Hemipenes

[reaperreptiles]

I got a few questions on hemipenes.

1. When do males hemipenes mature enough to drop sperm and be everted (during defecation)

2. When a male skink poops will he always evert his hemipens?

3. Are hemipenes a pinkish color or are they purple?

Thanks!

[Fatal_S]

1. I'm not sure, but even young males can breed, so I'd assume it's quite young.

2. No, most of mine rarely do.

3. I was always wondering if I'd seen hemipenes or just normal flesh. Let me just say if you see them fully-everted, you'll know. Think giant pink butt-wings

I tend to get the full evertion if I'm holding a skink, say after a bath. Especially if the hind-half of the body is hanging lower. Next time I bath them I'll have a camera ready to take a photo should the wings appear again.

[James Wilson]

I had a male dropping nice big seminal pluggs at 2 months of age, but ages of 6 months to 1.5 years of age are a little more common.