Suppose you have recently adopted a bearded dragon; it’s normal to be curious how to sex a bearded dragon. As a beardie owner, it’s good to learn how to determine the sex of your new beardie. It’s not hard as you think if you know what you need to look for. Even if you’re a new beardie owner, you will learn to tell their gender.
There are several physical differences between female and male bearded dragons. Even the slightest physical traits can tell you if your beardie is a male or female.
You can also sort them based on their age and maturity. Male and female bearded dragons have their differences. Keep on reading to learn more about them.
How to Sex a Bearded Dragon?
Bearded dragons originated from Central Australia. They can be found around drylands, woodlands, and shrublands. These reptiles are born with prominent female characteristics.
It makes it tough to identify their gender if you don’t know what to look for. You have to take note of the different physical and behavioral characteristics they possess.
How to sex your bearded dragon starts with identifying these characteristics. It’s the best way to know if your beardie is male or female.
There’s no need to get expensive x-rays anymore. But why is it essential to know your beardie’s gender? It will help you to provide the proper care for your pet and also provide it with an appropriate name.
Male vs Female Bearded Dragon
Various factors will set a male bearded dragon apart from its female counterparts. Male beardies use their beard for courtship and also as a defense mechanism.
In contrast, female bearded dragons use their beards to scare away predators. You should already know the difference in the way they use their beards.
Another significant difference that you will notice is the bearded dragon’s tail. Female beardies only have one bump from the middle portion of their tails.
But the male bearded dragons have two nodes located from the underside of the tail. If you want to identify the beardies’ gender, you can always check their tails to see the bumps.
The tail of a male bearded dragon is also bigger and broader than females. The female beardie’s tale looks thinner and smaller in comparison.
Aside from physical appearance, they also have different behaviors. The male bearded dragons are territorial by nature. They like staying alone and dominating other creatures that are present around them.
How to Tell the Sex of a Bearded Dragon?
Various factors will set the male from female bearded dragons. Both genders use their beards for mating purposes and display aggression to ward off predators. By observing how your bearded dragon uses its beard, you can already tell if it’s a male or female.
However, you can find the bearded dragons’ gender in different ways. They will show different behaviors based on their gender.
Bearded dragons also have several physical differences. Like other animals, you can tell their gender based on these physical aspects. Keep on reading to learn more about how to sex bearded dragons.
1. Check for Hemipenal Bulges
If you want to know the gender of your bearded dragon, it’s best to check its hemipenal bulges. It’s one of the best ways to sex a bearded dragon. Hemipenal bulges will show the presence of hemipenes. It’s where you can find the internal male sex organs of the reptile.
Try to turn your beardie gently if the bulges are not very obvious. Do this from side to side and look for any shadow of these bulges.
Raise the beardie’s tail carefully to see if the hemipenal bulges protrude. For females, you can find their bulge more centered. It’s between the top of the tail and the top of their back legs.
If you see a single and slightly protruding bump and it’s centered, that means that you have a female bearded dragon.
Another significant difference between male and female beardies is their tails. If it’s a female, there is only one bump from the middle. Male beardies should have two bumps, which can be found under the tail.
When checking their tails, you will notice these bumps and can help you identify the gender of your bearded dragon.
Male beardies also have more significant and broader tails compared to females. It’s not hard to miss since comparing how thinner and more petite female beardies tails are. Look for the bulges if you want to know the beardies’ gender.
2. Do the Flashlight Test
Another method to tell the gender of bearded dragons is to try this step. Sometimes, you might have an issue looking for the hemipenal bulges.
The best thing to do is get a flashlight and shine it through your beardies tail instead. It will help you see what you have been looking for.
Position the bearded dragon carefully and do the tail lifting gently. This time, you have to do it in the dark. Use the flashlight to topside it through the base of the bearded dragon’s tail.
It should be above its vent and then look under. You should see the bulges from there more precisely than the first method.
For male bearded dragons, you can see two elongated testes that look like the letter U. If it’s a female, you should see a box shape of the uterus.
The hemipenal bulges are more prominent with male bearded dragons. But you should still see a single node on the center for females.
3. Spikes and Femoral Pores
Both male and female bearded dragons have spikes present on their beards, throats, and also their heads. But bearded dragons use these spikes differently. It will also help you to identify the gender of the beardies based on how they use them. Male beardies present their spikes during mating, while females use them when threatened.
