Natural History Wanderings

Bay Nature write about How Do you Know If a Lizard Is Male Or Female?

If you’re seeing multiple lizards in your backyard, then you’re probably seeing both males and females. Most lizards, like many animals, are sexually dimorphic, meaning not only are the genitals different, so are other characteristics such as size, shape, and appearance.

While there are few hard and fast rules in the natural world, here are a some things to look for when trying to determine the sex of a lizard. As with most examples of sexual dimorphism, a lot of them have to do with males competing for both territory and mates.

First, look at the size of the lizard’s head. In many lizard species, males engage in territorial combat and therefore have noticeably bigger, bulkier heads (and bodies) than females. They use these for biting and wrestling each other, and the encounters can actually become pretty bloody and intense. So if you see a lizard with a large head, it’s likely a male.

Read more Ask The Naturalist: How Do I Know If a Lizard Is Male Or Female? -Bay Nature