Adult male and female tegus are visibly different from each other, αλλά determining the gender of a hatchling or baby tegu can be especially difficult as it takes a couple of years for these differences to emerge.
It is not uncommon for a seller to misgender a baby tegu only for the new pet owner to realize they ended up with a boy named Princess or a girl named Buddy.
Εχοντας πεί αυτό, correctly sexing juvenile tegus is not entirely impossible, you just have to wait until your little pet is old (and docile) enough for handling.
How to sex a baby tegu
Males have a single larger scale on the underside of their tail base on both sides of their cloacal vent; σε αντίθεση με τα θηλυκά που χάνουν εντελώς αυτό το χαρακτηριστικό.
When handling your juvenile tegu, ελέγξτε αν μπορείτε να νιώσετε κάποιο μικρό ανυψωμένο χτύπημα.
How to tell if an adult tegu is male or female
Ενήλικες πολυάσχολες ηλικίες 2 και 3 have much more pronounced features so it’s relatively easy to tell males from females.
Male tegus have large, well-developed jowls, they tend to get much bigger in size compared to females, and have a somewhat more vibrant coloration.
Females, αφ 'ετέρου, tend to be much smaller in size, and do not have the characteristic “fat cheeks” of adult male tegus.
Keeping male vs female tegus
Whether it’s better for you to get a male or female tegu depends on a few factors.
There are not many differences in how to care for one gender compared to the other, αλλά because males tend to grow larger, they also require more space.
Αφ 'ετέρου, females have to go through a period of brumation in order to ready their body to lay eggs, but it is safe to skip this process if you do not intend to have your female breed.
Females do not lay unfertilized eggs and they are not known to become egg bound, but the process of brumation is known to hinter growth, and females in general tend to be much shorter than males.
Housing male and female tegus together
You can house a male and a female together, chances are they’ll get along.
Even tegus of the same gender will usually “tolerate” their housemates as long as you provide enough room for both of them to burrow and wander around.
Tegus become sexually mature at around age 2 (when the so called “guberty” or tegu puberty starts), and housing a male and a female together may result in breeding.
Οπως ήδη αναφέρθηκε, in order to successfully breed female tegus need to undergo multiple cycles of brumation, which prepares their body to form and lay eggs.
Not allowing your tegu to go into brumation (by keeping lights on and steady temperatures year round) may prevent your tegus from breeding, but it is otherwise not considered unhealthy.
Αφ 'ετέρου, allowing a female to breed and lay eggs may result in a considerable expenditure of energy which could shorten her lifespan.
Tegu Sexing FAQs
What are the physical differences between male and female tegu lizards?
Male tegu lizards tend to be larger and more muscular than female tegus.
They also have longer tails and thicker necks.
Επιπροσθέτως, male tegus develop hemipenes, which are two fleshy structures that are located at the base of the tail.
Female tegus do not have hemipenes.
How can I check for hemipenes?
To check for hemipenes, you will need to gently lift the tail of the tegu lizard and look at the base.
The hemipenes will be located on either side of the cloaca, which is the opening at the end of the tail.
Hemipenes can be difficult to see in young tegus, but they become more pronounced as the tegu matures.
Are there any other ways to tell the gender of a tegu lizard?
In addition to checking for hemipenes, you can also look at the coloration of the tegu lizard.
Male tegus tend to have brighter coloration than female tegus.
Επιπροσθέτως, male tegus may have a more pronounced nuchal crest, which is a ridge of scales that runs along the back of the neck.
What are the most noticeable differences between male and female tegus?
The most noticeable difference between male and female tegus is the size of their hemipenes.
Hemipenes are two fleshy structures that are located at the base of the tail and are used for reproduction.
Only male tegus have hemipenes, females do not have any of such structures at the base of their tail.
Other physical differences between male and female tegus include:
- Μέγεθος: Male tegus are typically larger than female tegus.
- Tail length: Male tegus have longer tails than female tegus.
- Neck thickness: Male tegus have thicker necks than female tegus.
- Nuchal crest: Male tegus may have a more pronounced nuchal crest (a ridge of scales that runs along the back of the neck) than female tegus.
- Χρωματισμός: Male tegus may have brighter coloration than female tegus.
When can I tell the gender of my tegu lizard?
You can start to tell the gender of a tegu lizard around 6 months old.
Ωστόσο, it can be more difficult to sex younger tegus, and some males may not develop their secondary sex characteristics until they are several years old.
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Το PetsWithScales.com είναι ένας ενημερωτικός ιστότοπος σχετικά με τη φροντίδα κατοικίδιων ζώων μεγάλης σαύρας. Συλλέγουμε και παρέχουμε πληροφορίες από διαφορετικές πηγές σε όλο τον ιστό σχετικά με τον τρόπο διατήρησης και φροντίδας των ερπετών ως κατοικίδιων ζώων. Τα είδη με τα οποία ασχολούμαστε κυρίως είναι οι tegus, σαύρες παρακολούθησης, σκίνκ και γκέκο. Στόχος μας είναι να παρέχουμε πληροφορίες υψηλής ποιότητας για να βοηθήσουμε τους ιδιοκτήτες κατοικίδιων να γίνουν καλύτεροι, πιο ενημερωμένες αποφάσεις σχετικά με τη διατροφή των ζώων τους, υγεία και ζωή.
Το PetsWithScales.com είναι ένας ενημερωτικός ιστότοπος σχετικά με τη φροντίδα κατοικίδιων ζώων μεγάλης σαύρας. Συλλέγουμε και παρέχουμε πληροφορίες από διαφορετικές πηγές σε όλο τον ιστό σχετικά με τον τρόπο διατήρησης και φροντίδας των ερπετών ως κατοικίδιων ζώων. Τα είδη με τα οποία ασχολούμαστε κυρίως είναι οι tegus, σαύρες παρακολούθησης, σκίνκ και γκέκο. Στόχος μας είναι να παρέχουμε πληροφορίες υψηλής ποιότητας για να βοηθήσουμε τους ιδιοκτήτες κατοικίδιων να γίνουν καλύτεροι, πιο ενημερωμένες αποφάσεις σχετικά με τη διατροφή των ζώων τους, υγεία και ζωή.