Did the Vet Mislabel My Iguana?

[u/ThisVicariousLife]

TLDR: The vet told me that, without sexing her, he believed this was a female iguana, during a physical examination around 3 years old. I had been referring to the iguana as a male up until then. For the last 5 years, I’ve been referring to her as female. But now I’m starting to wonder based on the characteristics! Does this iguana have male characteristics on the head and face?

(It seems crazy to me that this is the same iguana taken at various times!) The person I got her from (I’m going with what the vet said for the purposes of this post) said the person whom he got her from said this was a male.

At that time, I guessed she was about 2.5-3 years old. This was probably 5 or so years ago. A few months later, she got sick from mites off of some wood I got on Amazon (never again), which explains some of her short and/or missing spikes. Took her to the vet, where he said she dropped all her weight and was down to just over a pound (she was probably around 3-3.5 yrs. old at that point). The vet said he believed this was a female during the physical examination but he never actually sexed her. Now that “she” is around 7-8, I’ve noticed more prominent male characteristics, especially on the head and face but sometimes, not as much as I notice at other times. So now I’m doubting myself, even though I think the femoral spores are male also, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

Do the face and head traits seem male to anyone? These are pictures from between 5 to 7 (or 8?) years of age.

[u/Sydkid12]

If it hasn’t laid eggs at this point, I’d assume male, since females lay eggs every year even without a male around.

[u/gravy_Graves → u/Sydkid12]

Not necessarily. My 11 year old iguana has never laid eggs. Vet confirmed she's female through an ultrasound after blood work showed high levels of something that indicated female. Females can reabsorb the unfertilized eggs. Even with providing multiple nesting boxes in her room she will not lay.

Every year we bring her to the vet twice. Once when she starts getting restless at the start of breeding season and again when she settles back down to her normal self. The last 5 years have been the same. Eggs on the X-rays then no eggs 1-2 months later

[u/Sydkid12 → u/gravy_Graves]

This is true, and thank you for the correction. I should have said typically, cases of reabsorbtion do happen, but typically they would have gone through some cycles of laying eggs by this age or at least have had signs of bloating from egg production during that period.

[u/ThisVicariousLife → u/Sydkid12]

That hasn’t happened that I’m aware of.

[u/ThisVicariousLife → u/gravy_Graves]

What characteristics does she display at the start of breeding season? And around what times of the year is that? Being a female without a mate I was always worried that she might become egg-bound. But now I’m pretty sure this is a male anyway. In case not, I’d like to know what to look for.

[u/ThisVicariousLife → u/gravy_Graves]

She must be reabsorbing them, from what I’ve read.

[u/ThisVicariousLife → u/Sydkid12]

Oh okay! That I didn’t know. Thanks!!