How do you all sex your skinks?

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BlueyBliss
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How do you all sex your skinks?

Postby BlueyBliss » Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:43 pm

Hi all!

I have heard and seen a few different methods; I know none but contrast radiography are 100% accurate. What do you personally look for when sexing new skinks? I can't tell if the shoulders are wider than the hips or if the head is big/pointy or small/round because this is my first skink and I don't have much to compare to.

I've had them for a few months and some days I am sure its a he and other days that it's definitely a she. I had seen some tiny goopiness that could be liquidy urates or sperm plugs the first two months. Not lately. and I've seen him poop twice and it seemed there was a bit of fleshy pink in that area? Would that be a peek of hemipenes or just his/her insides? He's 19" long and I believe a Merauke if that helps. I would love to be more confident in what the sex is. I've been calling him a him without really knowing.

(Also the habitat seen in the second pic has been renovated and the humidity is much higher consistently.)
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splashy07
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Re: How do you all sex your skinks?

Postby splashy07 » Fri Feb 02, 2018 7:40 am

I've guessed right every time with my Northerns and Easterns, but extremely hard to tell with a Merauke. Especially without another to compare it to. I had a Merauke a few years back that I raised from a youngster and he began dropping sperm plugs at 8 months. The lack of which would not have made him female, though. Some males do not drop them where they can be seen, and they quickly dry up and disintegrate into the substrate. As you know, two males will be extremely aggressive towards each other upon introduction, and a sexed pair not so much. I've known people who have kept Meraukes in pairs and same sex (female) pairs with no issues, but I would not suggest this to inexperienced keepers or those kept in smaller than optimal enclosures. Do you have a friend who also keeps BTs? You could try SUPERVISED introductions to see how they act towards eachother, although sometimes this does not even work with Indonesians. Whatever, he/she is a beautiful Merauke!

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