I need help

Cj Baker

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
16
IMG_0165.JPG IMG_0172.JPG IMG_0171.JPG I know this should be posted in the sexing thread but for some reason it won't let me post it!

My poecilotheria Metallica molted recently, I was originally told it was a female but it looks like there may be male hooks on the pedipalps. If anyone can help me sex this beaut. That would be great.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Pedipalps don't get hooks, they get emboli. But yes, that's a mature male.
 

Cj Baker

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
16
Pedipalps don't get hooks, they get emboli. But yes, that's a mature male.
Ok thank you, I just had a T. Blondi mature and got the same things one the pedipalp. Excuse my lack of vocabulary, but emboli are male organs right?
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Ok thank you, I just had a T. Blondi mature and got the same things one the pedipalp. Excuse my lack of vocabulary, but emboli are male organs right?
Well, some species of tarantulas do get hooks when they turn into MM's, but its on their front pair of legs. All MM's get emboli on the pedipalps - the "boxing gloves" that you see. In this picture, the emboli are circled in red and the hooks are circled in blue. The hooks are a bit out of focus, but you get the idea.

IMG_1716.JPG
 

Cj Baker

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
16
Awesome thanks for the help. Is there a definitive way to sex them before maturity(any species). Or simply to age one to know when maturity is close.
 

spotropaicsav

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
431

Andrea82

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
3,686
Awesome thanks for the help. Is there a definitive way to sex them before maturity(any species). Or simply to age one to know when maturity is close.
You can sex them via studying a molt, and looking for female or male parts between the first pair of booklungs. Just type 'tarantula sexing arachnoboards' in google and the ways to sex a T. :)
 

Cj Baker

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 22, 2017
Messages
16
I'm using the mobile version so that could be it. Thank you. I just had 2 Ts molt MM after being told they were both Female. So now I'm trying to figure out if my other ones are male or female. Lol
 

Anoplogaster

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Messages
675
I'm using the mobile version so that could be it. Thank you. I just had 2 Ts molt MM after being told they were both Female. So now I'm trying to figure out if my other ones are male or female. Lol
Doesn't that suck? Sometimes the seller doesn't actually know the sex. But more often, people are dishonest and just trying to make the extra cash. It almost makes you want to request its last molt with the purchase.

Pokies are a bit difficult to sex morphologically before they fully mature. Honest sellers will sell them as unsexed until they are molt sexed.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Pokies are a bit difficult to sex morphologically before they fully mature. Honest sellers will sell them as unsexed until they are molt sexed.

Not true...pokies are possibly the easiest genus to vent sex I can think of...most pokies over 2" can be reliably vent sexed...some species can be dorsally sexed as young juvies.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
Not true...pokies are possibly the easiest genus to vent sex I can think of...most pokies over 2" can be reliably vent sexed...some species can be dorsally sexed as young juvies.
Yep, baboons and pokies are about the only ones I'd be willing to vent sex.

Pokes n 'boons man, pokes n 'boons.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
Yep, baboons and pokies are about the only ones I'd be willing to vent sex.

Pokes n 'boons man, pokes n 'boons.
Well this, while informative, just kinda knocked me and my photography skills down a few pegs. I've been trying to get a quality photo of my Pokie ventrally since late February. No such luck yet, even when I tried a macro lense. Guess I just keep trying then. :dead:
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
Well this, while informative, just kinda knocked me and my photography skills down a few pegs. I've been trying to get a quality photo of my Pokie ventrally since late February. No such luck yet, even when I tried a macro lense. Guess I just keep trying then. :dead:
Males generally have a "button" above the ventral slit. You can often see it from across the room. Conversely the females, especially as they grow, get very "lippy".

Even in this poor quality shot through sterilite its obvious this is a female.
 

CWilson1351

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 23, 2017
Messages
454
Males generally have a "button" above the ventral slit. You can often see it from across the room. Conversely the females, especially as they grow, get very "lippy".

Even in this poor quality shot through sterilite its obvious this is a female.
It seems that mine turn out too dark, too blurry, or the flash hits and reflects at the worst possible place. I believe you have offered input before on one of my photos questioning sex of the Pokie.
It's actually a weird situation, a local friend who has other Pokies has said female, male more recently, while I've gotten both answers here on different photos.
Enough hijacking though, thanks for giving me a better idea of what to look for! Hopefully I get it right one of these days.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
It seems that mine turn out too dark, too blurry, or the flash hits and reflects at the worst possible place. I believe you have offered input before on one of my photos questioning sex of the Pokie.
It's actually a weird situation, a local friend who has other Pokies has said female, male more recently, while I've gotten both answers here on different photos.
Enough hijacking though, thanks for giving me a better idea of what to look for! Hopefully I get it right one of these days.
Getting that glare off the necessary area is tricky. Sometimes I get the best results with a flash, other times it works best in a dark room with no flash, using only a flashlight held at an angle to control the glare.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
It seems that mine turn out too dark, too blurry, or the flash hits and reflects at the worst possible place. I believe you have offered input before on one of my photos questioning sex of the Pokie.
It's actually a weird situation, a local friend who has other Pokies has said female, male more recently, while I've gotten both answers here on different photos.
Enough hijacking though, thanks for giving me a better idea of what to look for! Hopefully I get it right one of these days.
Try taking it at an angle. Don't go 90 degrees against your shot - go 45 degrees instead. That will diffuse the flash and give you what you need. This will often result in sub-par shots, but we're not looking for gallery style art here.
 
Top