Sometimes sellers in pet stores are not competent (or pretend), so you have to rely entirely on your strength in determining the gender of a pet. This article will tell you how to distinguish a red-eared turtle-boy from a girl. Of course, you can accurately determine the sex of the pet with the help of laboratory tests, but this method is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, the sex of the turtles will be determined independently by external characteristics.
At what age can the sex of turtles be determined?
A male and a female can be reliably determined only when the turtles reach reproductive age. And this usually happens in six to eight years. During this period, some external symptoms change in turtles. For example, by this age the shell of a red-eared turtle should reach at least ten centimeters in diameter.
And if you want to get a younger individual, then how to distinguish a turtle-boy from a girl? At the age of two, of course, gender can also be determined. This will help a thorough analysis of the external features of the turtles.
Useful advice. If you are not an experienced specialist and want to get more reliable data, then consider several turtles at the same time. So it will be possible to assess the external characteristics of different representatives of the species.
So, what signs will indicate how to distinguish a turtle-boy from a girl?
Determine the gender according to the shape of the shell
Plastron (i.e. abdominal carapace) in males is concave. This allows you to stay on your girlfriend while mating. Due to uselessness, females do not have such a feature. In girls, the tummy sometimes even protrudes, has a curved shape. Also, the baby turtles on the plastron have many small spots. In girls, they are large and rare.
The back shield (karapaks) of the tortoise boys has an elongated shape, which closer to the tail resembles a tick. In girls, the shell is more rounded.
Features of claws - sexual sign of turtles
By the way, by the same sign, it is possible to determine which sex is the land tortoise. How to distinguish a boy from a girl? Everything is simple. On the forepaws, the male has long curved claws. In females, they are more rounded and shorter. Again, this feature helps the male turtle to stay on the shell of its partner during mating.
However, one should be careful with this symptom. The turtle can simply grind off its claws if it spends most of its time on the islet. Here it is worth paying attention to the material from which the sushi elements are made.
Determine the floor on the tail
How to distinguish a boy-turtle from a girl's tail? In males it is wider and longer than in females.
Another important symptom is cesspool. Since females by their nature lay eggs, for this important function you need an appropriate body structure. In females, the cesspool is larger and is closer to the shell. In males, on the contrary. The cesspool of the turtles-boys looks like a small straight line, and in girls - like an asterisk.
Pay attention to the body size of the turtles
This symptom will help in determining the gender if the turtles are the same age. Girls are larger than boys because they have an important reproductive function: they carry eggs, and later they lay.
How to distinguish a turtle-boy from a girl by behavior
Usually in wildlife, males have to compete for the right to fertilize a female. To do this, they have to dodge in every way to please and attract the attention of the chosen one of their heart. Trachemys in this matter is no exception.
In the mating season, males become more energetic. They demonstrate their potential, arrange a variety of games. If one turtle constantly catches up with another, then we can conclude that the breeding season has begun. The boy catches up with the girl to show himself to her in all its glory. Usually, males in front of females attractively shake their heads and move their front legs.
Simultaneous comparison of several individuals and a combined analysis of all of the listed characteristics will help determine the sex of the future pet. If you know how to distinguish red-eared turtles (a boy from a girl), then you can pre-select a nickname for your pet. Of course, up to puberty it is quite difficult to determine the sex of this exotic animal with accuracy. To do this, you need to be a great specialist, but, as they say, you can try your luck.