Cracking the Code: A Bold New Way to Tell Male and Female Lizards Apart

My name is Alex, and for over 15 years, I’ve dedicated my life to herpetology—the study and care of reptiles and amphibians.

I’ve worked with dozens of species, published research, and consulted for zoos.

But the most important lesson I ever learned didn’t come from a textbook or a university Lab. It came from a heartbreaking failure in my own reptile room.

It was the case of the two brothers.

I had acquired what I was told was a perfect pair of Leopard Geckos, Eublepharis macularius.

The seller, a reputable breeder, was confident: one male, one female.

I had my own checklist of “common knowledge” signs I’d picked up over the years, and they seemed to pass muster.

For months, I invested my time, resources, and hopes into this pair.

I envisioned a successful breeding project, the culmination of careful husbandry.

Then one evening, I heard it—a frantic scrabbling from their enclosure, a sound of pure violence that cuts through the usual quiet hum of a reptile room.

I rushed over to find them locked in a brutal, territorial battle.

One had the other’s tail clamped in his jaw, twisting and thrashing.

It wasn’t courtship; it was war.

In that moment, the devastating truth hit me: I didn’t have a male and a female.

I had two males.

My misidentification, my reliance on superficial signs and someone else’s word, had led directly to this.

I separated them, but the damage was done—not just to their bodies, but to my confidence.¹

That failure became my crucible.

It forced me to confront a dangerous truth within the herpetoculture community: the way most of us are taught to sex lizards is fundamentally flawed.

It’s a collection of half-truths, unreliable shortcuts, and “quick tips” that too often lead to disaster.³

The question “Is it a boy or a girl?” isn’t just trivia for naming your P.T. It is one of the most foundational and critical responsibilities a keeper has, with profound consequences for animal welfare, social dynamics, and long-term health.

That night, I stopped being just a keeper and became an investigator.

And what I discovered was a new framework for seeing—a way to move from guessing to knowing.

Part I: The ‘Crime Scene’ — Why Standard Advice Fails and Why It Matters

After my incident with the two male geckos, I began to dissect my failure.

I realized I had been treating the process of sexing like a simple checklist, not an investigation.

I had relied on what amounted to hearsay and circumstantial evidence, and the consequences were severe.

This is a trap that countless well-meaning keepers fall into.

The Unreliable Witness: The Dangers of “Common Knowledge”

In any investigation, relying on an unreliable witness is a recipe for a cold case.

In herpetology, our unreliable witnesses are the pieces of “common knowledge” that get passed around without context or qualification.

You’ve likely heard them:

• “Males are bigger and more colorful.” While sexual dimorphism (physical differences between sexes) exists in many species, this is a dangerously simplistic rule.⁵ In many lizards, these differences only become pronounced at full sexual maturity. A juvenile male may be the same size or even smaller than a subadult female.⁶ Color can be influenced by mood, health, and specific locality, not just sex.⁸ Relying on this is like trying to identify a suspect based on them “looking taller than average.” It’s vague and often wrong.
• “The seller said it was a female.” Even the most experienced breeders make mistakes. Forum posts and community discussions are filled with stories of keepers discovering months or years later that their animal was mis-sexed at the point of sale.⁹ A seller’s guarantee is, at best, testimonial evidence; it must be corroborated with physical proof.

These shortcuts fail because they ignore two critical factors: age and species variation.

The signs that are obvious in a two-year-old adult are often invisible in a six-month-old juvenile.

The prominent femoral pores of a male Bearded Dragon look nothing like the subtle pre-anal pores of a male Crested Gecko.

Applying one species’ rules to another is a common and critical error.

The Motive: Why Accurate Sexing is Non-Negotiable

Understanding why something matters is the first step to doing it right.

The motivation for accurate sexing isn’t just about successful breeding or choosing a name; it’s about providing responsible, ethical care.

The consequences of getting it wrong are serious and fall into three key areas of animal welfare.

1. Preventing Violence (Social Health)

My story of the two brothers is, unfortunately, not unique.

