Adult female painted turtles are bigger than the males, with typical plastron -- or bottom shell -- lengths of between roughly 4 and 5 inches. The males will use their fingernails to stimulate a female's cheeks and test receptivity. If you really need to look closely, in most species a male turtle’s anus is visible past the outer edge of the carapace or shell (it’s called the carapacial rim). If the turtles are the same age, or are both fully grown, you should be able to guess at the gender of the turtle. Female plastrons will be either flat or slightly convex. The females and males of snapping turtles are about the same size. On the underside of the males shell it tends to be for lack of a better word caved in. Injuries — such as attacks by predators or the unfortunate mishandling by humans — can also alter the shape of the carapace. Wash your hands after handling any turtle. Female turtles have short and skinny tails while males sport long, thick tails, with their vent (cloaca) positioned closer to the end of the tail when compared to a female. Typical plastron lengths for mature males are between a little less than 3 inches and a little less than 4 inches. One of the more common ways to sex your turtle is to look at the tail. An adult female turtle has a slightly longer shell than an adult male has. A better option may be a tortoise. Does he or she make a good pet? On males the nails are quite long which surprisingly are also used to tickle the necks of the females when they are courting. How can I tell the gender? The male has a shell that is much lighter in colour than that of the female, whose shell grows darker with age. The turtle’s shell, or carapace, differs slightly between male and female. Also, male turtle tails will be slightly longer and wider at the base than a female. Before going into more detail about each of them I want to tell you that all of the mentioned characteristics will become noticeable as the turtle ages. I am looking to get my 9 year old daughter a turtle. Scutes are what makes a turtles shell look quilted. Gender […] For example, male red-eared or painted turtles will have longer fingernails than their female counterparts. Turtle Gender by: Yen You can tell the sex of a turtle by also its size. Nov 15, 2019 - How can I tell the gender of my turtle or tortoise? The gender of a turtle does not affect the age of the turtle. How do you tell a turtle's gender? The bottom side of the turtle’s shell, which also covers the rear end of the turtle’s “belly” is called plastron. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. It's a really common question! Click here to check out our complete guide and check out the video too! It takes practice and patience — and if the turtle is young, it is even more difficult to tell. That pretty much does it for this guide on sexing turtles and tortoises. Explore. 2 This may be harder to see with some babies, which is why there … Males have their genitals in their tails, so their tails will extend out from beyond their shells significantly. The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. 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. Be sure to watch the video too! The reason for this trait is because it allows the males to fit on top of the females shell when they are mating. This is also a female Desert Tortoise. Females front claws will also be much shorter in comparison to the males and if you move back to the tail you can again see a difference. Russian Tortoise Male Female; Tail: Have a long, thin and pointed tail with its cloaca shaped like a tiny slit close to the tip of the tail. However, after reaching sexual maturity male sea turtles develop a long tail, which houses the reproductive organ.The tail may extend past the hind flippers. 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. When the tail is relaxed, the cloaca is situated behind the rim of the shell. You can also estimate a turtle's age using its size. A picture would do, if you want to know the species, and you cannot tell how old your turtle is unless you know the exact date it hatched. This unfortunately is not a universal trait for all water turtles, but if you use this in combination with the other things below it will give you a pretty good answer. I have read a little bit about them but curious, i am hoping to get a turtle that wont grow very big. First, measure the turtle from tip to tail. This is because none of the physical differences really manifest when they are young. Posted on Last updated: August 14, 2020 By: Author Brock Yates. You can tell the age of your turtle by looking at the layers on the turtles scute. An adult female turtle has a … In some turtle species, the fingernails/claws or overall size can be an indicator of gender. This part of the turtle’s shell – plastron will be very different in both male and female turtles. The second method involves the cloacal opening. Take a peek at the underside of your turtle. Female turtles have a short tail, which generally doesn’t extend more than 10 cm (4 inches) past the edge of the carapace. 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. If just the tail tip shows when the turtle extends the tail, it is most likely female. Baby Sea Turtle . Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. Some say that the shape of the shell itself is an indicator, but the upper shell (carapace) shape can vary from species to species and is not a reliable indicator. The answer depends on the amount of time and money you are willing to give to your turtle. The turtle’s shell, or carapace, differs slightly between male and female. There’s plenty of picture of both Turtles and Tortoises so you can make that distinction yourself. Thus, there are a number of signs to look for it. Not only will dropping the turtle scare it half to death, but it could be seriously hurt by a fall. 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. Last update: Oct 17, 2020 1 answer. Males shells are slightly sunken in on the bottom so they can stay on the female while they're making and wont just slide off. 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