Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I may be able to get a couple of very young flame bellies. Can I
house them with my adult male as they grow, or should they be housed seperately? I'm hoping to get girls, so they'll grow to become my little guy's mates... but I don't know exactly how to tell the sex of an immature lizard.

What do you think about housing them together?

Is it possible to sex the young ones?

Thanks!
Nicole

Most cordylids are difficult to sex. You will probably have to go by confirmation - ie. males will have larger, wider heads, while females will have narrower more pointed-looking heads. Also, if they're really young, they may not have reached sexual maturity yet and as such may not be exhibiting these characteristics yet. Also, femoral pores are not very diagnostic. Males will develop more secretions, than females, but to the best of my knowledge both have the pores and it's difficult to sex them using that characteristic. Check out this article for some information on other cordylids.

http://chicagoherp.org/special/garyfogel/art_of_cordylid_lizards.htm
-----
Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois