Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Mike]

Hi!
I was wondering can you see the the difference in postcloacal scales in young glauertis. I've been reading Sam Sweets Spatial Ecology of Varanus glauerti......
Since the drawing indicates adult animals, has someone taken any shots of real young ones?
would be realy interesting to see cause I'm on my way of getting some.
Sam?
Scott?
regards
/Mike

[Sam Sweet]

I can't give you a solid answer Mike, since I don't keep glauerti and haven't seen juvvies grow up to known-sex animals. What I can say is that even recent hatchlings have different numbers of postcloacal scales, and those with more are most likely males. The color differences I reported don't show up until the animals are maturing, and differences in scale size increase around then too. My advice, if you have several hatchlings to choose from and want a pair, is to grab the two with the highest and lowest numbers of postcloacal scales.

Some folks claim you can sex glauerti by color and spotting pattern on the thighs, and that could be true for the captive population. It isn't true for the species as a whole.

[Scott W]

Interesting Mike / Sam. I've not read your paper but I have been told of certain breeders that can sex glauerti & pilbarensis straight out of the egg!
(may explain the high number of male pilbarensis I have )

I have reared to maturity 12 glauerti but unfornately I didn't really try to sex them until they were adults. So I have no idea if there was any differences between them (I'm sure there must be something).

I think your post above Sam makes sense, it's always nice to have a big group of hatchlings to choose your stock from.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Mike]

Anyhow I will take pics of the scales from the one I'll buy. It could be helpfull in the future.
I will go on the counting of the scales and try to get 1.2 hopefully.
regards
Mike

[Mike]

Thanks guys!
/ Mike

[arborgoanna]

While scale variation may aid in distinguishing between the sexes in V. glauerti and other Odatria, I have found another reliable method for sexing most varanids (excluding Papusaurus, Polydaedelus, and Psammosaurus), which has worked in most situations.

From the many specimens I have looked at, cared for, and photographs, I have been able to notice specific patterns and trends between the different sexes. The most reliable method that I have come to use is the shape and diameter of the dentary bone (lower jawbone). In males, the lower jaw bone is thicker in diameter and is usually curved/bent back at an angle, when tracing the jawbone from the tip of the snout back to the ear. In females, the contour of the jawbone from the snout tip to the ear is much more linear, and rarely has a noticeable curve or angle to it.

While obviously not a V. glauerti, or an Odatria for that matter, the same conditions used to sex these V. macraei hold for many Odatria species (and all other subgenera excluding the ones listed above). Males will have a more pronounced curve to their dentary bone, whereas females will typically not.