The purposes of the bearded dragon’s spike are different depending on gender. They also have femoral pores, which are glands located alongside their thighs. For bearded dragons, the femoral pores excrete pheromones. It usually happens during the mating season. This is how bearded dragons attract their mates.
Both male and female bearded dragons have femoral pores. But it’s more noticeable and pronounced with males earlier. The femoral are located under their legs. Pay attention under the beardies thigh or above the knee. The femoral pores run from knee to knee. You can identify it quickly on male bearded dragons.
4. Beardie’s Behavior
Observing your bearded dragon’s behavior can also determine the gender of your pet. Although it’s not the most accurate way, some owners believe that the bearded dragon’s behavior can do that. For example, if the beardie displays a black beard, you can assume it’s a male. Female beardies often wave compared to their male counterparts.
It’s safe to assume that the behavior of bearded dragons depends on their gender. Male beardies are territorial by nature.
They don’t want other bearded dragons other animals inside their enclosure. The male beardies like to be alone and will dominate others if they are inside the same enclosure as they are.
They can also become very aggressive when they sense a threat.
The male beardies will display aggressive behaviors. It will bob its head and even open its mouth to intimidate the threat. The female bearded dragons are not as fierce compared with the male beardies.
They don’t show aggression that much and often show signs of submission by waving their arms
When bearded dragons are threatened, you should see the difference between male and female beardies reactions.
They react differently when they are confronted. But both of them are very skilled when it comes to digging holes. Although they have different purposes for doing this, each makes it unique based on gender.
The male bearded dragons will dig holes for brumation purposes. While the female beardies will lay eggs from the spot they dug.
If you observe both male and female bearded dragons digging, you can already tell their genders. They have different purposes for the same things, and they react differently in situations.
5. Check the Head Size
To know the gender of your bearded dragon, it’s also an excellent idea to check its head size. It varies on both male and female bearded dragons. Not only their head size are different but also the shape of their heads. It’s a good idea to compare them to know who’s the male and the female. It will help you to determine their gender.
The first thing you will notice is that male bearded dragons have big and thick heads. In comparison, female bearded dragons have thinner and smaller-looking heads. It’s easy to identify their gender by just comparing the size and shape of their heads.
You don’t even need to hold the bearded dragon to know its gender. By comparing their heads, you can tell if it’s a male or female.
If you already know all these techniques, you should see the difference between male and female beardies. If you’re a new bearded dragon owner, you will need more experience to know the difference.
As a beginner, you might not notice the differences between male and female bearded dragons at first. Give it some time and be patient in learning their behaviors and characteristics.
The differences between male and female bearded dragons are not simple to spot. Some of the behaviors may also even be present in both genders. But once you know the bearded dragons’ behavior, you will quickly see their differences.
It takes time to become a bearded dragon expert. Learn more about them first by observing your beardie and bearded dragons as well.
Is the Bearded Dragon Male or Female?
It’s not easy to tell if the bearded dragon is a male or a female, especially if they are still babies. It has to be at least four weeks old before you know its gender.
Although you can guess, it’s not an accurate way of knowing the gender of your bearded dragon that way. Give it some time and wait until it’s possible to check already.
Some bearded dragon owners may tell you that the beardie should reach eight weeks old. That’s when you can make a proper judgment about the beardies’ gender.
It’s also good to advise a reptile expert about this matter. But you can wait between 5 to 6 months to make sure to have a reliable and educated guess about their gender.
You might be asking why you have to wait for months-the reason to allow the bearded dragon to develop signs of hemipenal bulges first.
If you have a baby bearded dragon, you can determine this gender before six months. It might be shorter if you’re an experienced bearded dragon owner or a breeder. It will take time to get the correct gender.
Baby bearded dragons are not fully developed. It’s also possible that they still don’t have their bumps. That will make it hard to determine their gender.
All you have to do is take care of your beardie until you already know its gender. That will help you provide the proper care for your pet if you know if it’s a male or female.
Can Bearded Dragons Change Gender?
If you’re a reptile owner, it’s normal to be curious about the gender of your pet. It will help you to provide the proper care for them. But can bearded dragons change gender? It may sound weird, but this is a valid question when it comes to bearded dragons and other reptiles.
Some reptiles in the wild have their gender determined by the temperature of their surroundings.
Temperature-dependent sex determination is typical for reptiles. If you’re not familiar with temperature-dependent sex determination, it means that the sex of the beardie is not only based on their chromosomes.
