Interesting sexual behavior in Couch's Spadefoot?

[lindsayshocking]

This post is 100% serious, as I have a genuine concern with one of my female Couch's Spadefoots. I received her about a year ago, and she's a healthy girl. She eats every time food is offered to her, swims well, burrows frequently, etc. However, I've noticed that she "grips" her female cagemate.

My female does not have any nuptial pads, and I know that she is a female because A.) she does not have a throat sac that puffs out and B.) she has the correct sexual dimorphism to indicate that she is in fact female.

Has anyone seen anything like this, or any explanation? She seems healthy enough so I don't think it's some kind of after-effect of a disease, it's just weird.

[EmJay]

Same-sex sexual activity has been observed in something like 1,500 animal species, and is common and well-documented in around 500 of those, so I don't think it's cause for you to have any concern. It's especially common, for some species, in captivity where all animals in the enclosure are the same sex and/or sexually just-starting-to-mature. I wouldn't worry about it...

[lindsayshocking]

They do live with a male. Poor baby seems so left out most of the time, and we hear him croak every now and then, hoping one of the girls will come around. I guess I just got a special little gal.

[nirotorin]

I wouldn't worry about it. It is kind of funny though.

Maybe it's a dominance issue, and she's the boss of the terrarium. Could also be she's trying to fool the male into thinking she is also a male.

Could also be just what she's into.lol

[lindsayshocking]

I wouldn't worry about it. It is kind of funny though.

Maybe it's a dominance issue, and she's the boss of the terrarium. Could also be she's trying to fool the male into thinking she is also a male.

Could also be just what she's into.lol

She *is* quite dominant, so that is a possibility. I bet it's all of those options!

[nirotorin]

I had a female guinea pig like that once.