What are the differences between male VS female bearded dragons?
You want to get great beardies. Or you’ve already got a beardie, and now you’re thinking about adding another one: You start to do some research and wonder: Bearded dragons male or female: What is a better pet?
You can ask the pet store, but sometimes the pet store also feels diffident with this question. You will not be sure if they give you suitable advice or not. The better way is to find out the answer by yourself.
To be known: Which one is a better pet? Let’s find out some information below:
– How to tell the gender of your beardies?
– Beardies male and female differences?
In this post, we would like to provide more details on whether to choose male or female. Please read it and make your own choices.
Related Posts:
- Why Is My Beardie Hissing at Me?
- Can Beardies Eat Brussels Sprouts?
- Can Beardies Eat Rosemary?
- Reasons Why Your Beardie Turned White and Died
- Can Beardies Eat Peas?
- Can Beardies Eat Squash?
How to Tell If a Bearded Dragon Is Male or Female?
Bearded Dragons male or female. How to distinguish the gender of your pet?
There are some methods of sexing your beardies. But each method will need the condition and will have different precision.
There are two high-precision methods that we would like to introduce.
1. Hemipenal Bulge Method
a. Look Underneath the Tail in the Daylight
This method is very simple, just look underneath the tail, and sex their gender.
Condition: Once your beardies are older than four weeks.
Method: Firstly, lay your beardies in a good light place for you to easily observe.
Then, hold your bearded dragon gently in the right way to make sure that you can support his legs and tail completely.
Finally, lift his tail a little and look underneath.
If your pet is a boy, he will have two hemipenal bulges underneath the tail near their anus (each bulge on each side).
If your pet is a girl, on the other hand, she will have only one hemipenal bulge underneath their tail in the same location.
While his bumps are on the side, her bump’s located in the center of the underside of the tail near the anus.
This is the quickest and most effective way to tell the gender of your beardies.
But sometimes it’s not as simple as you think. If the bearded dragon is young or overweight, it may be hard to see the bumps for the first time.
In this case, please be patient and carefully lift the tail a little more to stretch the skin to make the hemipenal bulges stand out a little more.
Do not try to lift too hard as this will make your pet get mad at you.
b. Use the Flashlight in the Darkness
If you still do not see the bumps, you can use the flashlight to easily find out the Hemipenal Bulge.
This way is totally the same as the first method.
However, there are also some differences as below.
Condition: Your pets must be older than four weeks, and you will need the flashlight, and be in a dark place.
Method: Firstly, lay your pet in a dark place, or turn off all the lights in the room.
Then hold your pet gently and lift his tail slightly.
Uses a flashlight to shine light through the top of the tail near where the tail connects to his body.
There are some of the lights that will be blocked by the hemipenal bulges, and if you look underneath, you can see the shadows.
Like the bump, the shadows will show the difference between the male and female beardies.
If a boy, he will have two shadows underneath the tail. If a girl, she will have only one centered shadow in the same location.
If you are interested in a flashlight, we highly recommend you some best places to get it as below:
- GearLight TAC LED Flashlight Pack
- GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight S1000
- GearLight S2000 LED Flashlight
- GearLight LED Head Lamp
2. Femoral Pores Method
You also can find out the answer to the question: Is my bearded dragon male or female?
By observing the femoral pores across the hind legs of your pet.
Condition: Once the beardie has reached adulthood, which means your pet at least 6 months old.
Method: Lay your beardies at the easiest observing place. Such as table, hand…
Your duty is to observe the femoral pores which are going across the hind legs.
You should pay close attention to the underside of their thigh or above the knee, as femoral pores will run from knee to knee.
Both he and she have these femoral pores.
However, there is a little difference between them.
Regarding the boy, you can see these pores clearly, compared to the girl.
Because his spots are larger as well. And the color is more pronounced.
Regarding the girl, in some cases, the femoral glands are hardly even noticeable.
The pores may still be visible, but they are smaller and more faded.
There are also some methods to find out the gender of your pet such as watching for certain behaviors, comparing the size, watching the shape between your two pets.
But we highly subject the above-mentioned methods as they are easier and more effective in introducing bearded dragons male or female.
What Are the Differences Between Male VS Female Bearded Dragons?
What are the differences between male VS female bearded dragons?
It’s hard to conclude the bearded dragon male or female.
As the lizard doesn’t have a distinct difference in gender.
But if we can observe carefully and notice some detail as below.
Absolutely you will find the difference.
1. Shape
a. Shape of Tail
For the baby beardies, the shape of the tail is likely to be the same.
But when the beardies have reached full adulthood, there is a difference in the thickness of their tail.
The boy’s tail is thick from the point of the body until his tip.
The girl’s tail is much more slender. It’s only thick where it connects to the body of the reptile, but the rest is consistently thinner.
b. Size of Head and Beard
Male vs female bearded dragon heads have a difference in size.
The head of the male is wider and more solid than that of the female.
By contrast, the female head is narrower and pointed rather than wide and solid.
The beard size also has some differences.
Normally, the male will have larger beards than the female.
c. Size of Body
If we carefully notice their body.
The bearded dragon male vs female size will have a little difference.
Usually, in nature, the male will have a larger body.
However, sometimes the female can be bigger, depending on living conditions, their past, and many other factors.
2. Behavior
Bearded dragon male or female: Behaviors of them may look the same, but they don’t always behave the same.
a. Use of Spikes
Your pets have spikes around their heads, especially their beards.
But the using way is different between them.
Regarding the boy, he shows these spikes most often when he is ready to mate.
The girl, on the other hand, doesn’t expand these spikes when being ready to mate, she uses these spikes to tell you that she feels threatened.
b. Digging Holes
Your pets can sometimes do strange things, but this can sometimes be the reason.
