POLL: Should you tell a breeder that they incorrectly sexed your reptile?

[RampantReptiles]

Should read:

*Should you tell a breeder that they incorrectly sexed your reptile even if you figure it out months later?*

 

[Dog Shrink]

I absolutely think that you should tell a breeder they mis-sexed your leo not so much because you might get money back out of it or even for a learning experience for the breeder but simply because it's the right thing to do. If you purchased wanting a male and got a female, what if you wanted to breed and already had a female... you just wasted money unless the breeder would take the leo back or you're stuck buying yet another leo to make up for that breeder's error.

IMO a leo is no different than any other purchase you'd make so if you'd tell the dealer the car you just bought was messed up why not tell the breeder of ANY animal you buy that they messed up?

 

[Kristi23]

I probably wouldn't. Especially if I bought it as a probable or if it's young. Normally males will show early on, but I've had some not show until they're close to 30 grams. If it's an adult that is missexed, I might say something.

 

[maggiee22195]

I would. I had a spider ball python that was sold to me as a female but I had it sexed by 3 people and it turned out to be male. The breeder said he didn't have a female to give me, but I wanted a female for a reason.
So if the gecko was sold as a definite female or definite male and turned out to be the opposite then you should mention it to them.
It could also help prevent this from happening in the future to anybody else.

 

[EmanResu]

I absolutely think that you should tell a breeder they mis-sexed your leo not so much because you might get money back out of it or even for a learning experience for the breeder but simply because it's the right thing to do. If you purchased wanting a male and got a female, what if you wanted to breed and already had a female... you just wasted money unless the breeder would take the leo back or you're stuck buying yet another leo to make up for that breeder's error.

IMO a leo is no different than any other purchase you'd make so if you'd tell the dealer the car you just bought was messed up why not tell the breeder of ANY animal you buy that they messed up?

:main_thumbsup: Totally agree.

I probably wouldn't. Especially if I bought it as a probable or if it's young. Normally males will show early on, but I've had some not show until they're close to 30 grams. If it's an adult that is missexed, I might say something.

I see where you are coming from, with not always being able to visually sex at certain sizes...in that case, I think the breeder should inform the buyer that they are not 100% sure and possibly adjust to price reflect this. Price the animal in between your male and female costs.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I think sometimes it matters and sometimes it doesn't. Anytime you have multiple leos and plan to house together, there's always a possibility it doesn't work out. If you plan to breed and just starting out, the wrong sex could throw a kink into your plans that you're not ready to deal with. Some breeders may offer an exchange for equal value. If you buy your leo as a baby and probable temp sexing, it's usually hard to confirm until it's bigger. It might not be what it was supposed to be- which is not a breeder error. Buy visually sexed animals to avoid the issue.

 

[RampantReptiles]

I get what people are saying but I think I need to redo this poll because it touches on too many different scenarios that dont exactly mesh.

 

[EmanResu]

Probably something like "Should I tell the Breeder that he/she visually sexed wrong."
I think VISUAL sexing is the big thing here.

 

[M_surinamensis]

You should always inform them.

You just shouldn't necessarily expect them to do anything about it, depending on the time frame involved.

Sexing unproven animals is rarely 100% accurate, even if all the visual indicators are present, even if blood tests or a sonogram is done, there exists a possibility for error. The method of sexing, the species involved, the age- these can make methods more or less accurate, but absolute certainty requires verification of the production of the appropriate gametes.

As time passes from the point of sale, the responsibility for a sexing error shifts from the buyer onto the seller. If the gender really matters, verify it early and as conclusively as possible. If too much time elapses, it ceases to be something that the seller is reasonably culpable for correcting, as the value of the animal changes with age and with time spent outside of their direct control.

Animals sold as proven are, of course, an entirely different matter, reflecting the absolute unwavering certainty which should exist.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Agree'd. Visual sex versus temp sexed is a HUGE difference. Hopefully any experienced (or even unexperienced for that matter I guess) leo buyer would NOT hold it against a breeder if a temp sexed animal turned out to be different than what was anticipated but not visually proven.

