Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thank everyone so much for your advice.

I divided my cage in half. Since it is made of pexiglass pannels, I used a clear pexiglass pannel to make the division. I read about a public aquarium which had some turtles which kept eating the fish. The aquarium put in a clear glass pannel, seperating the fish from the turtles. After awhile, the turtles gave up trying to eat the fish. The aquarium then removed the glass pannel. The turtles still did not eat the fish. The aquarium put in new fish. The turtles ate the new fish, but they left the old fish alone.

IF the other uro is, in fact, a female (which I am no longer so sure of. When I got her, her arms and head were tan. They are becoming decidedly black lately. Also, she is getting a dark blotch on her chest. My male got such a dark blotch about a year ago. Then most of his tummy turned as jet black as the rest of his body (except for a few yellow markings on his back -- which have since turned almost white).

My male's STV is 9-1/2". My female's (?) STV is 7-1/2". Her face is much rounder and shorter than the male's, who has a very pointed, turtle-like snout. The male has long fingernails compared to the female's. The male's tail is much "rounder" than the female's, whose tail is more flat on top.

Anyway, that is my solution for now. In a couple of months I should be able to tell for sure if my female is really feamale or not. If she is, then the trick that worked for the turtles and fish might work for uros. If my female is really a male, well, then I will sell one or the other of them.

Thank you again -

I think your idea about separating the cage is at least a really good start. I think you were very fortunate and unfortunate at the same time. Coloration is very hard to determine male / female comparison. There are so many male/female mimics, not to mention the physical characteristics that vary from animal to animal. My feeling is that you introduced a potential female to your male during the time of season that males are looking for mates. My own experience is that my Egyptian males are far more tolerant of any other uros, male or female, during the breeding season. My adult male Egyptians will do a battle dance to determine dominance, but usually this is much more timid than the normal aggressive stance taken at other uros in the proximity. My females have also shown a much more lax attitude during this time. A month after this period of time they will display all the mannerism that you described - The hissing, body angling, puffing up, mouth gaping, and of course the vicious biting...
Good luck on the separation. Reintroduction could be a little scary, so be prepared with a good leather glove to separate them again mid-battle so to save some injuries.
Hope this helps.
E

If you do decide to sell, might I recommend maybe doing a trade with a proven female instead if you're looking to make a breeding pair?
There are breeders who are looking to add different bloodlines to their colonies so perhaps they may take an interest in yours and offer you one of their proven uros in exchange, which would benefit both of you. Just a thought.
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