Hey folks, I can't find any literature about this anywhere. My baby (2-3 months approx) water dragons have developed a hierarchy already and the bigger one (I'm presuming male-although with little evidence to back it up-wishful thinking) started chasing, waving, and bobbing to the smaller one. When I saw that the smaller one was getting stressed I separated them.

Now, my question is: Can they differentiate between sexes at that young of an age before secondary sexual characteristics begin showing?

I would like to think that it is only a size issue and in a year or so I can re-introduce them (if it is definative that I have a male and female).

I really appreciate any help.

Thanks.

I am thinking of the saying...survival of the fittest....which of course means the strongest, biggest, boldest animals will survive....and where you have a group, that could be what is happening. Not sure if they can actually tell what sex yet, but once you do know the sex of them, then possibly reintroducing them will be possible. But there is the possibility of Not being able to introducing them or if , of course you have 2 males.....good luck and thanks for separating them when you noticed they were stressed!!

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

They can tell genders. They do subtle dominance stuff to each other that inhibits growth, diet and even behaviour of all those around. It's not so much a survival of the fittest scenario because there's not a question of survival so much here. It's just a direct result of competition though. I assure you there is a difference between survival of the fittest and competition.

There's a theory with monitors that sex isn't determined at birth and that it is determined later. Such like the hierachry determines which will become the male and what not.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Interesting......Thanks all.

Sounds like classic Alpha behavior to me. Unless they are hurting eachother, there is no need to separate them at this time, if they are truely that young. Babies are 5-6 inches long at birth, and not too much bigger than that at two months, so are you sure yours are that young?

If they are clutchmates, they shouldn't fight this early. Otherwise, one is trying to establish who is in charge. Once that is settled, they should settle down. It is the inherent nature of things.