New Beardie!

[DrScales]

I got a new baby dragon, and i was wondering if there was a way to tell a dragon's gender at such a young age? Also, is there anything specific I should do with him? I've already had a baby, but maybe I could do something better/different. I'm calling it a him and his name is Timmy ^-^

 

[NicoleR]

It's hard to sex beardies at a young age, but you can try. I could tell at 6 weeks that mine was a girl. You have to be very careful when they are that young though, since they are so fragile. I only recommend doing this if you are experienced with handling these little guys.

Hold him/her in your palm with your hand flat, fingers facing out. With it's head facing outward in the same direction as your fingers, very gently lift its tail upward, only until you can see the vent and the base of the tail. At this age, you will most likely see nothing, but you may also see a pronounced lump at the base of the tail, right in the middle, or you will see two longer "sticks" going upwards along each side of the tail and nothing in the middle. The 2 sticks is a male, middle lump is a female.

 

[NicoleR]

There are also certain mannerisms/characteristics that some beardie owners will associate with certain genders, but this is mostly speculation and cannot be relied on for a proper sex. Females tend to do the "arm wave" more often than the males. Males also tend to have thicker tails, while females tails thin out. Some believe males have larger heads in proportion to their body than females.

Anyway, it's pretty much a guessing game until they get a bit older. But sometimes you can get lucky and figure it out. My girl was very easy to identify, but not all are so lucky. Enjoy your new beardie!

 

[DrScales]

Thx!