usambara tarantula sexing

[dakota]

hi, i chose an usambara as my first tarantula, bad choice for a starter i know, but how do i sex it?

thanks,

dakota

 

[Psycho Maggot]

Mate, Seriously, you do NOT want to pick a Pterinochilus murinus as your first T, being one of the fastest, most defensive species there is, i would seriously advise against it, but if you still want to get one, if you sent me the Exuvium after it has molted i could sex it for you, and what kinda size is He/She going to be?

 

[Jesse]

Sexing by looking at the exuvia (cast skin) is the best way in my opinion. There are many websites and books that describe this method. Oh yeah, and you are right, that is an extremely poor choice for a beginner, easy to keep but extremely fast and defensive (almost to the point of being aggressive!) with very potent venom. Hopefully nothing happens to you. Getting the cast skin out of the enclosure can be a risky ordeal and may not be worth the risk (for your safety and/or the T's).

 

[dakota]

i don't think it would try to harm me cause when i lift up the log it is in it just sits there but i guess i should stop doing that? i only get in there to get dead crickets out, or is what i am doing stupid? it semms very nice and i hold it every once in a while i guess this is rare?

 

[infinity]

ur gonna hear this a lot... T's are more for the experience of keeping them rather than a show-piece. T's aren't really there for the holding - although the gentle species like smithi, rosea, vagans, aboliposum etc don't mind it. Open the lid, refill the water bowl, remove/ add prey items should be the limit of your involvement with T's - especially aggressive species like this. Having said that, many people hold them just fine - but some get bitten. Like scorps, they just like to be left on their own - the bigger they are, the more damage they can cause themselves if they run at you/ off the table or whatever...

 

[garbonzo13]

:lol: :lol: Rosies not aggressive huh. I have a 5" female that hates my bamboo tweezers getting dead crix out. She has grabbed and dang near pulled them from my digits once or twice. She was a sweetie before she molted a few months ago. Since then a real B%#$*. So I only look at all my babies now.

I shall try mating her soon, just bought a 6" male. (rough estimate) Should she be the right size for mating? I read you can't tell until you try.

 

[infinity]

Yeah rosies are alright to breed it seems- i had no prior experience until a few weeks ago but it seems simple... 3 things (i've either been told or noticed) - 1. make sure you put the male in the female's cage - she's bigger and you don't want her getting stressed :wink: , 2. make sure the female has laid down some silk first... it doesn't matter where but the male needs to sense her presence and it can (amongst other ways) do this by getting all high over the chemicals she leaves on her silk (it's basically a come and **** me signal ) and 3. make sure you're there for the male when he's done- once he lets go, he'll wanna get as far away as possible so make sure he can or if he can't, swoop in there with something for him to climb on...

Apart from that it really seems to be a case of just putting the male in with the female

 

[garbonzo13]

She is well fed, should I give it a go? My female is a bit smaller than my male, is that o.k?

 

[infinity]

sure she's adult? If the male has the tibial spurs on his front legs (the hooks about half way along his front pair of legs on the back) then he's adult... The ladies are pretty much done based on size. You can try of course - horny males will try to mate with anything it seems (even immature females) - so i don't think you'll have a problem with one becoming the other's dinner...

Basically, put him in far away... if he touches her silk and starts to drum his pedipalps, then she's releasing the pheromones and she's ready... if he doesn't, no matter how much he walks over that silk - or gets close to the female and runs away/ shows no excitement whatsoever... then pull him out. But at 5 inches, she's most likely adult!

 

[garbonzo13]

Sweet!! I'll give it a go tomorrow. He's got the spurs. I'll give her a good feed and him also(if he eats). And then let you know what happens. :wink:

 

[Snipes]

sure she's adult? If the male has the tibial spurs on his front legs (the hooks about half way along his front pair of legs on the back) then he's adult...

I just wanted to add that not all males have tibial spurs. Some species somehow position their females just fine without em. ALL mature males have clublike pedipalps that look swollen and it is where they keep the bulbs that they use to inseminate the female. It should be advised that this is the aspect to look for since every mature male has them.

Garbonza-just to let you know some things about mating P. murinus. They are typically great breeders, but you will have a hard time finding homes for the offspring should there be any. And i personally know of a case where the female triple clutched from a male (no mating in between the sacs) :shock:

Be cautious! lol