All owners want to tell the sex of a uromastyx at some point of owning it. Telling the gender of uromastyx is not the easiest task, but there are clues that can help you tell the sex of your uromastyx. In this post, you will learn how to tell the sex of a uromastyx by looking at various factors, such as coloration, hemipenal bulge, femoral pores and more.
As you probably know, it’s quite hard to sex uromastyx. Uromastyx can take around 2-4 (sometimes even up to 5 years) to reach sexual maturity. So, you will have to wait for your uromastyx to turn at least 2 years old before you fully confirm its gender. Use a combination of methods to properly confirm the sex.
Tip #1: Femoral pores
Femoral pores are a big indicative sings of the gender. These pores develop in both males and females. However, males develop much larger noticeable pores that secrete waxy substance for marking the territory.
You would need for your uromastyx to turn at least 2-3 years old before you can rely on this factor. If the pores are small and not solid in color, then you have a female.
You won’t be able to use this method with uromastyx princeps or benti, because they don’t develop femoral or preanal pores. Female and male acanthinura uromastyx develop similarly sized femoral pores, so you might not be able to tell the sex using this method either.
Tip 2: Hemipenal bulge – surefire way
Once reaching sexual maturity, males will develop hemipenal bulge around the tail and vent area. Hemipenes are reproductive organs in lizards, including uromastyx. Uromastyx have 2 hemipenes, which can be seen on both sides of the tail.
To use this method, you need to put your uromastyx on the table and lift its tail gently from the back. Lift the tail up at a 45 degree angle or so, and look at both sides of the tail base.
If you have a male, you will see two bulges on the sides of the tail and the dip between them. In females, there will be no bulge, and the tail base will be mostly flat. This is a surefire method to tell the sex of uromastyx.
You can also place a flashlight behind the tail and shine some light through it. With males, you will see its hemipenes on both sides of the tail, while in females – you won’t.
Tip 3: Head size and jowls
While this method is not the easiest to use, it’s still worth mentioning. Males in general have larger wider heads and jowls, while females – smaller. But to use this method you would need to compare few uromastyx to know the difference.
Tip 4: Tail base
Because of hemipenes, males develop a broader tail base than females. Along with the tail lifting technique, have a look at the tail base from the top to see if it looks large or narrow.
Tip 5: Coloration
Coloration is one of the sexual dimorphisms that will definitely help you sex your uromastyx. However, this method won’t suit all uromastyx species, as some display no sexual dimorphism and both genders have pretty much the same color.
This method will help you identify the gender of uromastyx thomasi (Omani), for example. Male thomasi uromastyx become more colorful, develop coloration on the back and throat and their tail becomes wider. You can start seeing those changes at around 8-10 months old and on.
Color difference will also be present in uromastyx ocellata. In ocellated uromastyx, it’s easy to differentiate between male and female uromastyx by looking at the color of their throat. In males, you will see more blue or green coloration on the throat, compared to nude colors in females. Males are generally more colorful.
Ornate uromastyx also display big differences in colors between males and females. Male ornates develop much more coloration, while in females, the colors are more faint. You will see more turquoise coloration in males, as well as more colors on the belly, which will be nude in females. Same applies to u. ornata philbyi.
Uromastyx yemenensis also have more colorful males than females. Adult males also develop dark coloration on their throat and body, while females stay less colored. Darker belly color also indicates a male.
Uromastyx princeps males also become more colorful than females, and males develop more blue and yellow coloration on the belly, back and tail. Similar contrast is seen in uromastyx macfadyeni, where males develop more yellow and blue, while females stay mainly beige and cream in color.
Uromastyx maliensis have darker colored males, while females are more beige colored.
Uromastyx geyri (Saharan) also display color differences between males and females. Male geyri become much more colorful. Also, males develop bright orange or yellowish color on their bellies, while females – don’t. Females have creamy or grayish coloration on the belly and don’t become as colorful in general as males.
However, both males and females of Moroccan, Egyptian, flavifasciata develop same coloration in both genders. To sex those species, you will need to look at the femoral pores and presence/lack of hemipenes. You can read more about various uromastyx species and coloration here.
Tip 6: Breeding behaviors
Breeding behaviors can also help identify the gender of your uromastyx. However, this method will need at least 2 uromastyx to observe the interaction. Your uromastyx also needs to be preferably 3 years old or older to show breeding interest.
If during the breeding season (starting around March until October) you place a male and female uromastyx together, you will most often see breeding behaviors.
Male will start chasing the female and will bite her on the neck, and then try mount her to mate. If you present two males, they will mostly get aggressive towards each other, while females might also show aggression or no interest at all.
What is more, male uromastyx produce a waxy substance from the femoral pores to mark the territory. For this reason, you might notice a male uromastyx going around and rubbing himself against various objects in the tank. Males can also head bob during the breeding season.
Female uromastyx can become aggressive towards each other as well, and some will get aggressive when laying eggs.
To learn more about uromastyx care, please visit this resource page.