Female
Non-breeding T. leeri females are marked much like non-breeding males. Breeding females may acquire some yellow coloration ventrally, but not the intense gold and reddish-orange colors of breeding males.
1. CAUDAL OCELLUS. Diffusion of the caudal ocellus is usually more pronounced in breeding females than in breeding males and in some cases no remnant of it can be seen. This marking usually disappears during or shortly before the onset of a spawning sequence, but normally begins to re-appear at or near the end of the sequence and remains quite distinct un- til the onset of the next spawning sequence.
Bios 107
2. HORIZONTAL BAND. The horizontal band usually disappears com- pletely during spawning and re-appears at or near the end of the spawning sequence. The body color usually becomes uniformly pale with vague reticulations.
3. EYE COLOR. One of the most striking color changes in females is the change in eye color associated with spawning. The female's eye, with few exceptions, becomes uniformly light with no trace of the orig- inal horizontal band, whereas the eye of the male becomes uniformly dark.