It will also depend on the temperature of their habitat while they are in the critical stage of their development.
Australian scientists proved it by raising the temperature of incubation for bearded dragons. It turns a genetically functioning male into a female due to the high temperature.
The male neared dragons can turn into females from early development. So, yes, the bearded dragon can change gender but, female beardies can’t become males.
The temperature-dependent determination only works with male bearded dragons. It’s because the higher temperature can turn them into females.
This is not possible to lower the temperature during the incubation period. Changing genders during the developmental period is possible with bearded dragons and other reptiles.
Should You Get a Male or Female Bearded Dragon?
If you decided to get yourself a bearded dragon finally, you might ask yourself what gender should you get. Should you get a male or a female bearded dragon? Caring for bearded dragons is just the same, whatever gender you choose. Male bearded dragons are more aggressive, while female beardies are more peaceful by nature.
What gender of a bearded dragon is right for you? It’s best to learn more about their reproductive differences before deciding which one to get. Female beardies can be pregnant even without mating.
It can lay eggs every year, even if it’s alone inside the enclosure. You need to provide a place where she can lay her eggs safely.
Male bearded dragons, on the other hand, will be energetic during the mating season. It can be more agitated and aggressive. This usually happens in late spring and summer. During the mating season, the male beardie will bob its head more.
It will also do more black bearding and display more aggression. The male beardie may also have a sperm plug. It can be removed by soaking the reptile in a warm bath.
Depending on what you can deal with is how you should decide what gender of the bearded dragon to get. The female beardie will have to lay eggs while the male beardie gets frisky.
It’s best to choose the one that you can tolerate. That way, you will also know what to do when your new beardie suddenly acts up without knowing it’s the mating season.
How to Determine the Bearded Dragon’s Age?
Knowing the gender of your bearded dragon can be determined once it reaches a specific age. It’s impossible to know right away if the baby beardie is a male or female. You need to wait around eight tob13 weeks. Doing so will help you understand its gender with a hundred percent certainty.
It’s hard to check small bearded dragons, especially if it moves too fast. You can wait for it to get tired so you can match its gender.
But you can also find another way to know if you have a male or female bearded dragon. Wait for 2 to 3 months until it becomes calmer. It will be easier to see the parts you need to check to know their gender.
Is the bearded dragon at least 10 inches long?
If the bearded dragon is at least 10 inches long, that means it can be about six months old in a small side. You can measure the beardie to see if it hits that mark. If they measure 14 to 15 inches, that means it’s the same age. It’s the most common size of a healthy six months bearded dragon.
Does the bearded dragon weigh at least 200 grams?
If the bearded dragon is small, it can weigh about 200 grams, and it’s already six months old. But a healthier and bigger bearded dragon can weigh around 230 to 260 grams. The weight and length are not concrete criteria to know their gender. A 6-month-old beardie should reach at least 200 grams.
FAQs
Why should you know the differences between the genders of the bearded dragon?
You should know the differences between the genders to be aware of them. That can also help you to provide for their needs better. They have different purposes for the behavior they are displaying.
That way, you can give them the care it needs. Bearded dragons’ needs are also different depending on their gender. That means they may have special requirements for their enclosure.
If you have a female beardie, it needs to get a place to lay her eggs. Male beardies don’t need it since they don’t do the same.
If you know if you have a male or female beardie, you can also name your pet more appropriately. Some people might also ask you about the beardies’ gender.
Are male bearded dragons more aggressive than females?
Male bearded dragons are more aggressive and territorial than their female counterparts. They need more space and like being alone inside their enclosure. You have to remember this if you get a male beardie. Knowing the gender of your pet can also allow you to provide gender-specific care.
Male bearded dragons have different care and needs than female beardie. Knowing the difference will help you to provide better care for your pet. It’s also good to see if you have a male or female beardie to prepare for their needs. It will also avoid surprises on your end if your beardie starts laying eggs.
Is a male bearded dragon bigger than a female?
Bearded dragons’ sizes may vary. Their size differences vary depending on different factors of their development. Diet, heat, UVB, dominant, dominated, and genetic contributes. It means that both bearded dragons have the same size as long as they have the same conditions.
However, it has been observed that males tend to be larger in length in the wild. Females may be smaller than them, but they have egg bellies. That can make them look big, but it may still vary. In captivity, bearded dragons’ sizes depend on their health and genetics.
