# Sexing Pokies



## The Lone Gunman (Oct 14, 2009)

I bought my first Pokie a month or so ago - an adult P regalis (although I reckon she might have a little more growing to do yet). She was sold to me as a mature female and I have no reason to question the person who sold her to me - I trust him 100%.

Nevertheless, I'd be interested to learn from any Pokie experts out there how to distinguish between the sexes of this particular species (and any other Pokies for that matter). Any advice you can give me will be much appreciated.

My female hides away during the daylight hours but has become increasingly active during the night. Although she'll only emerge from behind her cork bark retreat if the lights are out, she now does so frequently (I didn't manage to see her at all for the first fortnight or so!).

I'll try to get a couple of pictures up in due course.


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

What size is she? ( Leg Span )

your best bet would be to get some pics when she next moults. But that could be a while if shes adult.

Failing that you could try and get some pics of her underside to try and get her ventrally sexed, but this method is not as good as the moultsexing method


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## Craig Mackay (Feb 2, 2009)

P. regalis and most pokies are easy to sex dorsally at those kind of sizes if you look at the inner folio on the abdomen. You need to be looking at the markings running down the centre of the top of the abdomen. Males have a darker inner pattern whilst females don't. Of course, the only way to be 100% sure is to examine a moult.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Not according to the "pokie poster" Craig. 
Whilst I'd agree with regalis this has turned out to be completely wrong for a number of sexing on AP.


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## toro9186 (Aug 18, 2009)

Craig Mackay said:


> P. regalis and most pokies are easy to sex dorsally at those kind of sizes if you look at the inner folio on the abdomen. You need to be looking at the markings running down the centre of the top of the abdomen. Males have a darker inner pattern whilst females don't. Of course, the only way to be 100% sure is to examine a moult.


I sort of disagree with this always being the case. I was sold a sub adult sexed female on here a while back. She arrived and had all the characteristics of a 'female' P. regalis. I even had someone quite knowledgable look at her and was 100% sure she was a she due to the markings on her abdomen. These were identical to my AF's. She later matured into a male! This just proves that it's not always the case.

Was quite annoyed at the time due to buying him as a girl. But was also worked out well as I had 2 AF's to pair him up with.


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## spidersteve (Jan 25, 2010)

toro9186 said:


> I sort of disagree with this always being the case. I was sold a sub adult sexed female on here a while back. She arrived and had all the characteristics of a 'female' P. regalis. I even had someone quite knowledgable look at her and was 100% sure she was a she due to the markings on her abdomen. These were identical to my AF's. She later matured into a male! This just proves that it's not always the case.
> 
> Was quite annoyed at the time due to buying him as a girl. But was also worked out well as I had 2 AF's to pair him up with.


Putting my tuppence worth in, I have a P ornata here that I thought was a male, looks more like a female and I'm waiting for the only realiable method of sexing which is a fresh moult in good condition. I'd say have patience, get a magnifier or a usb scope etc and tweezers and wait for a moult.


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## Craig Mackay (Feb 2, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> Not according to the "pokie poster" Craig.
> Whilst I'd agree with regalis this has turned out to be completely wrong for a number of sexing on AP.


If there's one thing I've learned about spiders then its that there's always exceptions, haha. I keep meaning to get myself one of these pokies posters, I'll get round to it eventually. I know that there's some exceptions and I probably should have said it was just a good indicator.


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Im not sure its a good indicator, apart from only a few species. I used to believe it to be the case but my experience, the poster and what Ive seen in forums suggests its unreliable save for regalis, striata and fasciata.
I had the same with ornata, a male for my female, but now I have 2 females. Shouldnt have gone by the folio 

One method Im following at the moment is the curvature of the epigastric furrow - up for female and down or striaght for male, plus the occurence of a lighter shade above the males's furrow.


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## toro9186 (Aug 18, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> One method Im following at the moment is the curvature of the epigastric furrow - up for female and down or striaght for male, plus the occurence of a lighter shade above the males's furrow.



Pete are you finding this method quite reliable? And have you found if this is the case in juvies? I have a couple of juvie mirandas that I'd love to know the sex of! They seem to destroy their moults.....:diablo:


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## Craig Mackay (Feb 2, 2009)

Poxicator said:


> Im not sure its a good indicator, apart from only a few species. I used to believe it to be the case but my experience, the poster and what Ive seen in forums suggests its unreliable save for regalis, striata and fasciata.
> I had the same with ornata, a male for my female, but now I have 2 females. Shouldnt have gone by the folio


Fair enough, I hadn't seen much to suggest it wasn't that reliable until now. It's worked for me with 3 species: regalis, formosa and tigrinawesseli but that could equally likely just be coincidence. Out of interest, in your experience have the females that you thought to be male had really dark grey-black inner folio markings or just a shade of gray?



Poxicator said:


> One method Im following at the moment is the curvature of the epigastric furrow - up for female and down or striaght for male, plus the occurence of a lighter shade above the males's furrow.


Are you having much success with this method? I've read of a method similar to this before involving the angle of the anterior book lungs in relation to the curvature of the epigastric furrow but I've never tried to use that method. Have you noticed any difference in the angle of the book lungs when using this method?


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

Im using it but early days so no idea if its correct or not.
I put it to Peter Kirk yesterday but he didnt answer LOL
Well, he did answer, but it was to a different question


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## dragon's den (Oct 6, 2010)

Poxicator said:


> Not according to the "pokie poster" Craig.
> Whilst I'd agree with regalis this has turned out to be completely wrong for a number of sexing on AP.


yes, that is a common assumptiom with sexing pokies. I have seen some of robc's vids with his male metallica with no black markings at all in the white.... I am also useless at ventral sexing and would love to know how to do it properly. I can sex moults really easy now though


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## dragon's den (Oct 6, 2010)

toro9186 said:


> Pete are you finding this method quite reliable? And have you found if this is the case in juvies? I have a couple of juvie mirandas that I'd love to know the sex of! They seem to destroy their moults.....:diablo:


my pokies always make a mess of the moult too. I have an ornata thats moulted twice in my care and torn the moult right between the 1st set of booklungs on both occasions! Still dont know the sex


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