how do I know if my chines water dragon Lizard is a girl or a boy...HELP ME?

Question

I have had a chines water dragon lizard for a whole year and I still don't know is it a girl or boy and I had a mate for it but I don't know what happen to it and should I allow the pet store to clip it's nails or can I do it myself S.O.S I need help badly

Answer 1

For a male you'll notice that below the spikes there is a ridge of bone or cartilage under the skin that points upward, just as the spikes do. I don't know if there is a proper term for this characteristic but I call them vertebral spikes. On an adult male these bony protrusions under the skin, below the spikes are approximately 1/2 inch long (1.2 cm).
Females do not have this at all.
The femoral pores will feel bumpy compared to a females which will continue to stay small, smooth and indistinct.
As the male dragon approaches adulthood you should notice that his body is also more triangular shaped ... upward triangular, and that the base of the tail is much more triangular than that of a female.

Answer 2

Very simple to determine the sex of the majority of lizards the easy way. Turn the lizard over on it's back. Notice the inside of the back legs is the butt. The male will have little pin prick dots the whole way down the back leg to the knee. The female has only a group of about 3: (...) butt (...). Now you don't ever have to ask anyone again. It is not necessary to take the water dragon to the vet/pet shop for nail clipping. Keep a nice branch in the cage for it to run on and if that doesn't work, then, use a coarse Emory board, (the black kind) and only trim until dull. These two questions are asked of me frequently in my line of work. Water dragons are one of my favorite reptiles because they are so friendly. Here are some other food options also. Did you know they can eat goldfish, night crawlers, small lizards, pink mice, super worms, meal worms and wax worms, just to name a few? They also like a little green vegetation once in awhile like romaine lettuce or jarred baby fruit, like applesauce, pears? Just dab a tiny amount on the branch where it sits most often and try several kinds of baby food fruit until you find one it likes.

Answer 3

You must be real careful to just cut the very tips of the nails off as not to get to the quick or blood area. My advise is to get it done by a vet and have then check the femoral pores if they are present and large then perhaps it is male. Also the brighter colored a herp is chances are it's male.
Remember to have a full spectrum bulb in the cage no more then 1 foot away from the lil' one as to allow for proper absorbtion and utalization of vitamins and minerals from it's food.

Good luck

Answer 4

Take it to a specialist (Vets are really that good with dealing with reptiles). If there is a reptile shop or Animal college near you they would usually be happy to help.