The spur structure differences between male and female greens are significant, especially in greens over 6 feet or so. At birth it is difficult to tell the differences in the spurs between males and females, but it can be done with great accuracy using a 10 power scope and a fair amount of practice. Once they get up to 6 feet and beyond, the differences really begin to show and it can be accomplished easily with the naked eye.
Young females under 6 feet have external spurs similar to the males, and the only way to differentiate the two is by structure alone. As the males age, the spur stays external and they retain the hooked shape similar to a cats claw. The male spur is also connected at the end of a significant appendage which you will never see in females over 6 feet. The females spur has less of a hook shape and is relatively smaller and wider with a more conical, bud type shape. As the females age and their length gets into the 6 to 8 foot range, their spurs become recessed into a cavity, and they can not be easily seen without pushing the surrounding scales back away from it. In larger females, you can usually only see the very tip of the spur at best without pushing back some of the surrounding scales.
The first photo below is a spur on one of my females years ago when she was at about 10 feet. The spur is so recessed that it cannot be seen, but the cavity is clearly visible. This is highly typical with females of this size and larger.
The second photo is the spur of one of my young males at about 8 feet. It shows the classic claw shape and the corresponding appendage attachment. The lighter coloration of the spur is many times seen on younger males.
The third photo is of Jud's larger and much older male. I believe he was about 12 feet when I took this photo a few years back. As you can see there is a significant appendage for the spur attachment and as with the younger adult male above, the entire spur structure is external and easily seen.
The great thing about taking photos like this with these three greens is that they are so calm, I was able to get these shots on the first take. I did not have to wrestle around with them or worry about them cooperating. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Kelly
