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Tarantulas Changing Gender

BrokenRay

BrokenRay

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I have a question for experienced keepers especially those that been in the hobby for a long time.

I've done alot of searching and found nothing to answer this. I have seen people mention this here and other sites on personal claims.

I'm still a newbie and this topic has confused me for some time. I have not found any scientific information to answer this.

1. Is it possible for tarantulas to change genders after molting?

Maybe this sounds stupid but it is a topic I think needs to be put to rest.

Thanks to any replies.
 
BrokenRay

BrokenRay

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Thanks guys that actually answers this for me. This makes absolute sense. I didn't believe they could change genders which is why I was confused.

Thanks again for the answers :)
Now I have to go do the yard work, God help me this is gonna suck.
 
octanejunkie

octanejunkie

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Tarantulas, no. Not that has been scientifically documented.

The most notable, and made popular by the movie Jurassic Park, is that of certain frog species. This is when my interest in the topic occurred. In the movie, Hammond's scientists used frog DNA to splice missing genetic code from dinosaur DNA when intending only to produce males as a form of reproductive control. They were surprised by gender swapping velociraptors who bred and reproduced.

There was a secondary dependency Crichton wrote about that was also genetically engineered into the resurrected stock that the movie conveniently omitted; a lycopene dependance. In the absence of lycopene being added to the dino's food by their keepers the animals were supposed to die off, as a means of control. However, if an erant, hungry dino found your tomato garden; game over science. Lycopene is abundantly present in tomatoes which is why cultures that eat a lot of tomatoes are supposed to be long lived and virile.

The phenomena observed in frogs is theorized to be nature's correction to continue the species, but it has been found in many (if not most) cases that pollution has caused this anomaly of nature, rather than grand design. The pesticide atrazine has cause more frogs to turn female than "genetic coding" or mother nature ever did. Thanks, science.

There are a few species of snake that lay self-fertilized eggs, virgin births if you will, never having mated. This is thanks to something called parenthogenesis. This is theorized to be nature's answer to sexual scarcity, what people said about the frogs en masse, however the snake doesn't change gender. This is one of a few natural methods of species survival, sexual manipulation that IS naturally occurring.

There are a few different manner of "gender swapping" that can occur in nature, often referred to as bilateral gynandromorphism where as both male and female genes are present and can express themselves more prominently at different times of the animal's life. Not to be confused with hermaphroditism, or to be exact simultaneous hermaphroditism, where both sets of reproductive organisms are present and functional; like in certain eels.

There is a less common gender swap that is well documented that occurs embryonically, and in certains species, like Pogona vitticeps, where heat during gestation can influence gender post initial-determination. Male embryos convert to female embryos, become semi-hermaphroditic and express both male and female behaviors and have larger clutches of eggs than singularly sexually expressed female embryos as sexually mature females. This, and yet Bearded Dragons still command high prices in the pet trade.

Certain birds and butterflies have been observed to express both male and female traits, but we usually talk and teach about the birds and the bees. No wonder we have so much sexual dysfunction as a society.
 
Last edited:
ilovebrachys

ilovebrachys

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octanejunkie said:
Tarantulas, no. Not that has been scientifically documented.

The most notable, and made popular by the movie Jurassic Park, is that of certain frog species. This is when my interest in the topic occurred. In the movie, Hammond's scientists used frog DNA to splice missing genetic code from dinosaur DNA when intending only to produce males as a form of reproductive control. They were surprised by gender swapping velociraptors who bred and reproduced.

There was a secondary dependency Crichton wrote about that was also genetically engineered into the resurrected stock that the movie conveniently omitted; a lycopene dependance. In the absence of lycopene being added to the dino's food by their keepers the animals were supposed to die off, as a means of control. However, if an erant, hungry dino found your tomato garden; game over science. Lycopene is abundantly present in tomatoes which is why cultures that eat a lot of tomatoes are supposed to be long lived and virile.

The phenomena observed in frogs is theorized to be nature's correction to continue the species, but it has been found in many (if not most) cases that pollution has caused this anomaly of nature, rather than grand design. The pesticide atrazine has cause more frogs to turn female than "genetic coding" or mother nature ever did. Thanks, science.

There are a few species of snake that lay self-fertilized eggs, virgin births if you will, never having mated. This is thanks to something called parenthogenesis. This is theorized to be nature's answer to sexual scarcity, what people said about the frogs en masse, however the snake doesn't change gender. This is one of a few natural methods of species survival, sexual manipulation that IS naturally occurring.

