Be more confident: How to Tell if a Turtle Is Male or Female

How to Tell if a Turtle Is Male or Female

Whether you choose to breed your turtle or not, determining
the gender of your pet can be difficult if you don't know
what to look for. In this article, you'll learn a few simple
ways to determine the gender of your turtle.

!! Steps !!

Be prepared to combine the signs to reach a conclusion. Turtles from
different species may have specific clues to their gender and it is
important to know about these possibilities. The best approach to
sexing a turtle [1] is to use a combination of the following
suggested steps to come up with the most likely gender for the
turtle. Bear in mind that some methods are less reliable than others
in determining the gender of your turtle. Yet, if all the signs
point in one direction, then it's more likely than not that you've
found out the gender accurately. However, if the signs are mixed,
you may wish to take your turtle to a vet [2] to be certain.

* Wait until the turtle is an adult because it is extremely
difficult to sex a baby turtle.[1] [3] Be aware that you might
have to wait years as they grow,[2] [4] and that turtles are
considered to be juveniles until after 5 years of age.[3] [5]

Hold your turtle with care when determining its gender. Flipping
over your turtle can hurt him (or her!). Be careful to hold your
turtle [6] with a gentle grip and to turn him or her with care and a
gradual movement. Look at the turtle's tail. Turtles have a hole
or vent which is called the "cloaca" located on their tail. Male
turtles have the cloaca located farther away from the body, about
half to two thirds the distance from the shell and more toward to
the tip of the tail.[4] [7] Female turtles have the cloaca closer to
the body, almost under the overlap of the shell.[5] [8]

Examine the thickness and length of the tail. Male turtles often
have fatter and longer tails than the female.[6] [9][7] [10]

* Check out the bottom Look at the bottom or underbelly of
the turtle's shell. If the plastron (bottom shell) is convex,
goes out, it's probably a female. If its bottom shell is concave
(rounded) or goes in toward the inside of the body, then the
turtle is most likely a male.[8] [11] The reasoning behind this is
that the female's convex plastron provides more room for eggs,
while the male's concave plastron fits better over the female's
when mating.[9] [12][10] [13]
Claws Look at the turtle's front or fore claws. Most
male turtles have very long front claws.[11] [14] Males
use these claws in courtship.[12] [15] Note that the back
claws [16] are usually the same for both genders and that
claw size doesn't hold for all species of turtles.

* However, if a male is a "late bloomer" or has been kept in
inadequate conditions, the claws may not be noticeably longer.

Check the turtle's size. If you have more than one turtle, you can
compare the sizes. In most species, the female turtle is larger.[13]
[17] But the difference is usually very small, and you need to keep
in mind that there are size variations within a gender too, so only
use this sign along with many others. Look for species specific
clues. Depending on the species [18] of your turtle, there may be
other clues. For example:

* Red- eared sliders Red-eared Slider: The male's front
claws are longer than on the female's.[14] [19]

American box turtle [20]: 90 percent of the time, male box turtles
have red or orange irises while the female has brown or yellow ones.
Also, the female has a tendency to have a higher-domed, rounder
upper-shell, while the male has a lower shell with more of an oval
or oblong appearance.

* Read How to tell the gender of your sun turtle [21] for sun
turtles.

Breed, keep separate, or just keep loving your gender clarified
turtle. After determining whether your turtle is male or female,
you can decide on breeding from there. However, unless you have a
rare species of aquatic turtle, breeding is *not* advised. You
will simply have more turtles to look after and that's a big ask
for most people.

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

* It may help to look at a diagram of the vent on a turtle's tail in
a picture. One great book for doing this is _Turtles and
Tortoises-A Complete Owner's Manual_ by Bartlett and Bartlett.

* The male has an organ, phallus, or penis (depending on which
biologist you read, any term is correct).[15] [22] The organ may
be "dark - grey, purple or blackish - with an expanded head and a
sharp spine at its tip" and it is large when compared with the
turtle's size.[16] [23] It might be seen on occasion when
sunbathing or drinking when the front half of the turtle is
submerged.[17] [24] Now you know and this is pretty
incontrovertible evidence of your turtle's gender!

!! Warnings !!

* There are some variations of sea turtles (specifically, the Kemp
Ridley, but there may be others) that have no external signs of
which gender they are. Speak with a veterinarian specializing in
marine animals to discover which gender your sea turtle is.

* Wash your hands _every single time_ you handle a turtle. Some
turtles carry salmonella and while it won't harm the turtle, it
can harm you.[18] [25] Do not put unwashed hands near your mouth
or nose until you've washed with warm water and soap. Make sure
children do so after handling turtles too.

* Do not flip over your turtle to determine its gender. This is
dangerous for the animal's health.

!! Things You'll Need !!

* Measuring tape (optional)

* Vet's or breeder's advice (optional)

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Keep a Turtle Healthy [26]

* How to Determine if a Male Rabbit Needs to Be Neutered [27]

* How to Apply Medication to a Turtle's Eyes [28]

* How to Pet a Turtle [29]

* How to Care for a Hibernating Turtle [30]

!! Sources And Citations !!

!! Article Tools !!

* Read on wikiHow

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Friday, 7 January 2011

How to Tell if a Turtle Is Male or Female

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