For many solitary and territorial lizard species, housing two males together is a guarantee of chronic stress and eventual violence.¹

In the wild, a subordinate male can flee.

In the confines of an enclosure, there is no escape.

This leads to constant competition for resources like heat, food, and hiding spots, which inevitably escalates to physical combat.

This can result in severe injuries, tail loss, and even death.²

Knowing the sex of your animals is the first and most important step in creating a safe and peaceful social environment, which is a cornerstone of good husbandry.¹⁰

2. Managing Reproduction (Breeding & Population Health)

For those who intend to breed, accurate sexing is the absolute foundation of their program.

Without a confirmed male and female, any breeding attempt is doomed to fail, wasting time, resources, and potentially stressing the animals for no reason.¹¹

Conversely, for the casual pet owner, misidentifying a pair can lead to a sudden and unexpected clutch of eggs.¹²

This creates the difficult situation of needing to find homes for dozens of hatchlings, a responsibility many keepers are not prepared for.

Preventing unwanted reproduction is just as important as planning for it.

3. Anticipating Health Needs (Medical Health)

Males and females are susceptible to different sex-specific health problems.

A keeper who knows the sex of their lizard can be a proactive caretaker, watching for the right signs, rather than a reactive owner responding to a crisis.

• Female-Specific Issues: Females can suffer from dystocia (egg-binding), a life-threatening condition where they are unable to pass their eggs. They can also develop pre-ovulatory follicular stasis, where egg follicles fail to develop properly and are not laid, leading to serious internal complications.¹³
• Male-Specific Issues: Males can experience a prolapsed hemipenis, where one or both of their reproductive organs fail to retract after being everted. This is a medical emergency that can lead to tissue death and infection if not treated promptly.¹⁴ Males are also more prone to having their
  femoral or pre-anal pores become impacted or clogged, which can lead to pain and infection.¹⁷

Knowing you have a female means you watch her weight and behavior carefully for signs of egg development.

Knowing you have a male means you understand what a prolapse looks like and are vigilant about the condition of his pores.

This foreknowledge is a powerful tool for preventative care.³

Part II: The Forensic Framework — My Epiphany in Herpetology

Staring at my two injured geckos, I realized my entire approach was wrong.

I had been looking for a single, definitive clue—a “smoking gun” that would shout “male!” or “female!” But in the subtle world of lizard biology, such certainties are rare, especially with young animals.

My epiphany came from an unlikely place: a documentary on forensic science.

I watched as investigators processed a crime scene.

They didn’t rely on a single piece of evidence.

They collected fingerprints, fibers, and D.A. They analyzed patterns.

They considered the context of every discovery.

They built a cumulative case, where the weight of multiple, corroborating pieces of evidence led them to a conclusion.¹⁹

That was it.

I needed to stop being a checklist-follower and start being a forensic herpetologist.

I needed to build a case for the sex of each lizard, piece by piece.

This shift in mindset was transformative, and it’s the framework I want to share with you.

Introducing the Forensic Analogy: A New Way to See

Thinking like a forensic investigator provides a powerful, practical, and more reliable way to approach lizard sexing.

Here’s how the analogy breaks down:

• Physical Evidence: These are the tangible, biological markers on the lizard itself: the hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail and the femoral or pre-anal pores on their underside. This is the equivalent of fingerprints or DNA at a crime scene—it is objective, physical proof that can be documented and analyzed.²⁰
• Testimonial Evidence: This is what someone else tells you, like the breeder or a forum commenter. Like any witness statement, it can be helpful, but it can also be mistaken or incomplete. It must always be verified against the physical evidence.²⁰
• Pattern Recognition: A forensic analyst is trained to see the difference between a fingerprint arch, loop, and whorl.²² A herpetologist must learn to recognize the subtle patterns of lizard anatomy: the double-bulge of a male versus the flat base of a female, or the prominent, waxy pores of a male versus the faint, undeveloped pores of a female.
• Context is Key: An archaeologist knows that a 2,000-year-old Roman coin found in a sealed Roman villa means something very different from the same coin found in a 19th-century curio cabinet.²⁴ For us, the context is the lizard’s
  species, age, and overall health. A slight bulge on a three-month-old gecko is ambiguous. The same bulge on a one-year-old of the same species is significant evidence.
• The Cumulative Case: This is the most important principle. You never rely on a single piece of evidence. A definitive conclusion is reached only when multiple, independent lines of evidence point in the same direction. Your goal is not to find one clue; it is to build a case so strong that it stands up to scrutiny.

