Sexing Aneides lugubris

[Warren Spencer]

Hello,
Could anyone supply any tips on sexing A.lugubris and maybe some related images.
Thanks
Warren

 

[FrogEyes]

Mature male plethodontids have mental glands.
Mature male plethodontids have papillose cloacal lips [ie rougher in males than females].

By and large in the animal kingdom, males are identified by distinctive features they possess as sexually mature adults. Females are identified by not being sexually mature males [but often the same size or larger]. Among amphibians, mature females will often have eggs or swollen ovaries visible through the abdomen.

 

[otolith]

Large mature A. lugubris males will often have much larger, wider heads with well developed glands. They are also generally thinner (at least in wild individuals); the head is typically wider than the body.

This site has numerous pictures that show the differences.

Aneides lugubris - Arboreal Salamander

 

[bewilderbeast]

Male Aneides of all species have larger heart shaped heads.

 

[taherman]

Male Aneides of all species have larger heart shaped heads.

Actually this characteristic is extremely subtle in Aneides aeneus and is not a very good indicator like it is in the western species.

Sexing Aneides is much harder than I would have expected from reading the literature, particularly in young animals.

 

[Lugubris]

I agree, sexing A. lugubris can be pretty tricky, especially if they are not fully mature. I have two which are about 2 and 3 years old, even though I have had them for over a month I am not sure what sex they are. My plan is to wait for the fast approaching breeding season and check for a mental gland under the chin. Here is a link for sexing caudates, they have a picture of a mental gland near the bottom:

Caudata Culture Articles - Sexing

Also, in the link provided by otolith, there is a picture of a group of A. lugubris estivating (over the picture of the person bleeding). I believe the large salamander in the lower center is a male, as it has a wide, heart-shaped head. This makes me think both of my specimens are female, as they have much more slender heads, although my 2 year old is most likely too young to determine yet.