Preanal Pores: at what age/size waxy secrete visible

[andrea7777]

Hi,
I would like to ask if someone can tell me at what age /size the pores of a male show the waxy secrete.
Normally I have no problem sexing my leopardgeckos, but this time I have some juveniles which give me a hard time with sexing. They do have bulges - not really huge but visible (I have females showing bulges too) and show the v-shaped pores, but they are neither open nor is the waxy secret visible.

I found a scientific paper mentioning that at 40-45 weeks of age ALL males show the waxy substance. Can anyone confirm this experience so that I can be sure at that age if there is no waxy substance that they are females (although you would judge them as males by a quick look on the hemipenis bulges)?
Thanks and regards, Andrea

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Andrea, usually by the time the male is sexually mature he will begin to secrete this waxy substance. I've seen it at early as 5 months and as late as 12 months. I would certainly think by the time the gecko is 45-50 grams you would see this.

I have a female Blizzard that is almost as bulgy as a male. However, the females to not have actual pores... they are more like dimples. If you can get a hold of a magnifying glass, you may have a better chance of seeing if they are actual pores or not.

 

[andrea7777]

Hi Marcia,
I know exactly what you mean with the difference of the pores between male and female, and yes, I have also some of this bulgy females.
My problem is that I have here some 8 month old juveniles with more or less 35 gramms and I am not sure if they are female or slow developing males (quite big bulges and pores - better said dimples like females - at this time). When you say you had males showing the wax as late as at 12 months I am afraid I have to wait a little longer to be sure.

Best regards, Andrea

 

[andrea7777]

Here are some pictures to show what I mean, the first is from 2009 and this turned out as a female, the others are from this year, 3rd and 4th picture is the same gecko - as you see, quite bulgy but no open pores teh one on the second picture is 8 months /26 gramm, the one on pic no 3+4 is 9 months old and 32 gramm - the more I look on the pictures the more i would say females.

 

[richardrojas]

The 2 from the right are females the other are showing bulges but I still thinking that they are females as well. What I do is to look the pores under a magnifying lens. Males will have open pores females will not.

 

[GeckoGathering]

Battle Of The Bulge

Here are some pictures to show what I mean, the first is from 2009 and this turned out as a female, the others are from this year, 3rd and 4th picture is the same gecko - as you see, quite bulgy but no open pores teh one on the second picture is 8 months /26 gramm, the one on pic no 3+4 is 9 months old and 32 gramm - the more I look on the pictures the more i would say females.

Looked at all photos under lighted mag glass.
IMO Andrea, all females.
Take care. HJ
​