 

[Phish999]

Agree'd. Visual sex versus temp sexed is a HUGE difference. Hopefully any experienced (or even unexperienced for that matter I guess) leo buyer would NOT hold it against a breeder if a temp sexed animal turned out to be different than what was anticipated but not visually proven.

agreed,

temp sexing isn't a 100% answer to male or female. and usually if they say that the animal is temp sexed they also do say that it isn't for sure male or female. if you want a for sure visual is the way to go but if i was in the same situation i would inform the breeder for sure

 

[acpart]

As a breeder, I'd want to know if I got it wrong. I've twice sold a gecko that I was pretty sure was female, but not as sure as usual and in each case provided info so there could be a switch if necessary. In one case it was (luckily just down the block) and in the other case it wasn't.

A related but off-topic anecdote: my husband has a first name that is usually thought of as a woman's name. He had to have a semen analysis done and when he got the report back it was "normal" but under sex it said "F". (The "normal" part was right; we have twins)

Aliza

 

[UnDeRtOw00]

This just happened to me...Purchased a temp sexed male Raptor from the breeders expo in toronto...the breeder visually checked before handing him over and told me he was 95% sure he was male with the visual inspection. I've been waiting for "REXX" to show signs of his manhood. He is now around 5 months old now and is still not showing any pre-anal pores or bulges. I bought him specifically for breeding and am a little dissapointed that i need to find another male. Im not expecting the breeder to do anything about it....but i will be letting them know for sure!

 

[UnicornSpirit]

This happened at the last show I was at. I wont mention any names as we all make mistakes. I was looking at the RAPTORS and saw one that struck my fancy but I kept looking at it through the deli cup. I swear... it was labeled "male" but it looked like someone originally wrote female then crossed it out. It sure looked like a female... I saw no pronounced hemipenile bulges- it was totally flat. I've seen males that have less visible bulges but not quite that flat. When I asked the man working at the booth (he was not the breeder) he took the gecko out and re-sexed it in front of me and said that he was sure it was male- it "had the pores".

I told them to put the gecko on hold for me and stepped away- thinking to myself, 'Do I tell them I don't think they sexed it right?'.

When the breeder came back I decided to just honestly ask, "Are you sure that one's male?". Sure enough, he checked and Yes- it was female.

He asked his buddy why he changed the label when he had it marked correctly this morning. Lol. The poor guy, he made such a fool of himself saying he thought the breeder was wrong and said it had the pores so took it upon himself to change the label without consulting the breeder.

Now I know some females have pores- but they're empty pits, I can see that with my bare eye. At 2/3 months the gecko isn't going to probably have those waxy secretions in them anyways so the best bet is to check for the bulges.

I'm glad in the end I followed my gut instinct and asked before I bought the gecko.

Always be sure to keep an open mind while sexing a leo- you can even have your friends (considering they have some experience in sexing geckos) double check for you before you settle on a sex. There is no harm in it and your customers will be thankful and trusting in you if you're sexing correctly.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Temp-sexing isn't a sure-fire way of knowing 100% of what your gecko's sex will be. Even males have been produced from clutches incubated at 80˚ and females produced from incubating at around 89˚.

If the gecko isn't old enough to be visually sexed I don't feel as if it would be ethical to say it's "98% male, 78% male" or whatever. I think the breeder should just tell the buyer that it was "TEMP SEXED" for male, it's too young to visually sex and to always realize the possibility that you MAY end up with a female. Honesty is always the best policy.

 

[goReptiles]

I just did the other day.the gecko was sold as possible female, but my inexperienced eye saw pores right away. It is still jot 100% sexed either way, but I told the breeder I think he sent a male. Now, o am hoping for a male bc i bought an awesome year old female for him.

 

[Tony C]

I agree that you should inform the breeder, but as an educated consumer you should also know that sexing young animals is not always 100% accurate. I typically will use soft language in describing a young gecko like "TSF looking Female" to denote that I am not 100% sure yet.

 

[Psychotic4mb3r]

I think if the reptile is young or is a "probable" male or "probable" female then no.. I wouldnt say anything.
But if they are adults and are sold as a for sure female and ended up being male, or vise versa then yes. Tell the breeder. Because if you got that certain sex for a particular reason then your gonna have to dish more money to get what you wanted with the last reptile.
*shrugs*

 

[bromide]

i voted for the last one just for the lolz.

 

[AMetallica]

i voted for the last one just for the lolz.

You're the only one .