New Ts. Sexing, Id, and other questions

[aspieguy]

Hello,

I was recently at a reptile expo and bought some Ts there. I have some questions about Ts, not necessarily pertaining to the ones I bought.

I have read some posts on the Internet about sexing Ts. Most say to open up the abdomen on a molt and check for this flab (known as a sperma-something). Okay. I get that. However, I am finding the part of opening up the abdomen to be impractical. It's usually a shriveled up nothing that is all twisted and knotted. I don't know how to open it up without ripping the thing into two (they tend to be rather fragile). I've tried soaking the molt into water, to try to enlarge the molt, but I am still not very good at opening the molt up. Any other methods for sexing Ts? I know about checking for tibial hooks on mature males, but what if they aren't mature? I don't want to have to pick up my T and flip it over, either. I'm afraid I might kill it by accident.

Secondly, do male Ts have a faster growth rate?

Next, what species is this T I bought:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109960&l=e10a8b5759&id=510547503

And, finally, can you sex these Ts for me:
T. apophysis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4397632&l=d26259ce2a&id=510547503
T.blondi - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5138573&l=16a857498d&id=510547503
X.immanis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109879&l=d56b6a0184&id=510547503

Done for now

 

[KoriTamashii]

Hello,

I was recently at a reptile expo and bought some Ts there. I have some questions about Ts, not necessarily pertaining to the ones I bought.

I have read some posts on the Internet about sexing Ts. Most say to open up the abdomen on a molt and check for this flab (known as a sperma-something). Okay. I get that. However, I am finding the part of opening up the abdomen to be impractical. It's usually a shriveled up nothing that is all twisted and knotted. I don't know how to open it up without ripping the thing into two (they tend to be rather fragile). I've tried soaking the molt into water, to try to enlarge the molt, but I am still not very good at opening the molt up. Any other methods for sexing Ts? I know about checking for tibial hooks on mature males, but what if they aren't mature? I don't want to have to pick up my T and flip it over, either. I'm afraid I might kill it by accident.

Secondly, do male Ts have a faster growth rate?

Next, what species is this T I bought:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109960&l=e10a8b5759&id=510547503

And, finally, can you sex these Ts for me:
T. apophysis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4397632&l=d26259ce2a&id=510547503
T.blondi - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5138573&l=16a857498d&id=510547503
X.immanis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109879&l=d56b6a0184&id=510547503

Done for now

Welcome!

Now, you really can't sex a T unless you see either its molt or its underside (which is unreliable generally). Best way to go about it is to check for a flap in the molt, like you said.

 

[P. Novak]

Hello,

I was recently at a reptile expo and bought some Ts there. I have some questions about Ts, not necessarily pertaining to the ones I bought.

I have read some posts on the Internet about sexing Ts. Most say to open up the abdomen on a molt and check for this flab (known as a sperma-something). Okay. I get that. However, I am finding the part of opening up the abdomen to be impractical. It's usually a shriveled up nothing that is all twisted and knotted. I don't know how to open it up without ripping the thing into two (they tend to be rather fragile). I've tried soaking the molt into water, to try to enlarge the molt, but I am still not very good at opening the molt up. Any other methods for sexing Ts? I know about checking for tibial hooks on mature males, but what if they aren't mature? I don't want to have to pick up my T and flip it over, either. I'm afraid I might kill it by accident.

Secondly, do male Ts have a faster growth rate?

Next, what species is this T I bought:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109960&l=e10a8b5759&id=510547503

That appears to be a Aphonopelma seemani in need of a molt. It has the orange spinnerets which is a hallmark sign for this species.

Yes, if a male and a female were kept exaclty the same the male would grow faster.

Use a little bit of water with soap on the molt to open it up, do it slowly and take your time. You don't have to pick your T up to get a ventral shot; just let it crawl up onto the side of the enclosure(as long as it's a clear enclosure) and take it from there.

And, finally, can you sex these Ts for me:
T. apophysis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4397632&l=d26259ce2a&id=510547503
T.blondi - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5138573&l=16a857498d&id=510547503
X.immanis - http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5109879&l=d56b6a0184&id=510547503

Done for now

1) Male
2) Male
3) Male


Just kidding! You can't sex them just by looking at them like that unless it was a MM. You'll either have to do as I said above, or wait for a molt. Also I think that T.blondi is a T. sp. burgundy, but who knows now a days.

 

[skippy]

not seemani, maybe A sp guatemala or whatever that's being called now.

 

[P. Novak]

not seemani, maybe A sp guatemala or whatever that's being called now.

Was there was a name change for this one too? Or are you just disagreeing with seemani all together?

 

[skippy]

sorry, i should have been more clear.

it looks like what is being sold as seemani right now in pet stores but is actually sp guatemala. the markings are a lot more distinctive on seemani AFAIK.

 

[Ictinike]

Yes appears Aphonopelma sp Guatemala.

Look at the 2nd leg segment from the bottom, called the Tarsi, and there appears to be a cross band where as normal A. seemanni has a straight down band 1/2 from the top and no cross band.

Also you can refer to my thread HERE which list good info and Eddy Eddy Hijmensen's article in the ATS newsletter as well some images of my girl prior to her last molting where she changed colors.