# Pets of unknown gender **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152 "2008-11-11T03:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lugubrious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Lugubrious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lugubrious)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/21 "2008-11-11T22:52:00Z")
> [@schnuckiputzi](#): > > I, too, have a peach-faced lovebird who is sex-unknown. I call ‘her’ Shiva, because she is definitely into death and destruction. She dreams of taking down my Rott/pit mix, and plots the death of my pug, who shivers in terror. > I had a tarantula who ate its cagemate. We named it Jezebel, as it seemed appropriate. Ack! I’m guessing the pet store where you purchased your tarantulas failed to mention that they’re solitary creatures unless you’re positive you have a male and female of the same species and they’re ready to mate. Most tarantulas will eat anything moving, including other tarantulas. Having said that, I have multiple tarantulas that I’m unsure of their sex. Once they attain a decent size, its easy enough to sex them from their molts. However, I have multiple spiderlings that are far too small to sex. I’ve assigned them names based on how I perceive them to be, ie Hera is my feminine, blue little A.seemanni, Frank is my hairy, manly looking G.rosea, Moses is my masculine, aggressive G.auriostriata, and so on and so forth. I received a leopard gecko from a friend, and was taught how to sex him. Thus, Lazarus got his name. I forgot to mention Gary, my giant african land snail. Since they reproduce asexually, I just picked a name that would suit him/her best. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/22 "2008-11-11T23:34:21Z")
I’ve had a big 'ol goldfish I named “Syd Vicious” because he bullied the crap out of the other goldfish I bought at the same time I got him. He’s blind now but he’s still feisty as anything. When I adopted Sami, my Quaker Parrot, I was told that no one was sure of gender. Well, about 2 days after she got settled in, she laid eggs. You could have heard me and my hubby laughing for miles! Good thing she came with a gender neutral name. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/23 "2008-11-12T02:14:54Z")
I have African Greys : Steve the TAG: gender unknown, claims to be a boy Richard Birdzilla: gender unknown, seems fairly butch MikadO: known to be male, is the same kind of jerk as Steve when jerk-ness is exhibited Princess Pollyfoofoo: known girl. girly girly divalicious girl Zahzoo: gender unknown, presumed male. Displays the same mannerisms and postures as his previous (Male and almost stereotypically gay) owner. This includes screaming like a little girl when startled. I also had a mitred conure that Steve Bird claimed was a boy, and also a “bad bird” and a “brat”. Steve was right on the last two, so we figured he knew what he was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/24 "2008-11-12T03:49:20Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > When I adopted Sami, my Quaker Parrot, I was told that no one was sure of gender. Well, about 2 days after she got settled in, she laid eggs. You could have heard me and my hubby laughing for miles! Good thing she came with a gender neutral name. I came in to post about my Quaker Parrot, Wynmoor. We always referred to the bird as he, but (for those who aren’t familiar with the birds) since males and females are the same size and coloration there was no way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/25 "2008-11-12T16:38:05Z")
I think Quakers are pretty birds. The parrot community on LJ that I belong to has a member who named her Quaker Adrian\*. 😃 \*For those unfamiliar, Quakers are also known as Monks. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/26 "2008-11-12T16:46:19Z")
> [@TroubleAgain](#): > > To me it’s not the volume that’s amazing, it’s the shrillness.:smack: You know, you’re right. I’ve been around and (even owned one) parrots, who can screech really loud when they want to, but it has never gotten to the point of the damnable lovebirds. OUCH. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/27 "2008-11-12T16:52:38Z")
And the shrillness delivered straight to the eardrum when she’s sitting on my shoulder. It literally makes your head ring. :rolleyes: Definitely guaranteed to garner some attention, even if it’s the ‘wince, yell, and grab at the bird’ kind. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/28 "2008-11-12T18:43:57Z")
> [@TroubleAgain](#): > > I think Quakers are pretty birds. The parrot community on LJ that I belong to has a member who named her Quaker Adrian\*. 😃 > > \*For those unfamiliar, Quakers are also known as Monks. Hey, so am I!! ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/29 "2008-11-13T01:32:26Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I once told someone I never named a new reptile until it started eating. They were SHOCKED. How could you not name a pet? I said, you’re never sure about reptiles, if they won’t eat they die, I’ve had a lot of experience with them, and besides, the name is solely for my benefit. They’ll never know it, as you say! Yeah, a snake can get away with eating about once a month or every three weeks. If the snake is a pet, it just sits there and does nothing until you throw a mouse in the cage. But you should never handle a snake after it eats. because it will probably vomit. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/30 "2008-11-13T19:11:42Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > Hey, so am I!! Pssst, I know, I already friended you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/31 "2008-11-13T19:14:00Z")
> [@TroubleAgain](#): > > Pssst, I know, I already friended you. 😃 [does happy dance] ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152/32 "2008-11-13T19:16:09Z")
> [@schnuckiputzi](#): > > And the shrillness delivered straight to the eardrum when she’s sitting on my shoulder. It literally makes your head ring. :rolleyes: Definitely guaranteed to garner some attention, even if it’s the ‘wince, yell, and grab at the bird’ kind. Somebody in the parrot LJ community said that big-bird loud is like being hit in the head with a hammer, and little-bird loud is like an ice-pick through the eardrum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pets-of-unknown-gender/472152.md?page=1)