A.Hentzi Ventral Sexing

[spike1119]

Was curios if anyone wanted to take a stab at this ventral sexing. Let me know what you think.

 

[Oursapoil]

I’d go for male, but as usual there are more experienced people
@Casey K.

 

[spike1119]

Were the pictures okay? I tried to get the best shots I could haha.

 

[Casey K.]

Thats a female 100%. You can see the crescent moon shape on her furrow and a mustache over her exuvium. I also see a slight opening. Book lung spacing also indicates female.

 

[spike1119]

Thanks Casey! This is great news. We love our little murphy such a great T.

 

[Casey K.]

Thanks Casey! This is great news. We love our little murphy such a great T.

From underneath she looks like a G. pulchra, lol. Jet black. Haha

 

[spike1119]

Yeah she is actually really pretty. She was a rescue Very proud of how far along she has come. She is so docile too. Her legs are velvet black as well. They are such underrated T's IMO

 

[Stan Schultz]

Spike -

My two cents: Almost surely a female. The plate between the two forward book lungs is called the epigynum. On males the epigynum tends to be relatively narrow, usually with the sides about the same distance apart as they are long, or giving the epigynum a lengthwise rectangular shape. And the sides of the epigynum are nearly parallel like so: | |

On females, the epigynum is very frequently wider than long, and the sides splay outward to make a definite trapezoidal shape like : / \

Lastly, on females the epigynal plate bulges outward, giving her a little pot belly. So if you pick her up and gently run your finger front to back over the epigynum, you'll feel a distinct little mound there. On the males it's nearly flat, with almost no noticeable mound or bulge.

In your photos, I can even SEE the bulge!

THE FINE PRINT...
Just as there is a great deal of variation among humans, so too is there variation among tarantulas. In some kinds these characteristics are not as obvious, especially in "slings" and smaller, hence my use of the word "almost" in the first sentence and other modifiers thereafter.

The GOLD STANDARD still remains thus:

If it produces an eggsac, it's got to be a female. If it develops clubbed pedipalps as it matures, it's got to be a male.

The next best way to sex your tarantula is to examine the shed exuvium (exoskeleton or skin) for the telltale internal signs of a female.

A distant third method involves trying to divine the tarantula's sex by examining the epigynal plate as we're doing here. For this option, always use lots of qualifiers like, "probably," "almost surely," "possibly," "maybe," and others.

Lastly, "Never bet the rent money!"

Are we having fun yet? Cheers,

 

[Oursapoil]

Spike -

My two cents: Almost surely a female. The plate between the two forward book lungs is called the epigynum. On males the epigynum tends to be relatively narrow, usually with the sides about the same distance apart as they are long, or giving the epigynum a lengthwise rectangular shape. And the sides of the epigynum are nearly parallel like so: | |

On females, the epigynum is very frequently wider than long, and the sides splay outward to make a definite trapezoidal shape like : / \

Lastly, on females the epigynal plate bulges outward, giving her a little pot belly. So if you pick her up and gently run your finger front to back over the epigynum, you'll feel a distinct little mound there. On the males it's nearly flat, with almost no noticeable mound or bulge.

In your photos, I can even SEE the bulge!

THE FINE PRINT...
Just as there is a great deal of variation among humans, so too is there variation among tarantulas. In some kinds these characteristics are not as obvious, especially in "slings" and smaller, hence my use of the word "almost" in the first sentence and other modifiers thereafter.

The GOLD STANDARD still remains thus:

If it produces an eggsac, it's got to be a female. If it develops clubbed pedipalps as it matures, it's got to be a male.

The next best way to sex your tarantula is to examine the shed exuvium (exoskeleton or skin) for the telltale internal signs of a female.

A distant third method involves trying to divine the tarantula's sex by examining the epigynal plate as we're doing here. For this option, always use lots of qualifiers like, "probably," "almost surely," "possibly," "maybe," and others.

Lastly, "Never bet the rent money!"

Are we having fun yet? Cheers,

This is great, thank you Stan.

 

[spike1119]

Thank you so much for this Stan. Very helpful!