This framework changes the question from “What one thing do I look for?” to “What evidence can I gather, and what story does it tell when I put it all together?”

Part III: The Evidence Locker — A Forensic Guide to Key Biological Markers

With our forensic framework established, it’s time to open the evidence locker.

We will now examine the three main categories of physical evidence you will use to build your case.

We will learn how to collect this evidence safely, analyze it accurately, and understand its potential for misinterpretation.

Evidence Category 1: Hemipenal Bulges (The Concealed Weapon)

This is often the most striking piece of evidence.

Male snakes and lizards (order Squamata) possess a pair of reproductive organs called hemipenes.²⁶

When not in use, these organs are held inverted inside the tail, just behind the cloacal vent.

In many species, this creates two distinct, side-by-side bulges at the base of the tail.⁵

Think of this as the anatomical equivalent of a concealed weapon; it’s there, but hidden from plain view.

The Investigator’s Technique

To examine for these bulges, you need to handle your lizard calmly and safely.

A good method, particularly for species like Bearded Dragons, is to gently lift the tail.

1. Secure the Animal: Rest the lizard on a flat surface or hold it securely in one hand, supporting its body and legs.²⁸
2. Gently Lift the Tail: With your other hand, take hold of the base of the tail (never the tip) and gently lift it upwards, creating a gentle arch no greater than 90 degrees. This stretches the skin over the cloacal area, making the bulges more apparent.²⁸
3. Observe: Look for two parallel bulges running down the tail from the vent. A female will typically have a much flatter tail base, or at most a single, softer bulge in the center.²⁸

For a more definitive view, you can use the Flashlight Method.

In a dim room, shine a bright, small flashlight or your phone’s light through the top of the tail base.

The light will illuminate the tissue, and in a male, you should clearly see two dark, oblong shadows—the hemipenes themselves—within the reddish glow.

A female will typically show only one central, less-defined shadow, or none at all.²⁸

This technique is a form of non-invasive imaging that helps confirm you are seeing two distinct structures, not just a generic swelling.

The “False Positive” of the Hemiclitoris

Here we come to one of the most critical and often overlooked details in lizard anatomy, and a primary reason for misidentification.

It’s not as simple as “males have something, females have nothing.” Females of many species possess a hemiclitoris, a smaller, undeveloped homologue of the male hemipenis.¹¹

This anatomical fact has profound implications.

Visually, this small structure can create a slight bulge in a female that a novice might mistake for a male’s hemipenal bulge.

This is why just looking for “a bump” is an unreliable method.

The key is looking for two distinct, parallel bulges, which is where the flashlight method becomes so valuable.

Furthermore, this explains why invasive methods like probing are so fraught with risk for the inexperienced.

Probing involves inserting a blunt metal rod into the cloaca to measure the depth of the pockets.

In a male, the probe slides deep into an inverted hemipenis.

In a female, it should only go in a short distance into the smaller hemiclitoris pocket.

However, if an improperly sized probe is used or too much force is applied, it can easily puncture the delicate hemiclitoris, travel deeper, and give a “false positive” reading for a male.

This not only results in a misidentification but can cause severe internal injury.¹¹

Understanding the female anatomy is just as important as understanding the male’s.

Evidence Category 2: Femoral & Preanal Pores (The Fingerprints)

If hemipenal bulges are the concealed weapon, then femoral and pre-anal pores are the fingerprints.

These are a series of glandular openings located on the underside of the lizard.

Femoral pores run along the thighs, while pre-anal pores form a V-shape just in front of the vent.²⁹

These pores are not just random dots; they are functional glands that secrete a waxy, lipid-based substance rich in pheromones.

