Sexing young tarantulas

[SpiderHouseRules]

I didn't want to put this in the ID section since it's not relating to a specific spider; Can a 2" tarantula be accurately sexed by any method? Let's say it's done by the most experienced person in the hobby.

The reason I ask is I may buy an expensive tarantula at this size I want to know the selection will be completely random.

 

[DVirginiana]

I'm pretty sure they can; I asked about one of mine that just molted at 1.5" and was told it could've been sexed under magnification (accidentally broke it removing it from the enclosure).

 

[Poec54]

Doesn't take a lot of experience. Poecs can vent sexed at 2" without magnification, as can many other genera. I put them in a deli cup and use a flashlight. Usually not hard to see a difference.

If you really want a female, you should pay extra for a sexed one. Keep in mind that sex ratios are all over the board with the various T species, and there's no reason to believe that they're 50/50. Just as the number of eggs per sac and size of slings, sex ratios have been carefully evolved to fit specific habitats. How far does the male have to travel? Is there foliage cover? How prevalent are predators? Do females live close to each other or are they spread out?

You are aware that humans aren't born with a 50/50 sex ratio, aren't you?

 

[Entity]

So does anyone have a good reference for a somewhat smart fellow like myself to sex my 1.5 inch b. smithi when it molts? I kinda know what to look for but a little clearification would be helpful from someone that knows. Thanks.

 

[MatthewM1]

I have a little 40x scope that I use and have sexed molts as small as 1.5" I have troubles opening up molts smaller than that. Also when sexing with magnification like that male gonopores can make things a little tricky still. Its one of those things where the more you do it the easier it gets.

Big dealers and breeders dont have the time to sex all of the T's they sell. If its a well known trusted dealer its a pretty safe bet if they label it as unsexed they truly don't know what it is.