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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sabeth" data-source="post: 27932" data-attributes="member: 545">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. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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