Male vs. Female Leopard Geckos

Not sure whether your leopard gecko is male or female? Thankfully, determining the sex of one of the adorable little lizards is fairly easy once they reach a certain age and size. Like many reptiles, leopard geckos are sexually dimorphic, meaning that male and female geckos have several key physical differences.

Keep reading if you want to accurately determine your gecko’s sex. Whether you want to know for breeding purposes or you’re simply curious, it helps to know their sex, as male and female geckos have slightly different care requirements. We’ll cover when you can reliably tell if your gecko is male or female, as well as what physical indicators to look for on their bodies.

When Can You Accurately Determine the Sex of a Leopard Gecko?

Interestingly, you may be able to simply ask your breeder about the incubation temperature of your gecko’s egg. Studies have shown that incubation temperature determines a leopard gecko’s sex. If a clutch of eggs is incubated at 80°F to 82°F, it will produce mostly females. If the clutch is incubated at 88°F to 90°F, it will produce mostly males. Yet, if the eggs are kept at 83°F to 87°F, this will produce a mixture of males and females.

However, if you didn’t get your gecko from a breeder, if they don’t have this information on hand, or if you aren’t able to get in touch with them, you’ll have to resort to other methods to determine if your scaly pal is male or female.

As mentioned previously, female and male geckos have several key physical differences. These differences start to appear when geckos reach their juvenile stage, which is around 4 to 6 months of age. Although there has been some debate about when you can accurately determine a leopard gecko’s sex, most experienced breeders and reptile experts agree that you can reliably do so once the gecko is about 6 months old. However, clearer differences may appear closer to 12 months of age.

How Do You Determine the Sex of a Leopard Gecko?

There are three main indicators that can tell you whether a leopard gecko is male or female. However, these features don’t become obvious until they are around 6 months old. These features are femoral pores, pre-anal pores, and hemipenal bulges.

Pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges are only present in male geckos. Femoral pores can be found in both males and females, but males typically have much larger, darker, and more pronounced ones. Some female geckos have very small femoral pores, while others lack them completely. In the next section, we’ll go over exactly what these features look like and where to look for them when determining your gecko’s sex.

Method 1: Determine the Presence of Pre-Anal Pores

Checking if your gecko has pre-anal pores is the most accurate way to determine if they are male or female. Pre-anal pores are a small, V-shaped line of pores just above a male gecko’s vent, located between its legs. While males have very pronounced pores that look like large black or brown dots, females lack them entirely.

Male leopard geckos use these pores to secrete pheromones. They use these pheromones to attract potential female mates and identify themselves to other geckos nearby.

If your gecko is too skittish to let you examine its underside, try placing it in a clear plastic or glass container and holding the container above your head to look at it from below. Do not squeeze or hold the lizard on its back for an extended period.

Method 2: Determine the Presence of Hemipenal Bulges

Another highly accurate yet slightly less obvious way to tell if your gecko is male vs. female is to determine if they have hemipenal bulges. These bulges are only present in males. The gecko’s hemipenes are stored in the bulges until mating, at which point they will temporarily protrude.

Hemipenal bulges are two small mounds present on the underside of your gecko just beneath their vent. Male geckos have distinct bulges, while females’ vents are smooth. You can use the same methods mentioned above: either hold the gecko above your head or place it in a clear-bottomed container, then examine the area just under its vent.

Method 3: Examine Femoral Pores

The third feature you can look for when determining your gecko’s sex is their femoral pores. Male geckos also use these pores to secrete pheromones, although both males and females can have them. However, femoral pores on females are very small, if they are present at all, while males’ femoral pores are very large, distinct, and more prone to getting clogged.

Femoral pores are located on the underside of a leopard gecko’s hind legs. These usually appear as small rows of brown or tan dots running horizontally across each of the gecko’s thighs. If your gecko has very large, dark, and obvious femoral pores, they are likely male. On the other hand, if they have barely visible pores or no pores at all, they are likely female.

This method isn’t quite as accurate or easy to use as the two methods mentioned above. However, it can still help to confirm your gecko’s sex once you’ve looked for their pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges.

Other Physical Differences in Male vs. Female Leopard Geckos

Male and female leopard geckos have a few other physical differences, though these can vary greatly depending on an individual’s genetics, morph, age, and size. These features alone may not determine your gecko’s sex, but they can serve as confirmation if you’ve already used the methods explained earlier.

Female geckos, in general, tend to be smaller and leaner while male geckos are larger, more robust, and slightly longer. Females’ tails are also usually slightly less bulky than those of males. Additionally, females’ heads are thinner and longer, while males’ heads are broader and shorter. Male geckos weigh slightly more than females on average. Males generally weigh between 2.1 and 2.8 ounces, although some large males may weigh more. Females typically weigh 1.8 to 2.5 ounces. Male geckos grow to between 7.9 and 11 inches in length, but females only reach 7.1 to 7.9 inches.

Finally, females lay eggs, while males do not. Interestingly, female geckos can and will occasionally lay (infertile) eggs even without ever being in contact with a male. However, if your gecko has laid a clutch of eggs recently, it is definitely female.