Gender

From UroWiki

There are several ways to tell if your uromastyx is a male or a female; however, please bear in mind that these are only general guidelines. In particular, both males and females can easily minic each other's colouring and demeanour.

Contents 1 Physical appearance 2 Hemipenes and femoral pores 3 Difficulty in sexing 4 Probing

Physical appearance

In general, females tend to be less vibrant than males, with rather more muted colours and patterns. As noted above, this can vary quite broadly, though, with some brightly-coloured females and some very dull males. The males usually have wider jowls and a broader tail base.

Hemipenes and femoral pores

A species dependent method that is generally more reliable than physical appearance. The presence and shape of femoral pores can be used in species where male’s pores are more prominent than female’s pores. The pores are part of the reproductive system and can be found on the ventral side (belly side) of the lizard near the base of the tail, along both thighs. Males also can be manipulated (Carefully) to show two bumps just after their vent on the ventral side of their tail. The bumps are their hemipenes. Females have suppressed femoral pores that may secrete a waxy substance, and lack hemipenial bulges.

Difficulty in sexing

The difficulty of sexing an uromastx varies between individuals, but there are also characteristics of each specific group. For example, the Ornate (u. ornatus)) are the easiest to sex due to enlarged femoral pores on the males, and adult males tend to be significantly more colourful than females. The Egyptian (u. acanthinurus), on the other hand, can be extremely difficult to sex due to the similar size and dark colouring of both male and female alike.

Probing

Probing should never be performed on a uromastyx for any reason. Unlike snakes and other reptiles, probing will not help determine the sex of a uromastyx and could cause them serious harm, even when performed by a professional.