i dont understand

[come2imagine3]

Everyone is trying to sex their t's by a ventral pic, but its not a reliable source. I could give a guess with out even seeing a tarantula and I could be right. Its a 50/50 shot that's why so many people GUESS right. The only sure way is to look at the molt. Feel free to express your opinions on the matter, thanks.

 

[Rabid538]

Using a ventral pic is not 100% accurate but when someone knows how to do it and has experience in it it's way better than a 50/50 guess. With Pokies it is a lot easier to sex ventrally and I think it would be reliable in that case. The only Ts I am able to sex without a molt are the Pokies but I know others on this site have no problem ventral sexing most species.

 

[codykrr]

vent sexing can be at least 80% accurate given the right person does it.

While yeah, there is room for error, the more seasoned keepers know what to look for. Myself, I like to vent sex all my Ts. I then put a label on what I figured it was. Then later come back to check myself via molt. I have a 85 to 90% success rate this way.

No I am not a pro at it. but I have become quite good. The only ones that throw me off are pokies(which arent as easy to vent sex as the above poster made it out to be) Lasiodora parahybana, and Avicularia sp.

They can throw you through a loop.

I think people just want a basic "IDEA" of what they have. it gives them something to look forward to.

Also once you do get good at it, the difference between male and female can be clear as night and day.

 

[CAK]

I love the "It's a female! That's my guess, but I'm no expert" type of people... DRIVES ME BONKERS!

 

[come2imagine3]

I agree with you cak.

 

[Hobo]

Well hey, I could do the same with molts too... I guess that the next molt you examine will be female! I have a 50/50 shot at getting that right, without even looking at your molt!

Every one knows (or should know) that sexing via molt is more reliable than ventral sexing.

But, if you know what to look for, and have some decent experience, then ventral sexing can be very accurate, and much better than a 50/50 guess. I think most of the inaccuracies come from trying to sex really young spiders (it's a lot trickier), sexing from bad photos, or believing any old yahoo who posts "yeah that's female 100%" in your sexing thread is some kind of expert tarantula sexer (unless they are, than it's ok!).

It's MUCH easier to sex them ventrally if you have the spider in front of you physically, and even easier if you have many more of the same kind of spider the same size to compare to. All the spiders I've bought at an LPS so far I've ventally sexed as female and have molted as such (but then, I only buy very obvious females from LPS, and even if I think it's a little bit possibly male, I'd pass it up).
I agree, though, unless it's painfully obvious, all opinions on sex from ventrals should be taken as such and probably read in your mind as "probably male/female, confirm with a molt."

 

[captmarga]

I'm NOT an expert. I have yet to get a molt I can read the gender from. Thus the disclaimer. I suppose someone who gets 20 molts a day and sells spiders as a business... and has a 99% success rate might be an expert.

I prefer to know so that I can name my spiders, and refer to them properly as "he" or "she", or at least have some type of an educated guess. I hate putting "He/she/it" as a gender usage holder.

That's simply my take on it.

Marga

 

[CAK]

I'm NOT an expert. I have yet to get a molt I can read the gender from. Thus the disclaimer. I suppose someone who gets 20 molts a day and sells spiders as a business... and has a 99% success rate might be an expert.

I prefer to know so that I can name my spiders, and refer to them properly as "he" or "she", or at least have some type of an educated guess. I hate putting "He/she/it" as a gender usage holder.

That's simply my take on it.

Marga

Exactly, so you wouldn't be hopping onto sexing threads and dropping guesses for everyone. Its the people that are in your boat (which there is nothing wrong with Marga... sexing is not always easy!) and pop on and say "I think its a male, but i'm no expert!" Don't give a guess unless you are sure!

Joe

 

[BrettG]

Sometimes you can just TELL,but sexing the molt is just so much better.I hate having T's that munch molts that I just cannot sex.Nothing better than having 3 inch unsexed t's laying around that you have no idea what to do with.