Post by fsprm2 on Apr 25, 2007 17:01:55 GMT -8
Hi all I'm new around here and have this question:
Which are typically larger in size, Male or female iguanas?
I ask this because I just took one of my two iguana's to the vet last week for a checkup - the vetrinarian told us that Tiamat(my iguana) was a boy because he had a bumpy head(she called it a 'dino head'). She then proceeded to pet our iguana and tell us that Male iguanas are typically smaller than females(came up because our other iguana is ALOT bigger but about same age).
Now from everything I've read Male iguanas tend to be bigger and the 'bumpy head' way of telling gender isn't effective until the iguana's are older as I've done alot of of reasearch with books/internet on these lizards. Pictures of the 'bumpy head' I've show a large layer of fat at the back of the head which neither of my iguanas have - they are still pretty young, our vet saw Tiamat our smaller iguana who is only about 18" long now.
Anyways I'm starting to think that this Vet is incompetent with Iguana's but not having gone to vetrinary school I wanted to ask your community as alot of you here are experienced Iguana raisers.
Thanks I'm sorry I started ranting but hopefully you won't mind - I'm going to be asking alot of questions about my Iguanas on your site. Thanks guys/girls!!!
Which are typically larger in size, Male or female iguanas?
I ask this because I just took one of my two iguana's to the vet last week for a checkup - the vetrinarian told us that Tiamat(my iguana) was a boy because he had a bumpy head(she called it a 'dino head'). She then proceeded to pet our iguana and tell us that Male iguanas are typically smaller than females(came up because our other iguana is ALOT bigger but about same age).
Now from everything I've read Male iguanas tend to be bigger and the 'bumpy head' way of telling gender isn't effective until the iguana's are older as I've done alot of of reasearch with books/internet on these lizards. Pictures of the 'bumpy head' I've show a large layer of fat at the back of the head which neither of my iguanas have - they are still pretty young, our vet saw Tiamat our smaller iguana who is only about 18" long now.
Anyways I'm starting to think that this Vet is incompetent with Iguana's but not having gone to vetrinary school I wanted to ask your community as alot of you here are experienced Iguana raisers.
Thanks I'm sorry I started ranting but hopefully you won't mind - I'm going to be asking alot of questions about my Iguanas on your site. Thanks guys/girls!!!
Here are a few links that, hopefully, will help:
The overall size thing is just a myth. This depends largely on genetics from one individual animal to another, not the gender. Typically, a female's head is smaller in relation to her body compared to a male, but even that isn't always an accurate way of determining anything. The femoral pores are a good thing to look at, because a male's femoral pores are generally MUCH larger than those of a female. But, again, this isn't necessarily a good way to determine gender either. There have been many cases where an iguana owner and their vet were completely baffled as to the gender, then, one day, that iguana lays eggs or leaves a seminal plug which removes all doubt. 18" STL is just BARELY big enough to be able to begin to determine gender, and even then, it will only tell you if you MAY have a boy. They like to keep us guessing. ;D
BTW...Welcome to the IZ.