Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have pics this time! These are supposedly two female desert iguanas but I am not starting to doubt that based on their response to the introduction of a new guy who I am certain to be a male. Both of my supposed females have started scuffling with him in the early morning on two different occasions, so now I have him in a completely different room and they are back to normal.

Can anybody tell me if they are male or female?

Here is contender#1 "beefcake":

Here is contender#2 "flower":

Thanks for the help once again!
-Matt
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1.2.0 Desert Iguanas(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
1.2.3 Western Fence Lizards(Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii)
2.0.7 Common Side-blotched Lizards(Uta stansburiana)
0.0.1 California Alligator Lizards(Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata)

My gut is telling me that those are males. The femoral pores seem to be secreting the territorial marking "stuff", and also there seems to be hemi-penal buldges present.

#1 I'm going to have to cast my vote as 99% male
#2 looks fairly young, so it still might be early to tell.

Maybe someone here has some good pics of a known female that they can post.

-Kory

unfortunately I am leaning towards your gut feeling as that is my own at the moment :/

I bought the two from steve bozsik who seems to be highly regarded, so I just kinda took his word for it. However, faced with the very limited documentation on the matter and a complete lack of Male vs. Female photos to compare, I can see how the mistake is made.

If you happen to know anybody owning a female or male could you see if theyd post a pic here for comparison.

thanks,
Matt
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1.0.2 Desert Iguanas(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
1.2.3 Western Fence Lizards(Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii)
2.0.7 Common Side-blotched Lizards(Uta stansburiana)
0.0.1 California Alligator Lizards(Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata)

Sorry Matt, I don't know anyone with DIggs. I am going to head out to the our local desert soon... a couple of weeks or so. I've been trying to get my hands on a female chuck... which is all I ever catch until I actually want one The spot that I go to is
extremely populated with DIggs.

I usually have very good luck catching DIggs, and if I catch a female I'll try to get some good photos of it's undercarriage for you.

Do you have a reptile store or vet nearby that could probe yours? I don't know what the depth should be, but that would really be the best answer.

-Kory

What desert are you heading out to? I am currently near the san fernando valley and have never really ventured out to go "herping" or whatever you would want to call it anywhere beyond the local ditches and creeks. I don't really know any spots where you are permitted to do such, so thats why I haven't gone out.

I suppose I do need to get the probing done, but unfortunately I do not have anyone in my area that I would trust enough to do so. Vets here specialize in lap dogs and kitty cats It is rather depressing as most of the pet stores don't even care to bother with reptiles it seems.

I guess for now I am just going to have to keep them separated. I know some people on this forum have desert igs.

Thanks for all the help negatronix. Despite your uncertainty, it is still nice to hear input.

-Matt
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1.0.2 Desert Iguanas(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
1.2.3 Western Fence Lizards(Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii)
2.0.7 Common Side-blotched Lizards(Uta stansburiana)
0.0.1 California Alligator Lizards(Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata)

Hey Matt,

I'll be heading out to an area near Joshua Tree, but not in the park. It is about a 2:30 drive for me. I am in the San Gabriel valley, near Pasadena.

It is okay to go "herping" on any BLM land. There are, if you read up on the laws exceptions, but none that I've come across for Desert Iguanas. Search for "bag and possesion laws"!

You do realize that it is not legal for you to purchase a Desert Iguana being that you live in Ca. There is a really hefty fine for that. The Desert Iguana is a native Ca. species, and the laws prohibit the buying, selling, or trading of any native animals. Be careful!!

There is a store called Reptile Depot just south of the 118 fwy, that might be able to probe your Iguana. I would call them first and ask, as they might not want a native species in their place of business. They can get into serious trouble. Take a current fishing license with you as well.

Reptile Depot advertises here on Kingsnake.com. Also look for Amazon Reptile..Those guys sell some of the best herps in the business, I've been using them for quite a while.

If that doesn't sound like a good idea, you could contact someone a Moorpark Animal College. The true masters of animal science come from that school.

Where about are you in San Fernando valley? I work in Burbank.

-Kory

I actually go to moorpark cc. I just got back from class heh. I'll have to get in touch with them. I didn't realize that purchasing the native reptile from out of state was illegal. I do have a current dfg fishing license so I figured it was within legality, since they aren't protected. Thanks for the heads up on that though.

How do I find what land belongs to BLM? Sorry this is going off subject.

oh and im in camarillo, but most of my time is spent in simi/moorpark.. so i guess just west of "the valley"

I just called reptile depot and its a no go for them. I will have to give EATM a call at mcc and hopefully the vet there can help me out.

Thanks again Kory,
-Matt
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1.0.2 Desert Iguanas(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
1.2.3 Western Fence Lizards(Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii)
2.0.7 Common Side-blotched Lizards(Uta stansburiana)
0.0.1 California Alligator Lizards(Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata)

To find BLM land, you could do a simple search on the net for BLM maps, or BLM lands in Ca. or for a different state. I've been an "offroader" for most of my life, and have just kind of figured things out as I went out riding.

Offroad maps offered at motocycle shops are usually a good place to start. Most desert land, but not all is BLM land. Maps will usually state if the area is BLM land, a wildlife refuge, a State Park, a National Park, or a military base/installation.

After you get a few maps, cross reference them with a species range and you'll be catching lots of critters in no time. You'll find that there are good and bad areas. Finding those areas takes a bit of luck but eventually you'll know exactly where to look and at what time of day.

Good luck!
-Kory

I don't have and desert igs either, but they both look male to me too from the pores. But, I rember from a Reptiles article a while back that sexing these guys wasn't straight forward so there may be more to it than just the pores. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

I haven't heard of probing being done safely in lizards. From what I've heard in the past, it's a no-no due to high potential for injury / damage.

You should check out the California fishing regulations before you go out collecting: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/07-08-inland-fish-regs.pdf . They cover native reptiles and the posession limit on most species is two.

-Alice

I vote both are males. A little hard to tell on Flower, as it seems still young and hemi penal bulges aren't developed yet. Also, I agree with Alice about not probing them for the reasons she said. It's usually done to snakes, but I think you could harm a lizard.

I just got the no probe thing from the vet at EATM as well, and I will take her word for it. I just read that both males and females participate in defending territory so should I just risk it and try introducing them all together again and just keep a close eye on the situation? Do they just need to determine who stands where in the pecking order kind of thing? Egh, this is so nerve-racking.

Thanks for the input,
Matt
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1.0.2 Desert Iguanas(Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
1.2.3 Western Fence Lizards(Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii)
2.0.7 Common Side-blotched Lizards(Uta stansburiana)
0.0.1 California Alligator Lizards(Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata)