Aphonopelma chalcodes which were very light in color and when I've kept them with lower temeperatures, they got a much darker coloration, nearly black, after a moulting. I suppose this color changing has something to do with the absorbation of sunlight to get a warmer body temperature in times of colder weather, because with a darker body they can absorb more sunlight and so they'll become a warmer body!
Just my two Cents!

Cheers, Volker

 

[MizM]

Penney is pretty right-on when it comes to sexing, she's NEVER been wrong with mine.... look at this female:

http://www.birdspiders.com/archive/1/0132.htm

The common name for this species is "California Ebony". She COULD have an a. eutelynum or an a. steindachnari, but I'm pretty sure it's the first. I'm currently waiting for both of mine to molt (I caught them locally) and I'll see if they turn black too. Look at g. pulchra.... brown to black in a molt.

(Code Monkey... how much you willing to wager? Or WHAT SPECIES!! )

 

[MizM]

Originally posted by Mendi
Penny, even the best make mistakes in sexing unless they used an exuvia to tell the sex. [/B]

It was kinda THE authority on our 2 local T species, a professor who teaches at the local university. So I THINK he probably got it right!

 

[MizM]

Mine just molted too!!!

I was beginning to wonder why they called them "California Ebony!" My little girl was so chocolatey brown, I named her Hershey!!

She molted last night and is the most beautiful velvety black.... I see what you mean Penn! As soon as she hardens up and fills her tummy, she's gong to meet some of the FIVE males I now have!!!

A. eutylenum babies for EVERYONE!!!! Well, all the nice people anyway!! YAY!!!

 

[rosehaired1979]

Congrats on the Molts

 

[Penney W.]

Congrats on your girl Terri.
she is beautiful uh?

Penney

 

[pamandron]

Hi, we also had a texas brown that went from brown to black in her last molt. And we know for a fact that she is female. So I guess it could happen, and I like Brandon's explanation. Take care, Pam

 

[MizM]

My g. pulchra is SO BROWN right now... I can't WAIT for her to molt!!!

 

[RugbyDave]

whoops, time to chime in with a black female. we're talking deep furrow here

peace
dave

 

[MizM]

RASPBERRIES!

 

[nemesis6sic6]

wondering

As I recently read from Brandon and Volker about the color

change of the Aphonopelma due to the temperature and

conditions, I came to wonder. During the winter period do they

also change to this dark color? I would think so....so are they like

thoes Rabbits that change their furr on the winter to a nice white?

any ways....just wondering stuff like this.

have a nice day

geo