Lizards use these secretions to mark territory and communicate with other lizards, particularly for reproduction.¹⁸

The Investigator’s Technique

Like a forensic expert analyzing a fingerprint, your job is to look for clarity and definition.

The key is not the mere presence of pores, but their degree of expression.

• In Males: The pores are typically large, obvious, and well-defined. You can often see the waxy substance plugging the opening, sometimes looking like a small horn or blackhead. They are the equivalent of a clear, well-rolled fingerprint.⁸
• In Females: In species where both sexes have pores, the female’s are almost always smaller, less developed, and may appear as tiny, shallow pits or be nearly invisible. They are the equivalent of a faint, smudged print.⁸ In some species, like many geckos, females lack them entirely.³⁰

The Pores Tell a Story of Health and Behavior

A good investigator knows that evidence can tell you more than just identity.

The condition of a lizard’s femoral pores is a dynamic indicator of its health, hormonal status, and environment.

This links the act of sexing to the broader practice of good husbandry.

In the wild, lizards naturally express these waxy secretions by rubbing their thighs on rocks and branches.

In captivity, if an enclosure lacks sufficient rough surfaces, these pores can become clogged or impacted.¹⁷

This can be exacerbated by poor nutrition (especially Vitamin A deficiency) or dehydration during brumation, when the secretions can harden.¹⁷

An impacted pore looks swollen, inflamed, and can be painful, potentially leading to infection.

When you examine the pores for sexing, you should also be assessing their condition.

Are they clean and functional, or are they impacted? If they are impacted, treatment often involves soaking the lizard in warm water and gently massaging the area with a soft toothbrush to loosen the plug.¹⁷

Never squeeze them, as this can cause tissue damage and pain.¹⁷

By learning to read this evidence, you are not just determining sex; you are monitoring your animal’s well-being.

Because pore expression is one of the most variable traits across species, a comparative table is essential.

Species	Male Pores (Description & Prominence)	Female Pores (Description & Prominence)	Key Forensic Notes
Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)	Prominent, well-defined femoral pores running along both thighs. Often have visible waxy plugs in mature males.28	Pores are present but are significantly smaller and less distinct than in males. They appear as small pits without waxy plugs.28	Pores are femoral (on the thighs). A very reliable secondary indicator when combined with examining hemipenal bulges.
Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)	Obvious V-shaped row of pre-anal pores just above the vent. Pores are large, dark, and secrete a waxy substance.32	Pores are absent or appear as very faint, tiny pits without dark centers or waxy secretions.32	Pores are pre-anal. A primary and highly reliable indicator. Males use these pores for chemical sex recognition.30
Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)	A distinct line of pre-anal pores is visible, often requiring a jeweler’s loupe or magnifying glass in juveniles.38	Pores are absent. Females may have “pseudo-pores” (white dots or different scales) that can be confusing, but they lack the true dark-centered pore indentation.39	Pores are pre-anal. The best way to sex juveniles before the hemipenal bulge is obvious. Requires magnification for accuracy.

Evidence Category 3: Secondary Characteristics (Circumstantial Evidence)

This final category of evidence is what forensic experts would call circumstantial.

It can support a case but is rarely strong enough to prove it on its own.

These are the general differences in size, shape, and color that are often cited as “easy” ways to sex a lizard.

• Size and Build: In many species, males are larger, heavier, or have a more robust build than females.²⁹ For example, male Ackie monitors tend to have more muscular necks and legs.⁷
• Head Shape: A broader, more blocky head is often a male characteristic, particularly in species like Bearded Dragons and some monitors.⁶
• Coloration: Breeding males of many species develop brighter colors to attract mates and intimidate rivals. The fire-orange head of a male broad-headed skink or the vibrant blue throat of a male plated lizard are strong indicators.⁵
• Specialized Structures: These can be very reliable if present. They include the horns on a male Jackson’s Chameleon, the prominent dorsal crest of a male Green Iguana, or the cloacal spurs on male tegus.⁵

The Investigator’s Warning

Treat all this evidence with caution.