Digging is one of the strange things which both boys and girls do. But the reasons are different.
If your pet is a girl, she will begin digging and moving things around in her tank to create a place for her to lay her eggs.
If your pet is a boy, he will dig a hole for brumation.
This makes it easier for him to regulate his temperature when he is sleeping.
Read More:
c. Arm Waving
Both boys and girls will have arm-waving behavior that is used in several ways.
Commonly, the boy uses arm waving as a form of submission to a larger beard.
Or once he feels dangerous.
Regarding the girl, the arm-waving usually be used as a notice that she is willing to mate.
3. Temperament
Male vs female bearded dragon personality also has some differences.
Almost male beardies have more personality than females.
A male beardie is outgoing, and often engages in social engagement more actively.
However, during breeding seasons, he often becomes territorial and aggressive, while she usually remains calm.
When your pet is threatened by an invader, the boy looks stronger and more aggressive than the girl.
He will puff his throat, bobbing his head, and open his mouth to appear more intimidating.
While the girl is less aggressive, she will wave her arms as a sign of submission.
4. Laying Eggs
Bearded dragon male or female: Can you guess which one will lay the eggs.
The answer is the girl. And of course, the boy can not have this function.
This is one of the issues you have to think about choosing your better pet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Male VS Female Bearded Dragons
1. Are Male or Female Bearded Dragons Friendlier?
Actually, with other pets, the male is less friendly.
Since he has more territorial than a girl.
He will attack another one who intends to invade his territory.
While the girl is much more friendly, she will way the arm as a sign of greeting another one.
2. How to Tell If the Baby Bearded Dragon Is Male or Female?
Experts or professional breeders may have their own methods to determine gender.
But regarding the beardies feeder, it’s difficult to tell the gender of your baby pet.
3. Can Female and Male Bearded Dragons Live Together?
The answer is no. The boy beardie is territorial, he will feel stressed, and aggressive, and attack anyone who intends to share the habitat with him.
And the girl too, she is not as aggressive as the male, but she also feels unhappy, and sometimes she will not eat as the notice that she is not willing to share the habitat with another one.
Except for the breeding time, you can let him and her living together.
But although during the breeding time, you have to observe them carefully to avoid any attack between him and her.
4. How to Know If Male Bearded Dragons Are Ready to Mate?
Once ready to mate, you can see his beard turning black, unprovoked and him bobbing his head quite a bit.
He will stomp his front feet at her and even chase her around quite a bit, trying to mount her.
You can see the aggressive mating behavior of the male in the video below.
5. How to Know If Female Bearded Dragons Are Ready to Mate?
Once being ready to mate, she will likely demonstrate arm waving in reciprocation to his head bobbing.
Read More:
- Can Beardies Eat Honeydew Melon?
- Can Beardies Eat Dill?
- Do Beardies Eat Chard?
- Can Beardies Eat Radish Greens?
Conclusion
Now, to answer the question: What are the differences between male VS female bearded dragons?
Just based on your condition about the pet then chooses the better one.
You may choose a boy if you want an active pet to make you feel enjoyable every day.
Or a girl if you want a gentle pet, and she also helps you have a wonderful time taking care of her such as: help her create a hiding spot for laying eggs, take care of her diet before and after laying the eggs, take care of these eggs …
However, this is not exactly for all beardies. It also depends on the habitat and on the personality of each beardie.
Key points for male vs female bearded dragons
Bearded dragons, popular reptile pets, come in both male and female varieties, each with its own unique characteristics and care requirements. Knowing the distinctions between male and female bearded dragons can help you better understand and care for your scaly companion. Here’s a quick comparison:
1. Size:
- Males tend to be slightly larger than females.
- Adult male bearded dragons can grow up to 24 inches in length, while females typically reach about 18-20 inches.
2. Hemipenal Pores:
- Males possess prominent hemipenal pores located on the undersides of their hind legs.
- These pores are used for reproductive purposes and are absent in females.
3. Head Shape:
- Male bearded dragons often have broader and more triangular-shaped heads.
- Female dragons typically exhibit narrower, less pronounced head shapes.
4. Behavior:
- Males are generally more territorial and can display dominance behaviors, such as head-bobbing and arm-waving.
- Females are usually less aggressive and more social with other dragons.
5. Coloration:
- Males may have more vivid and vibrant colors, especially during their breeding season when they can display brighter patterns.
- Female bearded dragons tend to have more subdued colors, although this can vary based on individual genetics.
6. Femoral Pores:
- Both males and females have femoral pores, which are small pores found on the underside of their thighs.
- In males, these pores tend to be larger and more pronounced.
7. Reproductive Organs:
- Males have a pair of hemipenes, while females have a single, slit-like cloaca.
- Hemipenes are used for copulation and are located at the base of the tail.
8. Clutch Laying:
- Female bearded dragons are capable of laying clutches of unfertilized eggs, even without a male present.
- These eggs are often infertile and won’t hatch.
9. Brumation Behavior:
- During the winter months, both male and female bearded dragons may enter a period of reduced activity known as brumation.
- While in brumation, females do not produce eggs, but males may still exhibit mating behaviors.
10. Lifespan:
- Both male and female bearded dragons have similar lifespans, averaging 10 to 15 years in captivity.
- Proper care and a suitable environment are key to ensuring a long and healthy life for both sexes.
Understanding the differences between male and female bearded dragons is essential for appropriate housing and breeding considerations. Regardless of their sex, providing a well-balanced diet, a clean and spacious enclosure, and access to appropriate lighting and heating is vital to ensure the health and well-being of your bearded dragon. Whether you have a male or female, these fascinating reptiles can make wonderful, interactive pets when properly cared for.
