Leopard gecko with ambiguous gender? Male or female?

I’ve had a pair of leos together for almost 9 years. One is definitely female, and the other is rather ambiguous. It has hemipenile bulges, but totally lacks preanal pores. As the two have lived together for so long and never produced an egg, I just assumed the hemipenile bulge gecko was a girl with some male characteristics.

I recently bought a new cage and tried to introduce a sunglow male and his hypo lady to my other ‘females’. Ambiguous gender ‘girl’ attacked the male within the first hour, but with only a couple minor scrapes on the male I figured the fight was over. This morning I wake up to find some shallow chunks taken out of the side of the sunglow male’s tail, as well as some scrapes on his back and hip. Ambiguous gender ‘girl’ is totally unscathed, and the other actual females are also clearly fine.

I’ve removed the male to his previous tub, and rinsed his bites, as well as applying Neosporin.


So the question is –is this definitely a male? It has hemipenile bulges, no preanal pores, hasn’t successfully mated with a female in 9 years, but fights only with the male…. Is there any possibility it is female, but only territorial against males? Maybe it just doesn’t like THIS particular male? If it might be female, is there a good way to stop the fighting? I’d love it if they could all live in the awesome new tank together.

Though I would love to keep them together, I can’t think of any option other than separation. If anyone has good suggestions for introduction, or “in my experience if they fight like that you’ll never get them together so don’t try” type stories I’d like to hear them.


I’ve included a tank picture, as well as pictures of the questionable gender gecko.

When you look at the pictures, please don’t rip on me too badly! Ambiguous ‘girl’ and her tankmate of 9 years were the first reptiles I ever purchased as pets. I got them from a big chain store, they were mostly toeless at the time of purchase, but I didn’t know any better. I just wanted some easy-to-keep pet reptiles. I can’t put the toes back on them or go back in time and save them, but I know now to buy from breeders who take better care of their animals.

from that pic the gecko looks male, i see the bulges and the pores are somewhat visible in the pic. You have to remember some females in their adults will have the pores but not the bulges. Its possible the male is to old to breed and the female might to, only possibilities. Which at 9 years females wont produce many if at all. Depends how the gecko was raised and how much breed to.

There definitely are no pores. You can see the row where they should be, and the scales are smooth - no holes. This particular gecko doesn't even display the thinner areas of indentation you see on some females.

I got them when they were about 3" long snout-to-vent. Maybe a few months old, and they have lived together ever since. So not to old to breed through that 9 years they lived together. I have never witnessed breeding activity, or seen eggs from them.

Looks female to me, no pores at all. Just because she ripped up the new male doesn't mean she's male, it more likely means she wasn't interested in his advances.

its to hard for me to tell but if you don't see the pores then female

From the bulges I'd say male. I wasn't aware that even if females had them they'd be that prominent,like in that last pic.

Males have pores. No pores, no male. Whatever that bulge is, it's not filled with hemipenes. I don't keep leopard geckos any more, but if you'll go pick up one of your males and look at his hemipenes, they're larger and more defined than that animal. I just don't think there's any way it's a male.

Some females are "bulgy", this is one of them. From the pics it doesnt look like she has any obvious signs of ovulation so she was probably just aggrivated at his advances and told him who was boss.

I see,learn something new everyday. XD

female

Could be a Hot Female. They are incubated at high temps and are characterized as aggressive females that rarely breed.

I've heard of females with bulges, but never that big. I'm going to have to agtee with pakinjak; no pores, no male. Could the bulges be inflamed to an abnormal size from an infection, or say, cancer?

I can't rule out a neoplasm, benign or cancerous, but the bulges are the same size and shape and have not been growing. I haven't seen a change in them since they developed years and years ago. The 'lady' gecko doesn't seem to have any other odd fatty deposits, either visible or on palpation. And the area is soft and non-tender.... so hopefully not cancer.

I've had females with bulges like that and they act and reproduce like normal girls. It's a girl, just disgruntled with her choice of mate. I've had females rip into males too when they weren't ready.