A male blue-tongued skink may only have a slightly larger head and brighter eyes than a female—a difference far too subtle for a novice to rely on.⁵

These traits are most useful in mature, healthy adults and should always be used to

corroborate the primary physical evidence from bulges and pores, never to replace it.

Part IV: Case Files — Applying the Forensic Method

Theory is essential, but practice is where cases are solved.

We will now apply our complete forensic framework to three of the most popular pet lizard species.

Each “case file” will walk you through the process of gathering and weighing the evidence to reach a reliable verdict.

Case File #1: The Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Bearded Dragons are one of the easier species to sex once they reach sub-adult size (around 6+ months), as their physical evidence is quite clear.

• Primary Evidence (Hemipenal Bulges): This is your strongest piece of evidence. Using the tail-lift method described earlier, examine the tail base. A male will present with two very distinct, parallel bulges. A female will have a single, much less pronounced bulge in the center, or the area will be relatively flat.²⁸ The flashlight method is exceptionally effective here; two dark shadows are a definitive sign of a male, while one central shadow indicates a female.²⁸
• Corroborating Evidence (Femoral Pores): Next, examine the underside of the hind legs. A mature male will have a row of large, prominent femoral pores that often look like waxy, raised dots.²⁸ A female will have the same row of pores, but they will be significantly smaller and less developed, appearing more like tiny pits.²⁸ The difference, when comparing an adult male and female, is unmistakable.
• Circumstantial Evidence (Head and Body): Adult males typically have broader, more triangular heads and thicker tail bases than females. They also tend to display their “beards” (the gular pouch under the chin) more frequently and aggressively. However, these are supportive observations, not definitive proof, especially in younger animals.
• Verdict: Your case for a male is solid when you have two clear hemipenal bulges/shadows corroborated by a set of large, pronounced femoral pores. Your case for a female is solid when you observe a single central bulge/shadow and a set of small, indistinct femoral pores.

Case File #2: The Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

This was the species that started my forensic journey.

They have multiple strong indicators, but also a unique piece of “chemosensory evidence” that explains why getting it right is so critical.

• Primary Evidence (Pre-anal Pores & Hemipenal Bulges): In Leopard Geckos, these two pieces of evidence are equally important. A mature male will have a very clear V-shaped row of pre-anal pores located just above the vent.³² These pores will be dark and may have waxy secretions. This is almost always accompanied by two hemipenal bulges at the tail base. A female will lack the prominent V-shaped pores (though she may have faint, non-functional pits) and will have a smooth, flat tail base with no bulges.³⁵
• The Chemosensory Evidence: Here, our forensic analogy deepens. Those male pre-anal pores aren’t just for show; they are actively used for sex recognition by the geckos themselves. Studies have shown that male Leopard Geckos will approach a conspecific and flick their tongue, “tasting” the chemical cues from the skin and pores.³⁰ If they detect the androgen-driven pheromones of a male, they initiate an aggressive, agonistic response—a fight. If they do not detect these male cues, they initiate courtship behavior.⁴² This is a profound piece of the puzzle. It tells us that the violent encounter between my “two brothers” was not random; it was a pre-programmed chemical response. The “fingerprints” are not just visible to us; they are legible to the lizards, and they dictate behavior.
• Verdict: The case for a male is definitive with the presence of both a clear V-shape of pre-anal pores AND two hemipenal bulges. The case for a female is definitive by the complete absence of both of these traits.

Case File #3: The Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)

Crested Geckos present a different challenge.

While adults are straightforward, juveniles require a more delicate investigation and specialized tools.

