Kristian Munkholm wrote:Ruggero Morimando wrote:Kristian Munkholm wrote:P1010905 (3).jpg
Female Malpolon in rasta hair...
You can determine the gender of juveniles by their pattern? How?
It's easy with adults, but...
Btw - don't know if it makes a difference in this regard - this is ssp.
saharatlanticus
Yes Kristian, I can understand the sex even in juveniles. The labials are well marked with white spots and the markings are well visible on the head and body: your Malpolon is a female. Males are more uniform even when babies and the labials are not so sharply spotted with white.
Years ago I used to go herping Malpolon very often in Liguria, and once a guy gave us a bucket full of baby Malpolon. They hatched inside a school garden... that's all I knew. But: my herp-friend and I were able to understand for every baby if it was male or female. And we once found eggs: the eggs hatched in captivity, and I was able to recognize very well males hatchlings from females hatchlings. Small nuances, but if you have many babies you can see very well the differences...
Those were all Malpolon monspessulanus: but I think the sexual dimorphism is about the same in african Malpolon too...
P.s. Your Malpolon is actually young, but not an hatchling I think...