Can you tell the age of a spider by the size of its fangs?

There is a popular myth that suggests the size of a spider's fangs can be used to determine its age. However, this is not true.

The size of a spider's fangs is determined by the spider's species and sex, not its age. Generally, male spiders have larger fangs than females of the same species, and some species of spiders have larger fangs than others.

While the size of a spider's fangs is not an indicator of its age, there are other ways to estimate the age of a spider. For example, some species of spiders live for only a year or less, while others can live for several years. In addition, some species of spiders molt, or shed their exoskeletons, several times throughout their lives, and the size and shape of the molted exoskeleton can be used to estimate the spider's age.

No, you cannot tell the age of a spider by the size of its fangs. The size of a spider's fangs is determined by its species and sex, not its age. For example, female black widows have larger fangs than male black widows. The size of a spider's fangs can also vary depending on its diet. Spiders that eat larger prey tend to have larger fangs than spiders that eat smaller prey.

The only way to accurately determine the age of a spider is to dissect it and examine its internal organs. However, this is not a recommended practice, as it can harm the spider.