• Primary Evidence (Hemipenal Bulge): In an adult male Crested Gecko, the hemipenal bulge is the most obvious piece of evidence. It is often so large and prominent that it’s referred to as “gecko nuts” by keepers. It is a very large, singular-looking bulge (containing the two hemipenes) at the base of the tail that is unmistakable.³⁸ A female’s tail base will be smooth and tapered in comparison.⁴⁵
• Corroborating Evidence (Pre-anal Pores): The bulge doesn’t typically develop until the gecko is between 18-25 grams.³⁸ To sex a younger, smaller gecko, you must investigate the pores. This almost always requires magnification. Using a jeweler’s loupe or a dedicated gecko sexing loupe, you must examine the scales just above the vent.³⁹ A male will have a row of tiny, dark dots in the center of the scales—these are the pre-anal pores.⁴⁰
• Investigator’s Note (Common Pitfall): A common point of confusion is the presence of “pseudo-pores” or “false pores” in female Crested Geckos. These can look like white dots or slight indentations in the scales that can mimic true pores, especially to the untrained eye.³⁹ The key difference is that true male pores are typically darker in the center and form a consistent, well-defined row. This is where practice and comparing to known examples becomes crucial.
• Verdict: An adult with a large, prominent bulge is definitively male. A juvenile with a clear, consistent row of dark-centered pores under magnification is a probable male. An animal with a smooth tail base and a complete lack of pores under magnification is female.

Part V: When to Call the Lab — Advanced Methods & Professional Consultation

Even the best investigator sometimes needs to send evidence to the forensics lab for specialized analysis.

In herpetology, there are advanced and invasive techniques that can provide a definitive answer when visual inspection is inconclusive, such as with very young animals, monomorphic species (those with no external sex differences), or extremely valuable breeding stock.

However, these methods carry risks and should only be performed by trained professionals.

Invasive Techniques (For Experts Only)

Attempting these techniques without proper training can cause severe injury, pain, or even death.

This section is for your information, not as a how-to guide.

• Probing: This is the most common invasive technique, especially for snakes, but it is also used for some lizards. It involves gently inserting a thin, lubricated, blunt-tipped metal probe into the side of the cloaca, angled back towards the tail.¹¹ In a male, the probe will slide deep into the pocket of the inverted hemipenis (often the length of 6-14 subcaudal scales). In a female, it will only enter the shallow hemiclitoris pocket (2-6 scales deep).¹¹ As discussed, the risk of puncturing the female’s anatomy and getting a false reading is high for the inexperienced.¹¹
• Popping: This technique involves applying firm, rolling pressure with the thumb at the base of the tail to manually evert the hemipenes. While used for hatchling snakes, it is strongly discouraged for most lizard species.⁵ The defensive mechanism for many lizards is to
  autotomize—to drop their tail—and the pressure required for popping can easily trigger this response.⁵

Veterinary Diagnostics (The Forensics Lab)

When you have a difficult case and need a 100% certain answer, the best course of action is to consult a qualified exotics veterinarian.

They have access to diagnostic tools that are the equivalent of a full-scale forensics Lab.

• Radiography (X-rays): In some species, particularly larger monitors, the tips of the hemipenes can become calcified (ossified) with age. An X-ray can reveal these bony structures, confirming the animal is male. The absence of them, however, does not confirm it is female.¹³
• Ultrasound: This non-invasive imaging technique allows a vet to look for the internal gonads directly. They can visualize the testes in a male or the ovaries (and potentially developing follicles) in a female, providing a definitive answer in most animals large enough to be scanned.¹³
• Endoscopy: This is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia where a tiny camera is inserted into the body cavity to directly view the gonads. It is the most invasive method but is 100% accurate and is sometimes used for very valuable animals where sex determination is critical.¹¹

The existence of these high-tech methods validates the difficulty of the task.

My final advice is simple: when in doubt, don’t guess.

Consult a professional.

Conclusion: From Frustration to Replicable Success

I’ll never forget the feeling of that first successful clutch of eggs after the “two brothers” disaster.

It was a clutch from a new pair of lizards, a pair I had sexed myself using my newly developed forensic framework.

I hadn’t relied on a single sign or taken anyone’s word for it.

I had patiently gathered the evidence—the shape and shadows of the tail base, the expression of the pores, the subtle secondary characteristics.

I had built my case over weeks as they grew, and when the evidence was conclusive, I introduced them.

The result wasn’t violence; it was a healthy, viable clutch of eggs.

It was replicable success, born from methodical investigation.

That journey from frustrating failure to confident success is possible for any dedicated keeper.

It requires a shift in mindset—from looking for an easy answer to embracing the process of discovery.

