Early sexing of Chondrodactylus species through pattern

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
For those who breed species of this amazing genus:

All species of the Chondrodactylus genus are sexually dimorphic, we all know it. I have worked with turneri, angulifer angulifer, cf. pulitzerae, fitzsimmonsi and a new species from Namibia which I obtained through Jon Boone. I have noticed that all hatchlings whatever the species, after a couple of weeks or so, can be sexed with 90% accuracy with the white blotches on their backs. Their presence means a male for sure, clear and loud with angulifer with 3 white blotches on each side of their backs, as for other species, juveniles have to be observed at different times of the day and several times, if the white blotches are always there, then they are males. No blotches or some but only observable from time to time means females. I have bred so many turneri that I believe the number makes it statistically valid. As for other species, it seems to work as well.

Could anyone else confirm or deny this? This would certainly help a few breeders if we can sex them at 2-3 weeks of age!

As for adult animals of all species of the genus, of course the ones with white blotches are all males, and individuals without such blotches are females. I haven't worked with laevigatus nor with angulifer namibiensis so far, so I can't say anything on these taxa.
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
Update: got info from a really big breeder of this genus. Apparently sexing through blotches work rather well with turneri and angulifer, it is less reliable with fitzsimmonsi and not possible with laevigatus since both sexes of the latter species do have white blotches. As for true bibroni, unless there are some South African breeders among us, I'm 100% positive there is not any true one outside of South Africa. cf. laevigatus are from my very limited experience (I purchased 3 juvies which turned out to be 1:2), the white blotches method seems to work.
 
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