May 20, 2012: Male/Female differentitaiton by: Anonymous there is another way to tell if a turtle is male or female. Explore. Female Red Eared Slider. Determining Turtle Gender: Turtles are egg laying reptiles, which means that they have sexual organs that are different than those of mammals. Photography Subjects. It can get costly, so if you want to take home your Sam or Sally, consider the cost and can make sure they will be as happy with you as they would be in the wild. Baby Sea Turtle . The easiest way to tell the gender of a red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) or painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is to look at the animal's fingernails. As with most animals you can often tell gender by looks. Hi. Although there are differences among the many species of turtle, thankfully some characteristics are quite similar between all of them. Male Mississippi map turtles grow from about 3 1/2 inches to about 5 inches long, measuring along the shell from the head to the tail. In this article, I’ll give you some tips to help you figure out the gender of your pet turtle. When they are not real young, like this one, you can tell their gender by looking at the "gular", see above. First of look at the front legs and the size of their nails. This is so he doesn’t fall off the female during the mating process. I hope you learned a lot above, this video gives a great walkthrough with the subtle nuances of determining the sex of both turtles and tortoises. One additional thing to note on the tails is that the vent (cloaca) will be located near the tip of the tail. After counting the rings, take a guess at the turtle's age. The second method involves the cloacal opening. Sagittal sign: If the caudal notch is pointing upward at more than a 30-degree angle, then the fetus is a boy.If it is somewhere in between, it may be harder to make a definitive determination. First, measure the turtle from tip to tail. Best Answer. The best way to ensure you are giving a positive identification is to have two turtles there to be able to compare. Males normally have longer tails and claws. If the turtle’s cloaca, the orifice in which its sex organs are located and through which it excretes waste, is located halfway between the turtle’s body and the tip of its tail, it is probably male. I have read a little bit about them but curious, i am hoping to get a turtle that wont grow very big. Determining Turtle Gender: Turtles are egg laying reptiles, which means that they have sexual organs that are different than those of mammals. If you only have one turtle, then look for as many clues as possible to try to determine the turtle's gender. Water turtles are dimorphic which is why the females will be significantly larger than the males. This Desert Tortoise looks like a female. Steps Examining the Turtle’s Shell. A zoology student investigated whether it's true that the gender of turtles depends on the temperature A scientist hypothesizes that temperature affects the gender of a species of turtle. In most species, gender is determined during fertilization. He or she is trained in animal care and is able to take care of any concerns that you might have. To tell a turtle's age, start by counting the number of rings inside one of the scales on the turtle's shell. Depending on the type of turtle females tend to be bigger than males. The cloacal opening of the female C. p. marginata on the right is much closer to the base of the tail. Look at your turtle’s shell. Photography. Basically, you have three genders in German — masculine, feminine, and neuter — and although English has the same three genders, they play a very different role in German grammar. In most species, the female is bigger than a male. Male red eared sliders have a convex plastron in order to easily climb on the females during mating. The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. Pick up your turtle carefully. About 40% of the 400 shark species lay eggs. Do you have any other tips on how to check the gender of a turtle or tortoise? How do you tell a turtle's gender? Depending on the type of turtle females tend to be bigger than males. Also males tend to have longer tails than females, again to aid in mating. Size of the turtle; Color of the turtle; Position of the cloaca; So those are the things that you will have to look at to determine if your red eared slider is male or female. And females have a concave plastron in order to have more room inside them for carrying eggs. This may be harder to see with some babies, which is why there are multiple signs to look for during an ultrasound. Greek Tortoises or Hermann's tortoises stay relatively small. When the ultrasound technician is looking for a boy, they are looking for something called the turtle sign. The male’s tail will be longer and that is the key to look for. However, the sex of most turtles, alligators, and crocodiles is determined after fertilization. Females can also grow inches bigger than males in some species. The turtle is characterised by its soft pancake-shaped shell and snorkel-like nose. How can I tell the gender? When they are not real young, like this one, you can tell their gender by looking at the "gular", see above. In order to use this trait they should have reached a size larger than 6 inches. The difference between sexes shows mainly in the structure of the tail, and for the male snapper the tail is longer, thicker ( 2 ), and the vent … Any pictures to compare because I can't tell by the tail and arch and stuff and it's sort of awkward for a twelve year old to lift up a turtle's tail and check for whichever.... Pictures to compare the arch or tail or whatever will help :) My turtle is about 3legnth by 2width (inches) It can be difficult to determine a turtle’s gender, more so than for other animals, but there are a few ways to find out if your turtle is a he or a she. Photography Subjects. One of the more common ways to sex your turtle is to look at the tail. The males will use their fingernails to stimulate a female's cheeks and test receptivity. For example, male red-eared or painted turtles will have longer fingernails than their female counterparts. look at its tail, if its butt hole is farther down the tail its a male. It takes practice and patience — and if the turtle is young, it is even more difficult to tell. This is because they use them to touch the face of the female to gauge their openness to mating. These species feature female-choice mating systems, in which males vie for the attention of a female. When the tail is relaxed, the cloaca is situated behind the rim of the shell. 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