Reptile & Amphibian Forums

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Depending on your monitor's disposition, and your access to a herp vet, radiographs are generally pretty accurate in sexing larger monitors. The calified hemipenes apparently show up quite nicely. Ultrasound would likely be more accurate in smaller animals.

Of course, this is a vet med point of view from an area where larger monitors are illegal to keep

Perhaps there are keepers who can tell just by looking?

Ian

i have a nile that is about 5 1/2 feet and when i took it to the vet told me that xray and ultrasound did not work for that
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Interesting... I've read it in multiple texts and on the Veterinary Information Network. I wonder if this species is an exception, or if this vet has found it is not as accurate as they would like... hard to say.

The problem is calcified hemipenes don't always show up. So not seeing it does not mean your monitor is indeed a female.

If it does work then it appears like the photo below. Which you can see is not really that visable.

will just a question i have a big 5 1/2 feet nile that has bulges and one nile that is about 3 feet that has big bulges and two black dots over the the vent that the big nile dose not have is this just an age thing or what?
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If your monitor is a baby then there really is no way to sex it accuratly. However if it is older and mature then you can look for certain characteristics.

Males tend to have a wider and larger head. You may also notice bulging at the tail base of a male. When he deficates he might evert his hemipenis. Which will be a long thick tube that ruffles or flowers at the tip.

Females have a narrower more slender head. They may have a slight bump at the tail base but no bulging like that of a male. If she happens to evert her hemiclitoris it will be a short thin smooth tube.

Of course there is also the method of waiting to see if your monitor drops eggs. If so then guess ya got a female.

You could also post pictures for us to have a guess at the sex. It may work it may not.