One of the first things to consider when buying a crested gecko is to know its sex. Knowing whether your crested gecko is male or female will determine how the tank will be peaceful and the name to give your pet.
It is hard to determine the sex of your crested gecko by watching them scurrying around in the tank.Although you can keep female crested geckos together, you cannot keep two or more male cresties together as they can be aggressive.
In this article, you will get an insight into the different ways to determine whether your gecko is a male or female.
Contents
Fun Fact: Gender Of Lizards Depend On The Temperature During Incubation Time
In reptiles, sex-determining mechanisms can be divided into genotypic sex determination and temperature-dependent sex determination. In genotypic sex determination, the genotype of a reptile will be determined by the genotype.
However, the environmental temperature during the part of embryonic development can also determine whether a reptile egg will develop as a male or female. Temperature can change the sex of reptiles occurs after the egg has been laid.
This means the sex determination will depend on the ambient conditions that affect the egg clutches in nests.
Reptiles with X and Y sex chromosomes, like the Australian skink lizard, under low temperature during the egg development stage, the genotypic female XX can turn into phenotypic (XY) males, and will only have functioning male reproductive organs.
This means you will find both XX and XY males while the females are XX.
While reptiles with the ZW system of sex chromosomes like the Australian dragon lizard, crested geckos, etc. Under high incubation temperature during the egg development stage, the genotypic males ZZ will turn into phenotypic (ZW) females.
This means you will find both ZZ and ZW in females, but the males are usually ZZ.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!
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At What Age Of Crested Gecko Can I Tell Their Sex?
The older the crested gecko gets, the easier it is to determine their sex. You can easily identify a male crested gecko by its bulge. Male cresties bulge starts showing when they are 5-8 months old. There are some rare cases where the bulge will not show until 14 months.
Six Ways To Tell A Crested Gecko Is A Male Or Female
By Eyesight, Depending On The Age
You may be able to determine the gender of your cresties by looking at it based on their age. You should be able to know the sex of your crested gecko when they are around 8-16g.
You will see a long line of pores above the male crested geckos vent between their back legs. You will be able to identify the pores with the little dark dots in the center of the scales that look shiny, although female crested geckos can also have pores.
It is more prominent in male cresties and will stretch across their stomach from one leg to the other.
Three Common Misconceptions
The Appearance Of “Spurs.”
Some people use the prominent appearance of spurs to tell the sex of the crested gecko. Spurs are the two white little pointy things that are attached to the bulge below their vent. This is a misconception as crested geckos have different built, and some females have larger than normal spurs.
So, using the spurs alone to determine the sex of crested gecko is not an accurate method.
The Size Of The Bulge
Another misconception when sexing crested gecko is the size of the bulge. Although this is true, it can only be used for older crested geckos that have reached sexual maturity. It is hard to determine the sex of young geckos by looking at the bulge size.
The Length Of The Body And Tail
Male crested geckos usually have larger frames than females. Male cresties have broader heads, and they look thicker than female geckos. At the base of the crested gecko’s tail, you will notice tiny thorns. Male and female crested geckos have cloacal spurs, but the males are usually larger.
However, using these characteristics alone will not guarantee that your gecko is male or female. There are some female geckos with the body size of a male gecko.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested geckos as pets. Check it now!
The “Sound.”
Crested geckos usually make two basic noises, usually for sex or to alert you not to touch them. Both the male and female have adorable little chirps, but the males are generally vocal during conception.
The females make adorable chirping and squeaking sounds during the breeding season to indicate that they would like male attention. During mating, the male gecko is usually louder while the female is silent.
Ask The Breeder Or Store
If you are wondering about the sex of the new crested geckos that you want to buy from a breeder, you can ask the private breeder for the hatching date if the breeder has not sexed the gecko before you receive it. You can then use the hatching date to know the best way to determine your crested gecko’s sex.
There are times when the store would have known the age or the sex of the reptile before you get them. If you ask them, they will then provide the needed information for you.
If they are not sure of the exact gender or age when they received it, they can help make a rough guess. You can then use it to determine your crested gecko’s sex.
Use A Jewelers Loupe
Although this may sound funny to you, jewelers’ loupe can be used to determine their sex. You can also use jewelers’ loupe to check your crested geckos closely during the development stage. You will identify a male crested gecko with its pre-anal pores that run horizontally between its hind legs.
Female crested geckos do not have pre-anal pores. The best part of using jewelers’ loupe is that you do not have to take your crested geckos out of their tank to determine their sex. You can place it on the glass when it is clinging and check for pores.
Ask Your Exotic Vet
Another great way to determine your crestie’s sex is by asking for help from an exotic vet. You can take the gecko to experienced vets, and they will then help you determine whether it is a boy or a girl.
However, if your crested gecko is still young, the vet may give you a rough guess of their sex.
Ask An Expert!
You can ask a friend or relative that have experience with crested geckos for the sex of your gecko. You can also go online and ask for help from a good crested gecko forum.
Hi, my name is Yura and I live in Korea. Can I ask you something? Is it possible to make 100% sure that the 5gram crested gecko is a male; if it shows pores on it?? Thank you for answering my question.