sexing hissers

Chamaeleoeo

New Member
have about 12-15 hissers. have checked them all out and im not sure if i have any males...some of them are differently shaped (longer vs. stubbier) but havent noticed any "horns" or furry antennae. did i just get unlucky and not get a male??? the majority are about 1.5 to 2 inches, adults??? any other help with sexing or special ways to tell would be greatly appreciated!!!
-Rob
 
The easiest way is by the "horns". On the top side of the head, Males will have two obvious protruding "horns". The females will have samll smoother bumps in the place of the horns that hardly stick off the head. Once you spot one with and one without... It is a very easy to sex them.

Here is a pic of a male I took from Google Images(not my image)... Notice his "Horns".

Roach.jpg
 
thanks socalison!! this whole time i was lookin for the horns coming off of their heads on the bottom, not on top. and thanks for the quick repsonse!
-Rob
 
In addition to the Horns and antenae differences, there is a another way of determining sex, which is to look at the underside of the tip of the abdomen ventral plate. In the male this plate is much narrower than in the female.

Finally, the behavior of males and females also differs: only males are aggressive.The encounters between males are quite impressive. Males ram into each other with their horns and push each other with their abdomens. Males also hiss much more than females. Hissing plays an important role during male-male dominance interactions.
 

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The males don't have horns till adulthood but you can use the abdominal segmentation sexing on small nymphs.
 
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