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Golddrakken
07-15-2008, 09:32 AM
Does anyone know if it is possible to sex tegu's (or any other reptiles) with a DNA test like they do with birds like parrots/macaws? Is it extremely expensive, if it can be done?
Thank you for any information you may have.

Alek
07-16-2008, 12:57 AM
Very good question, I don't know but there are easy ways to look for males will have two bumps on each side under there vent starting at the base of the tale. If you feel around on the young ones it may not stick out there right away but the bigger your tegus get you should notice it very well you can even see them it looks like little ball like scales. Females do not have them.

Ben3233
07-16-2008, 01:54 AM
Hmmm, of course, Dna is expensive, but I don't even know if it sure at 100%.

I heard that there was a temperature method to sex reptile, like gecko leopard. I don't know if it works well for Tegu. We should ask Rick if he tried it before. :idea:

dpjm
07-16-2008, 03:13 AM
Apparently, some reptiles have heteromorphic sex chromosomes (similar to XX and XY in humans), but then some have no sex chromosomes and the sex is determined by the temperature during embryo development. It should be possible and easy to sex them using the same technique used for birds if tegus use the first method, but if they use the second, then I don't know. Maybe someone on here will know which strategy tegus use.

tupinambis
07-16-2008, 08:22 AM
Tegus' sex is genetically determined, not temperature based.

dpjm
07-16-2008, 04:06 PM
Thanks, Tupinamnis. I figured you would probably know. Just out of curiosity, which system do they use (as in XX/XY or ZZ/ZW, for example)? Which sex is homogametic and which is heterogametic?

tupinambis
07-18-2008, 08:32 AM
While it varies in reptiles which are temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) or genetic sex determination (GSD), and further varies within GSD groups which are XY, XXY, XO, ZW, ZZW, or ZWW (sometimes even within a family), it is my understanding that ALL Teiidae fall within the "standard" XY classification, with females being homozygous and males being heterozygous. I don't think anyone has specifically looked at Tupinambis directly (although I may be wrong), but a LOT of sexual genetics has been done on the Teiidae family because it holds an abnormally large amount of species that are entirely asexual (primarily within the Cnemidophorus genus) and they all adhere to the standard XX sex.