Boy or girl? This question often arises among people who keep land or water turtles at home.
Instructions
Step 1
You can reliably determine the sex of an animal only when your tortoise turns six to eight years old, and the length of the shell reaches ten centimeters. At an earlier age, it is very difficult to determine the sex of these reptiles, especially for a non-specialist.
Step 2
In adult land turtles, sex can be determined by the tail. In the male, it is always larger and longer than in the female.
Step 3
You can also determine the sex of the turtle by the plastron - the ventral side of the shell. In males, it is more concave, and the femoral spurs are more pronounced. This shape of the plastron helps the male to stay on the female's body during mating. In females, the plastron is flat, the cloaca is located closer to the tail than in males, it can also resemble an asterisk, in males it has the shape of a longitudinal strip.
Step 4
In red-eared turtles, the claws of males are much longer than those of females.
Step 5
In females of Trionix, tubercles on the shell can be observed, while in males they smooth out with age. The tail of males is also much longer than that of females.
Step 6
Male adult marsh turtles have brown eyes, while females have yellow eyes.
Step 7
When determining the sex of a turtle, observation of temperament will also help. Males are more aggressive and active, they attack rivals, try to climb on females, bite their relatives by the paws. Sexually mature males will constantly try to turn other males upside down. You can also watch the movement of the head - if you notice that the turtle makes characteristic movements of its head up and down, then in front of you is most likely a male.
Step 8
If you are confused about determining the sex of your turtle, see your veterinarian or people who have been breeding turtle for a long time.
