So I was browsing the UESP Argonian page and came across http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore_talk:Argonian discussion(Argonian Life Phases) I was unaware of this and was wondering what the lore buffs here thoughts were on this, if this is indeed true, I like Harbinger451's theory on it, stating; "The only "logical" and lore correct answer I could come up with though is this - all Argonians are hatched as female so all juvenile and virgin advlts are female (highly intelligent, and gifted in the magical arts), and then assume that the male phase only kicks in after a now advlt female has birthed offspring / eggs. Once successfully given birth the individual undergoes certain hormonal and physiological changes that transforms them into the more aggressive male phase (with the traits of the hunter: stealth, speed, and agility) to better protect its brood while they're young and defenseless and to then hunt out a young female(s) to mate with once the offspring can look after themselves."

I doubt that would be the case; The Hist (and by relation, the Argonians) originating in a previous Kalpa and remaining somewhat foreign makes me think that they wouldn't have any link to the moons native to Mundus.

His theory is interesting.

I have to admit, I have never read anything on the subject of Argonians having life phases. Were does this information come from?

In the real world, many animals are capable of switching genders willy-nilly depending simply on their environment. There's a species of fish, for example, where they're all born 'female' and the most dominant member of the school becomes 'male'. If a new fish becomes dominant, the old leader reverts to being 'female', and the new leader becomes 'male'. Some reptiles have temperature-dependent sixual determination in the egg. Komodo dragons have fixed gender after hatching, but can give live birth, lay eggs, reproduce sixually, or reproduce asixually.

My guess on the argonians is that they hatch in an androgynous state. As they grow up they switch to either a male state, or a female state, depending on the needs of the group, usually as determined by the Hist, or in non-Blackmarsh argonians, simply by ambient pheremones. The females stay with the egg clutches and the Hist (licking extra tree sap and learning magic) while the males serve as scouts. It is possible that, like an exaggerated version of the Komodo dragon, argonians actually have multiple reproductive styles available, ranging from the turtle like 'bury eggs and ignore' to an almost mammalian 'give live birth and briast feed' (OB Argonians). When the needs of the group change, genders change, but gender-switching is kept to a minimum, for evolutionary reasons.

When it comes to summaries of lore, ignore UESP. It's not that I hate it, it's that too many people come up with the wrong conclusions, or are lead astray due to faulty information.

As of now, the only information I am aware of, is that argonians lick the Hist. As to what happens, it's still pretty much in the air. If I were to say something, either MinotaurWarrior's explanation in the second paragraph, or the Hist are needed for the argonians to mature, and that they're born male or female.

But as far as how argonians handle eggs, a dev did say they can store eggs inside, almost like a mammal does with its developing baby, or can lay them. This tends to depend on the temperature, so if it's cold, no go with egg laying. The eggs need a warm environment.

Just glancing at this theory I can see a major problem, similar to "which came first the chicken or the egg?"

If they were all female, and they transform into males after breeding... where did the first male come from?

Hopefully we can prove or disprove this theory when Skyrim comes out, where we might possibly see a very young argonian male.

The thing is, we can make young or old argonians that are either male or female in OB.

I believe that it's coming from the MO race selection menu. Quote from UESP discussion: "In the race selection window in Morrowind it says something along the lines of, "In the male phase they are strong and dumb" yadda yadda " and in the female life phase they are weak and witty". This clearly suggests they change six halfway through their life, and should be looked in to."

http://web.archive.org/web/20081015141717/http://www.imperial-library.info/fsg/brendanarticle1.shtml