The forensic framework is your guide.

Be patient, especially with young animals.

Gather multiple forms of evidence.

Understand the context of that evidence—the species, the age, the health of your animal.

And build your case, piece by piece, until the conclusion is undeniable.

Learning to accurately read the subtle biological signs of your lizard is more than just a technical skill.

It is an act of deep engagement with your animal.

It transforms you from a passive owner into a skilled investigator of their biology, a more attentive caretaker, and a more responsible member of the herpetological community.

The answer to “boy or girl?” is there, written on the body of your lizard.

You just have to learn how to read the evidence.

Works cited

1. Is it safe for geckos to live together? : r/leopardgeckos – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/comments/1aiochw/is_it_safe_for_geckos_to_live_together/
2. Can Leopard Geckos Live Together? – Dragon’s Diet, accessed August 11, 2025, https://dragonsdiet.com/blogs/leopard-gecko-care/can-leopard-geckos-live-together
3. Do reptiles even have genders? – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/reptiles/comments/10np8n4/do_reptiles_even_have_genders/
4. Is it okay to house two leopard geckos together? : r/reptiles – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/reptiles/comments/gfvgvq/is_it_okay_to_house_two_leopard_geckos_together/
5. Sexing Your Herp | PetPlace.com, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.petplace.com/article/reptiles/general/sexing-your-herp
6. Sexing monitor issues – Monitors – MorphMarket Reptile Community, accessed August 11, 2025, https://community.morphmarket.com/t/sexing-monitor-issues/19557
7. Need Help Sexing Ackies | Our Reptile Forum, accessed August 11, 2025, https://ourreptileforum.com/community/threads/need-help-sexing-ackies.24932/
8. Sexing – ReptiFiles®, accessed August 11, 2025, https://reptifiles.com/sudan-plated-lizard-care/health/sexing/
9. Misgendered mishap – Ball Pythons – MorphMarket Reptile Community, accessed August 11, 2025, https://community.morphmarket.com/t/misgendered-mishap/35960
10. Lizard Breeding Made Easy – The Live Bearing Swifts or Spiny Lizards – Part 1 – Pet Blogs, accessed August 11, 2025, http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2010/08/20/lizard-breeding-made-easy-the-live-bearing-swifts-or-spiny-lizards-part-1/
11. Sex Determination in Reptiles: A Review – MDPI, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/168
12. Be on the lookout for reptiles and a tarantula in Winkler this weekend, accessed August 11, 2025, https://pembinavalleyonline.com/articles/meet-a-giant-python-tarantula-and-more-at-winkler-harvest-festival-with-prairie-exotics
13. Reptile Sexing – The Unusual Pet Vets, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.unusualpetvets.com.au/reptile-sexing/
14. Herp Everted Hemipenis – Reptiles Magazine, accessed August 11, 2025, https://reptilesmagazine.com/herp-everted-hemipenis/
15. www.thesprucepets.com, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.thesprucepets.com/prolapsed-hemipenes-1239377#:~:text=If%20you%20see%20a%20pink,exotic%20veterinarian%20for%20advice%20first.
16. Prolapsed Hemipenes in Lizards and Geckos – The Spruce Pets, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.thesprucepets.com/prolapsed-hemipenes-1239377
17. Bearded Dragon Femoral Pores and How to Care for Them – PetHelpful, accessed August 11, 2025, https://pethelpful.com/reptiles-amphibians/bearded-dragon-femoral-pores-and-how-to-care-for-them
18. Femoral Pores in Reptiles – The Spruce Pets, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.thesprucepets.com/femoral-pores-1239376
19. Physics and Pattern Interpretation | National Institute of Justice, accessed August 11, 2025, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/forensics/physics-pattern-interpretation
20. Crime Scene and DNA Basics for Forensic Analysts | Types of Evidence, accessed August 11, 2025, https://nij.ojp.gov/nij-hosted-online-training-courses/crime-scene-and-dna-basics-forensic-analysts/evidence-crime-scene/types-evidence
