sexing a 22 month old leachie

[cizin]

I have been talking to someone who has a 22 month old 'pine island' for sale. The gecko looks nice and healthy, and in the pics its snout to vent length appears to be as long as the dollar bill it s next to. The seller isn't really a gecko person, and told me that "several gecko people including the breeder" have sexed it female, but it's too small to be sure. Shouldn't you be able to tell for sure by now? Thanks in advance for the help.

Nick

[genevieve]

You can tell right out of the egg by looking for pores. Ask him for clear pics of the vent area and then post them here.

Genevieve

[cizin]

I can ask, but it doesn't look like their digital is good enough to see that. Shouldn't it either be showing the bulges or not by this point?

[genevieve]

Bulges can be a little trickier on leachies than on the other Rhacs as the females have a pouchy look down there as well.

Genevieve

[Powergeckos]

OK -I have a question. If they can be sexed out of the egg, why are very serious rhac guys like Philippe selling leachies as "Unsexed"?

[genevieve]

Right out of the egg isn't 100% reliable, but it can give you a good idea. In other words, if you see pores with a loupe, then you know it is a male, but if you do not see pores, then you may or may not have a female.

Genevieve

[cizin]

Right out of the egg isn't 100% reliable, but it can give you a good idea. In other words, if you see pores with a loupe, then you know it is a male, but if you do not see pores, then you may or may not have a female.

Genevieve

Yeah. I know that. I sex my cresteds that way. What I'm asking is at 22 months and that size, should it still be a 'probable' female?

[genevieve]

No, at 22 months you should get a guarantee, IMO.

Genevieve

[Powergeckos]

Right out of the egg isn't 100% reliable, but it can give you a good idea. In other words, if you see pores with a loupe, then you know it is a male, but if you do not see pores, then you may or may not have a female.

Shoot, I can't even get my flippin bifocals to work correctly, much less look through a loupe.

At least I still maintain my good looks....wait a minute, what the HECK happened to THEM!

[Terri]

When I bought Sam and Ellie, my Nuu Ami pair from Steve Cemelli, Sam weighed 6 grams and had pores easily seen even by my old eyes with my 10-x loupe and Ellie weighed 15 grams with no pores visible. They were sold as sexed and were perfect, and still are. Anyone with young eyes should be able to see pores or the absense of pores by now! How much does this 22-month-old leachie weigh anyway? :confused:
*PS Sam is now just over 1.5 yrs old and 45 grams.

[chahoua]

No, at 22 months you should get a guarantee, IMO.

Genevieve

I completely agree. My male was easily sexable at 6 months old. You could make out pores without using a magnifier. There was no doubt when I did use the magnifier - lots of small doughnuts shaped pores. At 22 months you should clearly be able to see one way or the other.

[godzillizard]

Hello Terri, I'm thinking about getting a Nuu Ami (juvie) pair from Steve also--I'd really like to see yours! Have you posted pics of them?

BrianG
R. ciliatus(1.2)
R.l.henkeli(1.0 Bayonnaise, 1.2 Moro)
R.l.leachianus(0.1 Yate)
R.chahoua(1.1 main, 1.1 Pine Island)
E. macularius(6.25.2)
L. llaevis(o.2)
African lungfish(???)
pug(1.0)

[cizin]

I completely agree. My male was easily sexable at 6 months old. You could make out pores without using a magnifier. There was no doubt when I did use the magnifier - lots of small doughnuts shaped pores. At 22 months you should clearly be able to see one way or the other.

OK good. I was 99% sure that was the case, but as I hadn't kept leachies yet (Though I have one on the way once Chicago leaves the teens!) I thought I'd ask.

[Silly-atus]

I got my "Oscar" at about 7 months old, back in 2000, lots of clearly visible tiny donut pores. Now, at about 7 years of age, the pores still look the same, haven't changed, but 'he' has laid 4 clutches of infertile eggs. :D

[Terri]

Oh, no! Could Oscar be a hermaphrodite? We RELY on those pores to be a definite indication: What if they aren't foolproof?

[Silly-atus]

Oscar is a she, no doubt about it, plain and simple ordinary female. However, she does have pores, but they aren't functional. Like one of my gargoyle females, the pores are visible but they're duds, fairly big dimples. If you had checked Oscar over at a few months old, or even 18 months, you'd have thought she was an immature male, getting his pores but they're just not working yet. Since leachies have that odd tail base, it adds to the confusion if the gecko is still on the young side.

She's my only leachie, no experience with a mature male, so I can't say how 'complete' her pores are. They are visible, but not secreting anything, and they sure look convincing enough to a novice. I can try to get pictures of her pores, but some brave soul will have to volunteer to hold her, I'm not ;) She's quite calm resting on your arm or hand, but when you hold her up to check the goods, she objects and gets ready to taste flesh. I'll hold the camera, it's safer.

[cizin]

OK, I have a pic now, but I have no idea how to post it. Help!

[cizin]

http://www.photos.repashy.com/uploads/1449/Leachie_Vent.jpg

[Luc]

I don't see any pores so I think it's a female.

[genevieve]

I agree, at 22 months with no pores, looks female to me!

Genevieve

[toolfan90]

and the jury's verdict is

FEMALE

get her a boyfriend :D