How to distinguish a turtle from a girl?

If you have a desire to purchase a turtle in a pet store, most likely you will be offered a baby. Not every reptile lover can answer the question of how to discern the sex of a turtle at this age, since the first signs of sexual difference appear only at the onset of puberty. And, the larger the long-liver, the later this period comes. For example, you can distinguish the tortoise of a boy from a girl from giant representatives of this species, as soon as their age approaches 20 years.

How to distinguish a red-bellied tortoise of a boy from a girl?

Coping with this task will be easier if we compare individuals of the same age. Red-bellied turtle is an inhabitant of fresh water reservoirs. Its decoration was a spot of bright red or various shades of yellow, located next to the eyes. Determining the sex of reptiles is possible with a one-year-old age.

There are several main differences between females from males, which even a beginner will be able to notice:

1. The size . If you compare two turtles the size of a palm, the female is much larger than her partner.
2. Front claws . The male has longer and larger claws. During the mating games, they allow you to attract a female to the scratching of their neck.
3. The tail . When examining the back of the body, you can see the tail, which in boys is more dense and long.
4. Behavior . Males are distinguished by aggressive behavior, in contrast to peace-loving females.
5. Location of the anal opening . In girls it is located near the carapace.
6. Shape and size of the cloaca . Since nature has given the female the ability to lay eggs, the appearance of the cloaca can be compared to an asterisk. It is larger in diameter than the hole in the male, which has the shape of a longitudinal line.

How to distinguish a tortoise of a boy from a girl?

1. If you compare the tail of the female and the male land tortoises, you can see that the boy is longer in size and bends inward, like most other species. The same goes for the shape of the cloaca.
2. The difference is also observed in the plastron. Nature has made the bottom of the girl's shell absolutely flat, then, like the boys, it is concave.
3. The male sex of these turtles is the owner of the femoral spurs.

Some species of reptiles have signs of sexual difference, characteristic only for them. For example, males, related to yellow-headed Indian turtles, have a pink nose, and in representatives of marsh turtles the girl sometimes gives in to the size of her partner. Therefore, together with the acquisition of a small pet, it is advisable to arm yourself with knowledge about its species affiliation.