There are a few different manner of "gender swapping" that can occur in nature, often referred to as bilateral gynandromorphism where as both male and female genes are present and can express themselves more prominently at different times of the animal's life. Not to be confused with hermaphroditism, or to be exact simultaneous hermaphroditism, where both sets of reproductive organisms are present and functional; like in certain eels.

There is a less common gender swap that is well documented that occurs embryonically, and in certains species, like Pogona vitticeps, where heat during gestation can influence gender post initial-determination. Male embryos convert to female embryos, become semi-hermaphroditic and express both male and female behaviors and have larger clutches of eggs than singularly sexually expressed female embryos as sexually mature females. This, and yet Bearded Dragons still command high prices in the pet trade.

Certain birds and butterflies have been observed to express both male and female traits, but we usually talk and teach about the birds and the bees. No wonder we have so much sexual dysfunction as a society.
Click to expand...
I know that certain species of scorpion and day geckos are also parenthogenisis species so basically they are all female and reproduce by themselves - thanks for the interesting article you have written :)
 
octanejunkie

octanejunkie

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I honestly didn't intend to write an "article" but it's an interesting topic shoulder in myth and mystery. Once you start reading you learn more than you thought you wanted to know or existed.

It would be interesting to see how many animals can actually go fnck themselves, successfully. :p :T:
 
Arachnoclown

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No my photos...
893b4811nga01.jpg
1a08a2da74f930c53b22f29a0b75a493.jpg
 
R

Redsycthe

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octanejunkie said:
Tarantulas, no. Not that has been scientifically documented.

The most notable, and made popular by the movie Jurassic Park, is that of certain frog species. This is when my interest in the topic occurred. In the movie, Hammond's scientists used frog DNA to splice missing genetic code from dinosaur DNA when intending only to produce males as a form of reproductive control. They were surprised by gender swapping velociraptors who bred and reproduced.

There was a secondary dependency Crichton wrote about that was also genetically engineered into the resurrected stock that the movie conveniently omitted; a lycopene dependance. In the absence of lycopene being added to the dino's food by their keepers the animals were supposed to die off, as a means of control. However, if an erant, hungry dino found your tomato garden; game over science. Lycopene is abundantly present in tomatoes which is why cultures that eat a lot of tomatoes are supposed to be long lived and virile.

The phenomena observed in frogs is theorized to be nature's correction to continue the species, but it has been found in many (if not most) cases that pollution has caused this anomaly of nature, rather than grand design. The pesticide atrazine has cause more frogs to turn female than "genetic coding" or mother nature ever did. Thanks, science.

There are a few species of snake that lay self-fertilized eggs, virgin births if you will, never having mated. This is thanks to something called parenthogenesis. This is theorized to be nature's answer to sexual scarcity, what people said about the frogs en masse, however the snake doesn't change gender. This is one of a few natural methods of species survival, sexual manipulation that IS naturally occurring.

There are a few different manner of "gender swapping" that can occur in nature, often referred to as bilateral gynandromorphism where as both male and female genes are present and can express themselves more prominently at different times of the animal's life. Not to be confused with hermaphroditism, or to be exact simultaneous hermaphroditism, where both sets of reproductive organisms are present and functional; like in certain eels.

There is a less common gender swap that is well documented that occurs embryonically, and in certains species, like Pogona vitticeps, where heat during gestation can influence gender post initial-determination. Male embryos convert to female embryos, become semi-hermaphroditic and express both male and female behaviors and have larger clutches of eggs than singularly sexually expressed female embryos as sexually mature females. This, and yet Bearded Dragons still command high prices in the pet trade.

Certain birds and butterflies have been observed to express both male and female traits, but we usually talk and teach about the birds and the bees. No wonder we have so much sexual dysfunction as a society.
Click to expand...
1594225243444.png
 
Casey K.

Casey K.

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I have a question about tarantulas that are half male and half female. Their life span would dramatically be effected, no? Does the male side live as long as its female counterpart? Or would the female side die along with the male in a few years? This is an interesting topic. Males, of course don't live as long as females do but in the instance that a tarantula is part male and female, perhaps the male side would carry out a lifespan of its female counterpart. Just wondering if anyone that has had these tarantulas could give insight on longevity.
 

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