Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HELLO,

I JUST PURCHASED 2 BLUE & BLACK AURATUS FROGS FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS EAGER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS BEFORE I BOUGHT THEM. NOW THAT I BOUGHT THEM IT SEEMS THEY ARE NOT AS EAGER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THEY WERE SOLD TO ME AS A PAIR (1.1) AND THAT THEY ARE 16 TO 18 MONTHS OLD. THE SEX WAS NOT MARKED, SO I SENT AN EMAIL ASKING WHICH WAS THE MALE AND WHICH WAS THE FEMALE. THE REPLY CAME BACK AND THE ENTIRE EMAIL JUST SAID "THE MALE IS THE SMALLER ONE". NOW, UNLESS I AM GOING BLIND, THE 2 FROGS ARE THE EXACT SAME SIZE !!! HOW CAN I TELL IF I ACTUALLY DO HAVE A PAIR (1.1) ??

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

The only way I know is to listen for calling and find out which one is making the noise. I have had four unsexed blue auratus for about 5 years, and finally decided they are all females, even though they have laid infertile eggs. Auratus will sometimes lay eggs without a male present. Although I think I'm pretty good at guessing male from female in other species, going by body habitus, toe pads, etc. depending upon the species, I guessed all wrong with my auratus. I would have sworn that at least one was a male, because it was more slender, but apparently, it was just a female that was more shy and ate less. I think that if you were sold a 1:1 mated pair, the only way to tell them apart is to watch and listen very carefully for calling. Any reliable breeder selling you a mated pair will mark their separate shipping cups with the appropriate symbols. The attached photo is of some of my females doing a bit of [bleep]-slapping--perhaps waiting for a guy to show up to provide a purpose for it.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus

OK, THANK YOU. I WILL SEE IF ONE OF THEM CALLS. I AGREE WITH YOU, THEY SHOULD MARK THE SEX ON THE SEPARATE CUPS, BUT THEY DIDN'T.