P Subfusca identification

[14pokies]

It's subfusca lowland.

Female highlands do have slightly seperated patterns on there abdomen while lowlands are more uniform.

The dead give away is that gold crapace.. You shouldn't see that on a pure highland..

 

[KezyGLA]

The contrast in carapace is the giveaway. Lowland is lighter and highland darker. There really isnt that much difference in adult specimens of each apart from the depth of color. The abdomens arent much different at all.

From that photo I would say you have Poecilotheria sp. lowland.

Here is my 6.5" lowland


My 6.5" highland

Poecilotheria subfusca

• KezyGLA
• Jun 22, 2017
• 4

6+" female

View media item 41290View media item 41440
My slender 7" highland

 

[Urthstrype]

It's subfusca lowland.

Female highlands do have slightly seperated patterns on there abdomen while lowlands are more uniform.

The dead give away is that gold crapace.. You shouldn't see that on a pure highland..

That makes sense. I have heard that lowland carapace is more gold but without a highland to compare it to I wasnt sure. Thank you for your input, I appreciate it.

 

[Urthstrype]

The contrast in carapace is the giveaway. Lowland is lighter and highland darker. There really isnt that much difference in abdomens of adult specimens apart from the depth of color.

From that photo I would say you have Poecilotheria sp. lowland.

Here is my 6.5" lowland
View attachment 244540

My 6.5" highland

Poecilotheria subfusca

• KezyGLA
• Jun 22, 2017
• 4

6+" female

View media item 41290View media item 41440
My slender 7" highland
View attachment 244541 View attachment 244542

That difference on the carapace is very clear to me. Thank you, and you have some gorgeous girls.

 

[Urthstrype]

Yours is a lowland and stunning. Highlands have a black line right through their abdomen pattern.

Thank you! I am very pleased to have her join my pokie collection!

 

[Urthstrype]

Whether it's low/highland sp. it's a stunning sp. very different from other Pokies, much more bulky than other pokies, thicker legs as well. As well as the highland form having a dark line through the abdomen, like @basin79 said, yours is a beautiful specimen

Thank you! I was pretty excited when I saw someone locally wanting to get rid of her.

 

[viper69]

Honestly? I really don't know. Maybe @14pokies or @viper69 may be able to help?

I'm only familiar with metallica and rufi's.

 

[mconnachan]

This picture still gets referenced?? On the left you see a male and on the right you see a female. THATS what creates the difference. Males have the dark line, females haven't. It doesn't say anything about lowland or highland.

Unfortunately the picture has been deleted, due to copyright infringements, but it did say which was lowland and which was highland, going by the descriptions given by yourself, it was a good reference to the difference in species, not male/female.

 

[spotropaicsav]

This is also something that Ive heard. How do you tell the difference? And what do you think my girl is?

Are you hoping for one or the other?

 

[boina]

Unfortunately the picture has been deleted, due to copyright infringements, but it did say which was lowland and which was highland, going by the descriptions given by yourself, it was a good reference to the difference in species, not male/female.

No, you misunderstood. Yes, one was highland and one was lowland, but the pic itself was made by someone who did not really understand the difference between the two species. A female highland would look much more than the pic on the right - the female lowland. The dark stripe is not an identifying marker, it's a marker of it being a male of either species.

 

[mconnachan]

No, you misunderstood. Yes, one was highland and one was lowland, but the pic itself was made by someone who did not really understand the difference between the two species. A female highland would look much more than the pic on the right - the female lowland. The dark stripe is not an identifying marker, it's a marker of it being a male of either species.

I was lead to believe, reading this thread that the highland form has the darker line through its abdomen, and the lowland hasn't, I'm confused now....yes they're are going to be differences with age, obviously, I'm sure I can identify a lowland from a highland P. subfusca now, so the thread has achieved what it was supposed to, thanks @boinammm, I see what you mean looking at @KezyGLA post with his highland it doesn't have the dark line through the centre of the abdomen, I'm even more confused now. Could you please let me know what the identifying differences are between the two, it would be much appreciated.

 

[mconnachan]

I was lead to believe, reading this thread that the highland form has the darker line through its abdomen, and the lowland hasn't, I'm confused now....yes they're are going to be differences with age, obviously, I'm sure I can identify a lowland from a highland P. subfusca now, so the thread has achieved what it was supposed to, thanks @boinammm, I see what you mean looking at @KezyGLA post with his highland it doesn't have the dark line through the centre of the abdomen, I'm even more confused now. Could you please let me know what the identifying differences are between the two, it would be much appreciated.

Err...no need now I went back and had a look at @KezyGLA post of his two sp. highland/lowland, the difference is so obvious, so no more confusion here, the lowland is much lighter in colour and the highland far, far darker, the point someone made about the temps being lower the higher you go, makes sense that the highland would be darker due to the temperature differences.

 

[Urthstrype]

Are you hoping for one or the other?

Not necessarily. I just want to be sure of what i have.

 

[grayzone]

All i want to know is whose got a confirmed female of either variant for sale/trade.

Ive been looking everywhere haha

 

[Anoplogaster]

It's much more difficult to determine differences between members of the same species from different environments. If they are in fact the same species (P. subfusca), then this is simply a debate relating to phenotypic plasticity, which can also be a sliding scale. I'd be careful with drawing a hard line between one variant and another.

 

[KezyGLA]

It's much more difficult to determine differences between members of the same species from different environments. If they are in fact the same species (P. subfusca), then this is simply a debate relating to phenotypic plasticity, which can also be a sliding scale. I'd be careful with drawing a hard line between one variant and another.

Yes this is very important. As there is a bit of confusion between the two, and there hasnt been a solid description of both released, the 'lowland' variant is now labelled and sold as 'Poecilotheria sp. lowland' in Europe. The 'highland' is still considered original subfusca and sold as Poecilotheria subfusca

I meant to add this photo of my subadult female Poecilotheria sp. lowland sooner. It gives a good look at the abdomen of a 'lowland', you can see there is almost a solid black stripe all the way up the abdomen. This is why the abdomen method isnt very accurate. Age and gender plays a big part in its appearance.

 

[basin79]

My adult female Poecilotheria lowland. Bad pics as it was a night so couldn't focus.

 

[mconnachan]

The purple colouration is amazing, love Pokies, they're an absolutely "must have" in the hobby, when you're ready for them of course, love this genus, as we all do....

 

[basin79]

The purple colouration is amazing, love Pokies, they're an absolutely "must have" in the hobby, when you're ready for them of course, love this genus, as we all do....

They are absolutely stunning. I'm still waiting on my adult female Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli to make an appearance.

 

[mconnachan]

They are absolutely stunning. I'm still waiting on my adult female Poecilotheria tigrinawesseli to make an appearance.

My P. metallica has been in it's cork tube for goodness knows how long, I had a glimpse of her butt today as it was webbing the entrance, other than that it's been hiding, looking quite plump though, went to take a pic, but when I returned s/he had disapeppered "again". Hoping it has webbed up due to an upcoming molt. Optimistic as always.