Female Savannah Monitor - Eversion

[AjaMichelle]

Hi!

Anyone grossed out by poop shouldn't watch this video. Of course, I think it's safe to say that most herp-admiring folk would agree the video is not mired by feces.

My female savannah monitor everts her hemiclitoris as she defecates. Her copulatory organs are to the left of her colon.

I think this short eversion gives an idea of how the copulatory organ of female savannah monitors differs from that of her male counterpart.

This appears to me to be fairly close to a complete eversion.

[dinosaurdammit]

fascinating but so nasty as well 0_____0

[AjaMichelle]

Yeah it's pretty brutal lol

It almost looks painful.

[BarelyBreathing]

I'm saving this and sharing it when people tell me that if it everts, it's a male.

[AjaMichelle]

Please do! I've watched my male evert too (as you know!) and the "tubes" that everyone is always referring to were easily three times longer than hers. I am unsure as to whether the females can completely evert the hemiclitoris. I'm guessing they can't. That doesn't make much sense anatomically as it should be pretty tightly nestled in the vent. I think what she's displaying in the video is about the extent of what I could expect to see during an eversion.

[varanus_mad]

Originally Posted by AjaMichelle

Please do! I've watched my male evert too (as you know!) and the "tubes" that everyone is always referring to were easily three times longer than hers. I am unsure as to whether the females can completely evert the hemiclitoris. I'm guessing they can't. That doesn't make much sense anatomically as it should be pretty tightly nestled in the vent. I think what she's displaying in the video is about the extent of what I could expect to see during an eversion.

Yes they can fully evert there hemi-clitoris, looking very much like a partial eversion in a male.

Based on what ive seen from other monitors that was only a partial eversion, of either organ.

Shes either gravid or a bit on the tubby side im thinking tubby wrong shape for gravid.

[AjaMichelle]

Originally Posted by varanus_mad

Yes they can fully evert there hemi-clitoris, looking very much like a partial eversion in a male.

Based on what ive seen from other monitors that was only a partial eversion, of either organ.

Shes either gravid or a bit on the tubby side im thinking tubby wrong shape for gravid.

Thanks for the clarification! It was just guess about the extent to which the hemiclitoris can be everted.

Whether she's gravid or tubby is a mystery.

She was active and a normal, healthy weight and then she started exhibiting signs of cycling and ballooned up, remained this way for a few weeks, lost a lot of mass in her tail and around her pelvis, became defensive toward me, began basking more frequently and for longer periods, went off food, started digging, moved some substrate, and closed a burrow, then went back to normal. I was offering her lots of food during this time to make sure she had enough resources and I probably did overfeed her.

She's totally back to normal other than being tubby still--- voracious appetite, acting normally toward me, no longer defensive, very active.

All of the cycling, etc. coincided with the introduction of the likely male savannah monitor to my collection.

I haven't dug around for eggs yet, as I didn't want to stress her out, but now that she seems to be back to normal, I want to soon.

Theories about what was going on include that she experienced a false pregnancy and that her behavior and physiological changes were motivated by the presence of the male.

I have no idea. I keep expecting obvious weight loss but she's only lost about 100 grams. Perhaps this seems negligible because I over fed her?

I know how crucial it is that females nest properly and I've done my best to provide her with everything she needs based on available information. I'm trying to decide whether or not I should take her to the vet. It's helpful that you think she's just looking tubby.

[jarich]

Cool video, thanks Aja. I keep trying to see mine in the act, but it is apparently a little shy. I can leave the room for five minutes and come back and its happened, but never when Im in the room.

[AjaMichelle]

Thanks! Mine are both shy too. I am still surprised I caught her on video. She usually waits for me to leave the room.