D. Diadema problem

[catfishrod69]

ok i have a huge mature male, and a female that is about half his size....i have tried putting them in together, only to see them trying to kill eachother...i thought maybe my female is a immature male, but her pedipalps dont go past her legs, so i thought maybe a diff species, or maybe the male is just not gonna take anyone near him...any ideas? thanks

 

[ballpythonteen]

i read someplace that you cant tell their sex until they are adults

 

[Frankenspider]

Yeah, I had the same problem. When she molted to the size the male was originally her arms got huuuge. At least I know why they fought.

 

[Michiel]

D.diadema is one of the few species that show sexual dimorphism, in the males the pedipalpal tibia are more elongated. There are plenty of pics here, you just have to use the search function. I also read that it is better to introduce a male to a female, instead of the other way around. If you are not sure of what sexes your animals are, don't put them together.
Can you post pics of both animals.

 

[smashtoad]

My three adult Damon (1.2) live together all the time. The oldest female just had her first clutch. Both females were gravid last year but resorbed the egg sacs when I seperated them...guess I spooked them too soon. The eggs were definately there, and then they were not.

This time round only one female became gravid, so I waited until the sac was substantial before moving her to her own tank, leaving the other two adults together. They seem not to mind each other, that is, until the females are gravid. The male lost a leg at some point over the last few months.

The young are freely roaming now, and the female is much more irritable now, spreading her palps, and raising and lowering her body anytime I get in the tank to count the young.