Hi guys

How can you tell the age of a sailfin, I have 3, 2 of them are a bout a foot long with the tail and the other one 7 inches, and how can I tell their sex, I noticed femoral pores on the 2 12inches long but I'm not sure of their sex, also the 2 large ones are beginning to show blue and purple on their face and chest.

One more thing, they were originally 4 sailfins but one died and when I dissected her there seem to be an unlaid egg, is this a possible things why she died?

Thanks and happy holidays

Are you sure they are Philippine's sailfins? If they are only a foot long with the tail, they're still very young, maybe 3 years old. My sailfin is 3 feet long with the tail, and her length as pretty much been like that for maybe 5 years (she is 13 years old). Femoral pores aren't a great way to sex sailfins. We thought Einy was male until she laid her first egg at 6 years old. Scott breeds sailfins in the US, and he is the one to ask about species, sexing, etc. If you contact me directly, I can tell you how to contact him. Einy has some blue and purple and larger femoral pores but she's female. It seems unlikely that a sailfin only a foot in total length with tail would have had an egg inside her. How did you get your sailfins? Enjoy them!

Well I think I'm sure that they are sailfins =)

First I thought they're iguanas I bought them from a local pet shop here in the manila philippines, then, as I read through iguana care, I noticed that they are not iguanas at all, I thought they are water dragon, til i came to your page and saw the pictures that look exactly like my sailfins only had them for a month so I'm not sure about their age, if my 2 guys are just foot long then they might grow bigger wish I could have pic takes but my cam is currently unavailable

anyway thanks a lot for your site, i really did learn a lot more about them and howcan I contact the other guy again about sex and species thanks

Oh, since you're in the Philippine's, if you have a sailfin, then it's probably a Philippine's sailfin. They don't export them anymore but within that country, they exploit them locally for food and less likely, pets. Scott's web site is http://www.sailfindragon.com/ but I suggest you join this Yahoo group (which he runs) if you want to talk to a bunch of sailfin owners:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/SailfinDragons/

Thanks Robyn

I also read that locally H.amboinensis is quite abundant before but due to ecological problems they start to disappear is it possible that I may have amboinensis?

what are the physical determinants of each species?

thanks again robyn and mery christmas

If the amb.'s are there too, you could have them. It's hard for even me to tell them apart. Scott is pretty good at telling them apart if you send a photo. I can usually tell with the full grown adults which are which.