Hi,

Is there a difference? Because I only have room to spoil one snake right now. I know I’ll catch the fever someday and have to have more. I wish I had the circumstances to get a breeding pair. But for now, I must choose my first one wisely.

So I want to know if I should start with a male or a female. But I’m more concerned about temperament.

I have an aggressive male Florida box turtle but a sweet & docile male 3-toed box. I don’t think gender has anything to do with that. I’ve had them for over 26 years, since I was kid. I think that’s just their individual personalities.

But then I had a male green iguana that had a split personality. Especially when he reached sexual maturity. He would let me hold him one minute and whip the crap out of me with his tail the next. He was ornery! I was told it was because he was a large male.

Does that happen to garters? Which gender is generally LESS MOODY?
Or is there no difference and it’s totally subjective?

Do males start a springtime hunger strikes when they reach sexual maturity? Do females run the risk of laying a clutch without a male?

Thanks!