How to Tell the Sex of Your Lizard
Lizards' reproductive organs are inside their bodies, making it difficult to tell if you have a male or female with just a glance. However, each species of lizard has some telltale characteristics if you know what you are looking for. If you are still unsure after inspecting your lizard, ask a reptile veterinarian to do a probe test. In this test, a probe is inserted in the lizard's vent. The probe goes farther into a male lizard than a female lizard. Do not perform the probe test yourself.
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Instructions
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Chinese Water Dragon
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1
Set the lizard on a flat, open surface. Look at the lizard's head first. If the head has grown significantly in size since the lizard was a juvenile and has taken on a triangular shape, it is male. A female's head is smaller and rounder.
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2
Look at the spikes running down the lizard's back. Male water dragons have longer spikes than females. Males also have bony bumps underneath their spikes.
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3
Turn the lizard upside down. You'll see pores on the back legs. A male's pores are larger, darker and bumpier than a female's pores. The body takes on a triangular shape if the lizard is a male, with the base of the tail thinning out. A female maintains a rounded shape.
Geckos
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4
Ask the breeder at what temperature the eggs were incubated. Temperatures between 79 and 84 degrees F generally breed females whereas temperatures between 86 and 90 produce males. A temperature of 85 degrees F produces either sex. If you do not know the breed, wait at least six months for the gecko to mature.
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5
Observe the shape of the gecko's head. Male geckos have a squarish head. Female geckos' heads are narrower.
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6
Turn the gecko upside down. Locate the pores on the back legs. Males' pores are very noticeable and will form a "V" shape from leg to leg. A female's pores are hard to see or invisible.
Bearded Dragon
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7
Hold the bearded dragon upside down with his tail facing you.
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8
Look for a small bulge above the lizard's vent. This indicates the absence of hemipenal bulges, indicating the lizard is a female.
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9
Look for two bulges on either side of the bearded dragon's belly if you find no bulge over the vent. These hemipenal bulges are slightly above the vent and create a small dip above the vent. This lizard is male.
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Tips & Warnings
A Chinese water dragon should be 18 months old and a bearded dragon should be 6 months old before being sexed. All juvenile lizards exhibit female characteristics.
References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
