Breeding turtles requires the selection of a pair of the same species - a female and a male. But often determining the sex of a turtle presents some difficulties, since they do not have pronounced sex differences. However, there are some signs by which you can determine the gender of a land turtle.
Instructions
Step 1
If you look closely at the turtle's tail, you can determine the gender by its characteristics. In males, it is usually long and narrow, and at the end there is a kind of outgrowth that resembles a claw in shape. The cloaca of males has the shape of a longitudinal strip. Females have a wide and short tail. At its end, there is no claw-shaped outgrowth, and the cloaca rather resembles an asterisk.
Step 2
Often the sex of turtles is determined by spurs. The male Central Asian land tortoise has one horny tubercle, which is located on the back of the thigh. Females have at least three such tubercles on their thighs.
Step 3
There are also etiological signs of sex determination in land turtles. This method is based on knowledge of all the features of the behavior of male turtles during the mating season. Mating tournaments begin between males, during which they chase each other, trying to turn the opponent onto the shell. They strike with the front edge of their shell and all the time try to bite the opponent.
Step 4
Size is also of particular importance, you should not think that the male should be larger than the female (as is commonly believed). In fact, in this case, everything is different: adult females are much larger than adult males of land turtles.
Step 5
Turn the turtle over and take a good look at the plastron (belly side of the shell). Males have a pronounced concave plastron, with the help of this shape it is easier for the male to hold onto the female's body during mating. Females have a flatter plastron.
Step 6
Take the turtle in your hands and examine the legs. Male turtles have significantly longer claws than female turtles. But in this case, you need to have several turtles in order to have something to compare with.
