Probably, every person who buys a pet will inevitably want to know whether a "boy" or "girl" will settle at his house, and red-eared turtles are no exception. How to distinguish a male from a female red-eared turtle? Take advantage of our tips.
Instructions
Step 1
Until the turtles reach puberty, which occurs at the age of 6-8 years, it is rather difficult for a novice naturalist to figure out who is who. This is understandable: it is necessary to determine the sex of the "redheads" according to very vague signs, which can vary both between the sexes and from individual to individual.
Step 2
Orientation by tail: In males, the tail is rather long, thickened at the base. In females, the tail is shorter due to the fact that the oviduct is located in it. The cloaca of females is located on the tail at the very edge of the carapace (upper side of the shell). The cloaca of males is located noticeably further along the tail.
Step 3
Evaluate Plastron: Plastron is the belly side of a turtle's shell. In males, it is concave, this is due to the need for the male to stay on the female's shell during mating. Females have a flatter plastron.
Step 4
Observe Behavior Males are more active than females. Sometimes in the behavior of males, you can also notice signs of aggression, which are almost never allowed by the fairer sex.
Step 5
Compare the distance between the upper and lower surface of the carapace in different individuals Since females are adapted by nature to lay eggs, the posterior edge of the plastron and the corners of the carapace in them form an opening, the diameter of which is larger than that of males.
Step 6
Take a closer look at the muzzle Experts claim that the muzzles of males are more pointed than those of females.
Step 7
As for sex determination of mature turtles, it is quite easy to identify it by the length of the claws and body size. Females are noticeably larger than males. At the same time, males on their front paws "grow" long claws, which "beautiful ladies" never have. However, be careful: this secondary sex characteristic can be negated by constant grinding on the surface of the "land" in the terrarium, especially if the "land" has a scratching surface.
