Ordered a new T

[mrotsliah]

I went to this small pet store in town. The owner said he could talk with someone he knew about getting a avic versicolor. He said it might cost a bit. He also said it would probably be a small sling. He showed me a sling he had that was about the size of a nickle or quarter. I said that would be ok, or even larger, like the size of a walnut, would be nice. I just don't want to be feeding it gnats.

Then I was thinking. When you have a sling that young, is it pretty much impossible to sex it? The shed skin is probably not developed enough to tell yet. ??

Also, I know that the females live longer than males, and the females are bigger than the males. Are there any other differences, like behavior?

I think I would like a female since she would live longer. But if I get a sling, it is just up to chance what sex I get, right?

 

[Denny Dee]

To my knowledge, that is correct. That is one reason that folks buy several slings to make sure they get the sex they want.

 

[Sabeth]

Until a T is about 2 inches in leg span, it's usually too small to sex. Whether you have a boy or a girl is anybody's guess.

Yes, female Ts live longer than males. A. versicolors happen to be a species that don't live long, though...even the females might live to only 8 years or so, possibly longer. And while females are the larger sex, the versicolor is a smaller T...reaching about 4 inches give or take.

Behavior of the sexes...females are generally more laid-back, while males tend to be excitable. There are occasional departures from the norm, though.

A few more pointers on sexing...the only way to be 100% certain is to examine the molt, but there are less perfect indicators you can go by.
- In females, the chelicerae tend to be larger than the male's.
- When viewed ventrally (from underneath), the two pairs of book lungs (the round areas under the belly) are usually farther apart vertically than the male's.
- Females have a horizontal slit between the book lungs, while males will usually sport a more round spot (this is known as the "bull's eye").
- The abdomen of females is usually more round and globose than the male's, which tends to be longer and narrower at the pedicel (spot where the abdomen meets the prosoma, or "head").
Note that these are not fool-proof pointers; there is still room for error! Good luck.