Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What gender I believe my Ornates are. I am pretty sure I have 3.1 but want to be sure I am not way out to lunch (well about this anyway). I’m sure some of you pros can tell by the time they are this size, but they are turning out to me 180 out from what I was led to believe when I got them as babies (IMHO). I just hope for a pair (1.1 pair to be exact).

Yes, I’m wearing gloves; I was cleaning the little Yahoo’s when I decided to have my wife snap the pics. Darn things are starting to grow on me, they are almost cute and a couple have a lot of turquoise coming in around their necks and the base of their tails (pics do a lousy job of showing it).

Anyway, thanks for your help.

First one is Red, I believe Red to be a young male. He is the smallest of the group.

-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

(Turquoise 1), I believe T1 to be a male also.
I should also stress, NO Uros were harmed in anyway in the making of these photos. LOL

-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

Another male? With lots of Turquoise coming in.

-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

Mr. Wiggles I believe to really be Miss Wiggles. I think this is the only female in the group. Mr. Wiggles gets her name because if you startle her, she does a little shimmy threat display; it cracks me up. She is the puppy dog tame though, begs for food; which she always has in front of her, but likes to be hand fed (spoiled lizard). She is also the largest of the group.

-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

i just had to say they are very pretty and that lovely dance she does is the "s" dance. i have one that does it only when woken up.
-----
vonnie
***The first law of dietetics seems to be: if it tastes good, it's bad for you. — Issac Asimov ***

That is why I had to ask. They are cute though, thanks. And yes, S dance is a good description.

They are growing like weeds too, here is a picture take five months ago and one just taken on the same log.

-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

This one has no bulges at all so is almost surely female.

Doug

The bulges are more obvious in this one. That plus the blue suggests male.

Doug

I see slight bulges but everything else says female. Note female ornates do produce wax if not brumated the first winter or two so that's not a good indicator of sex. Again, if she is over 7" and still this color, it's likely female. The larger she is, the more I'd lean towards female.

Doug

What is the total lenght of this one? As it is, it looks female ( missing several femoral pores plus no blue scales and no obvious hemipenal bulges). If it's over 7", be thinking female at this point.

Doug

They are all between 7.75 inches and 8.5 inches. 1.3 would be fantastic. I knew I had 1.1 from the bulges or complete lack there of, the other two keep throwing me though. Look male one day and female the next. That is good to know about the wax on the femoral pores. They were not brumated (hibernated) so that makes since. I have read everything I could in the last few years on them (both before and after I got them) but the information is incomplete, good, but incomplete. Someone needs to write a good book on them…someone…anyone. I know a publisher.

Thanks again!
-----
Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles