Advice to reconsider???

Merfolk

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
1,323
Many people (including myself) gave the following advice to future pokies owner : Try P. irminia first, then you'll get used enough to upgrade to pokes...


According to some accounts, and my own experience, I think that perhaps we were wrong, since P. irminia, despite being lesser in size and venom, appears to be way more bitey than your average poke. Mine stay hidden all the time, and we had stories of specimen darting out their hide to bite some fingers. Usually pokes retreat from the open and will bite only obvious invaders of their nests, not the other way around.

Waddayathink????
 

138

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
288
According to some accounts, and my own experience, I think that perhaps we were wrong, since P. irminia, despite being lesser in size and venom, appears to be way more bitey than your average poke. Mine stay hidden all the time, and we had stories of specimen darting out their hide to bite some fingers. Usually pokes retreat from the open and will bite only obvious invaders of their nests, not the other way around.

Waddayathink????
i have both and in my experience that statement is acurate. in my case i have a p. regalis.
 

Alice

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 29, 2006
Messages
976
depends - i had a p. irmina that always ran (sold her because i wouldn't see more than twice a year) and i have pokies (striata AND regalis actually) that do not hesitate to bite at all. they prefer to run as well, but as soon a you touch them, they will bite the tongs like mad.
 

KJE

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
808
When I was considering my first pokie I talked to a reputable dealer about this very subject. I asked if he would recommend I get a P. irminia first. He said he had more problems from his Psalmo's than he ever had from his pokies. He said his Psalmo's were always trying to escape and he had more threat displays from them than he did pokies. This is a person with years of experience and thousands of t's.

I now have pokies and Psalmo's and I tend to be more concerned with maintenance in my Psalmo's enclosures. They tend to freak out if I get my tweezers close to them, so I try not to do that.
 

Lorgakor

Arachnomom
Staff member
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
2,369
I have many pokies, but only two Psalmos. I have two P. pulcher and I would consider their temperament to be similar to the pokies. They are not bitey, have never given a threat display but are very skittish. One will even take crickets right from the tweezers.

From what I've heard P. irminia is the most defensive of the lot.
 

Gesticulator

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
956
I think the recommendation is really due to the potency of the venom and not the "personality" of the genus. IME, once a Psalm is well settled in, with a place to hide, it becomes less likely to defend. An informed choice is obviously the best choice.
 

138

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
288
a comparison of my T's regarding irminia vs. pokie..

again these are my present individual T's

defense-
p. irminia is as defensive as my h. lividium
and my g. rosea is more defensive than my p. regalis.

as far as striking/bite
p. irminia has struck maybe once, p. regalis never. as far as this goes my p. lugardi is the worst stricking multiple times at anything she finds a threat.
 
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