Finding out the sex of the turtle may be necessary in order to plan the breeding of these exotic animals. When buying a turtle in a pet store, sales consultants will probably tell you its gender. But having received a turtle as a gift or purchased it at the market, the gender may be unknown. There are several well-known rules by which you can determine which individual has become your new friend.
Determine the sex of a turtle by the shape of its shell
In males, the shell has a more elongated shape, while in females it is more round.
Determine the sex of a turtle by the type of plastron
The plastron is the lower (ventral) part of a turtle's shell. Based on its structure, it is possible to determine the sex of a turtle only during its maturity. By this time, the animal's shell has grown to its normal size - approximately 10-11 centimeters in length. The female's plastron at this time has a completely flat shape, and the male's plastron in the area of the tail is slightly concave inward.
Determine the sex of a turtle by the shape of its claws
Males have much longer claws than females.
Determine the sex of a turtle by tail size
Males have a longer and wider tail than females. In females it is quite short. In this case, the tail of a male turtle is bent down, while that of a female turtle is located parallel to the plane of the bottom of the terrarium.
Determine the sex of a turtle by the location and shape of the cloaca
The cloaca of all turtles is located on the inside of the tail. The anus of the male has an elongated shape - it looks like a narrow slit and is located closer to the tip of the tail. In females, the cloaca has the shape of an asterisk and is located much higher, i.e. closer to the base of the tail.
Determine the sex of a turtle by behavior
Female turtles are usually very shy and try to keep their heads pulled into their shells. Females are not very active and try to sit in one place. Males are much more active and inquisitive - they love to walk, so they rarely hide their heads.
You can accurately determine the sex of a turtle yourself only if you have several individuals living in your house and they can be compared with each other. If you buy one turtle, you can take it to a store or local zoo, where you can ask specialists to help determine its gender.
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