21. Statement Analysis Explained: A PI’s Guide to Finding Gaps in Statements & Testimonies, accessed August 11, 2025, https://investigativeacademy.com/statement-analysis-explained-a-pis-guide-to-finding-gaps-in-statements-testimonies/
22. Expert Forensic Advice from Angela Gallop | The Power of Patterns in Forensics, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.forensic-access.co.uk/news/insight/the-power-of-patterns-in-forensics/
23. Forensic biometrics | NIST, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.nist.gov/forensic-biometrics
24. How Do Archeologists Interpret Culture from Evidence? (U.S. …, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/how-do-archeologists-interpret-culture-from-evidence.htm
25. Glossary – Archeology (U.S. National Park Service), accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/glossary.htm
26. HEMIPENE PLUGS FROM HELL – WHAT TO DO? – CABI Digital Library, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20153171082
27. Hemipenis – Wikipedia, accessed August 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemipenis
28. Bearded Dragon Gender: How to Tell Male vs Female | Petco, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/pet-guides/how-to-check-bearded-dragon-gender.html
29. Overview of Reptiles – Exotic and Laboratory Animals – Merck Veterinary Manual, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/reptiles/overview-of-reptiles
30. Femoral pore – Wikipedia, accessed August 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femoral_pore
31. baynature.org, accessed August 11, 2025, https://baynature.org/article/ask-naturalist-know-lizard-male-female-hks/#:~:text=If%20you’re%20lucky%20enough,or%20have%20much%20smaller%20ones.
32. Sexing Leopard Geckos – Reptilecare.com, accessed August 11, 2025, http://www.reptilecare.com/leopardgender.htm
33. is my gecko boy or a girl??? : r/leopardgeckos – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/comments/1iuqx3g/is_my_gecko_boy_or_a_girl/
34. Keeping A Bearded Dragon Healthy | Femoral Pores | – YouTube, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcOiMR5OX-k&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD
35. Leopard Gecko Care – Sexing – ReptiFiles, accessed August 11, 2025, https://reptifiles.com/leopard-gecko-care/leopard-gecko-diseases-health/leopard-gecko-sexing/
36. Male vs. Female Leopard Geckos – A-Z Animals, accessed August 11, 2025, https://a-z-animals.com/animals/leopard-gecko/male-vs-female-leopard-geckos/
37. May I ask the gender of my 8 month old leopard gecko? M or F? : r/leopardgeckos – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/comments/108vwh1/may_i_ask_the_gender_of_my_8_month_old_leopard/
38. Sexing Crested Geckos | Crested Gecko Care Packet – ReptiFiles, accessed August 11, 2025, https://reptifiles.com/crested-gecko-care/sick-crested-gecko/sexing-crested-geckos/
39. How to tell the sex of a Crested Gecko – MorphMarket Reptile Community, accessed August 11, 2025, https://community.morphmarket.com/t/how-to-tell-the-sex-of-a-crested-gecko/20305
40. Pore sexing Male Crested Geckos, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.lornasredskygeckos.com/biology-and-breeding-blog/pore-sexing-male-crested-geckos
41. How to tell if your Leopard gecko is Male or Female. – YouTube, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlbkT75vW8
42. SEX RECOGNITION IN THE LEOPARD GECKO, Eublepharis macularius (SAURIA: GEKKONIDAE) – Mason Lab, accessed August 11, 2025, https://masonlab.ib.oregonstate.edu/sites/masonlab.ib.oregonstate.edu/files/016sexrecognition.pdf
43. Female sexual attractiveness and sex recognition in leopard gecko: Males are indiscriminate courters – PubMed, accessed August 11, 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29408690/
44. How To Tell If Your Crested Gecko Is Male Or Female – YouTube, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90NIhWMaQbE
45. Gender check? 🙂 they’re still pretty small so might be too early to tell..spent weeks and weeks building this tank so excited to FINALLY have this guy home : r/CrestedGecko – Reddit, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/CrestedGecko/comments/133dfc5/gender_check_theyre_still_pretty_small_so_might/
46. How to Sex a Crested Gecko – YouTube, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkbRGb7cZrg