Sex?

[AMAST42]

I've watched a ton of videos and looked through pictures, I can't find anything that tells me this is a boy...can anyone confirm?

 

[Jrock23]

I'm not sure as to looking at a pic to tell the sex of a tegu but if its the same as a Savannah monitor then i can tell you.. Watch underground reptile videos on youtube, he tells you and show you how to sex your tegu by probing...

 

[Walter1]

Well-developed femoral pores seem male to me. Feel for BBs, one on either side of vent to confirm male if several months old.

 

[AMAST42]

I can't find or feel BBs anywhere

 

[Roadkill]

Femoral pores are an extremely poor indicator of sex in Teiidae. Where the hemipenal retractor muscles attach on the inside of the integument (to either side and slightly caudal to the vent) the scales are different and thicken up in males, hence why many call them BBs or even spurs. This looks like a female (although better resolution and directly focused on the specific region would help).

 

[Walter1]

Are you sure about the femoral pores? They have glands that males use for scent-marking in reproduction.

 

[AMAST42]

 

[AMAST42]

 

[Roadkill]

@Walter1
Most lizards possess femoral pores, in both sexes, and in some groups this is a fair indicator although usually has seasonal correlation (for example, many of the iguanids the males show increased femoral pore activity in breeding season, otherwise just seems somewhat larger than females). Tegus do indeed have the femoral pores, I've dissected them myself to have a closer look, but I would not say there's much difference between the two sexes. "femoral pores" seems to be a common idea that hobbyists have attached to, but without much founding.

@AMAST42
Much better, good resolution and with a good aspect towards the lateral view. Pretty certain that's a female.

 

[Walter1]

Yes better look, I would go with female.

 

[snibborsirk]

While we're on the subject, what does everyone think of my Florida tegu? She/he was born around June I believe and is about 24" at this point. Sallie or Sully????

 

[Walter1]

Snibb- I come up with female. At the end of the vent, a nearly straight line down from the edge of the smile, below the lower lips should be an enlarged scale that in turn is the "BB" one can feel in a sexually-mature male. Don't see it on yours. Both having Fl WCs, I can say that by next fall, the female will keep a nice slender head and neck, whereas a male will begin to show jowls.

I hope that if she is a female that you will consider breeding her. The firebelly is sharp. Nothing less than 2 Cs each.

 

[snibborsirk]

I def plan on breeding if in fact she is actually a she! Here are 2 more pics of my "florida" tegu that I'm hoping to be female. The third pic is of my male chacoan that was guaranteed to be probed as a male by Snakes at Sunset (for whatever that is worth!) I can't decide if I'm just imaging things or if my florida B&W is actually developing the raised/bumpy scales on either side of the vent. Thoughts??? There is definitely a larger more pronounced scale on the Chacoan in the third pic - feeling pretty confident he is a boy.

 

[Walter1]

No question that the third pic, the Chacoan, is a male. Enlarged scales along the sides below the vent.

Your Florida is curious. I can now see enlarged scales also but seem to be on the edge of the vent rather than below. But with even closer look, it is not part of the rim of the vent. I think just scrunched up. Yup, I think if you straighten it out you'll see that Florida's raised scales are beside AND below vent= a male.