Can someone explain how to sex my mangrove monitor?

It’s about 8 months old I’m not sure if it’s old enough to sex and I’ve got experience with every other reptile I have I’ve breed bearded dragons and geckos and iguanas I’m just not sure if I can look at the vent area and see a difference on the outside like the ones mentioned above please any advice would be appreciated


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Welcome to the forum @koleby1230! That’s a fine looking lizard you have there!I l especially like the head shot! It looks like he/she is posing for the photo!

Unfortunately I have no expertise with lizards but there are other people here who can help you. I do have a couple of geckos but I don’t think that counts!

I hope you stick around because this is a really great place to be and there a lot of wonderful people here! I hope you are able to get some answers as well! :pray::blush:

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Monitors are really hard to sex for the most part, even worse than skinks which are a nightmare to sex, so you will most likely have to wait until it is close to full grown.

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He/she is a really interesting lizard there incredibly intelligent and proves it on a regular it may have been posing lol

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I can’t help with sexing, but I wanted to say hello. Your monitor is a beauty, whatever its sex. I agree with @caron , the head shot is quite nice. It really does look like s/he posed! What is its name?

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Like @logar stated usually you do have to wait until they are older. I have heard of some luck with vets scanning or taking x-rays, sometimes it can help when young. A little off subject but genetic testing for the sex of monitors would be a real useful tool for those working, breeding and even pet owners who would like to know what there monitor is. So far I see only ball pythons and colubrids available for sex determination. I hope that changes soon! Good luck, beautiful animal!:+1:

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I named it saphira like the dragon off eragon and it does pose for pictures lol all the time

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That’s what I figured I was pretty positive I had to wait till there a bit older

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