Sometimes sellers in pet stores are not competent(or pretend), therefore, in determining the sex of a pet, you have to rely entirely on yourself. This article will tell how to distinguish the red-eared tortoise-boy from the girl. Of course, you can accurately determine the sex of your pet using laboratory tests, but this method is not suitable for everyone. Therefore, the sex of the turtles will be determined independently by external features.
At what age can you determine the sex of turtles?
Reliably determine the male and female can onlywhen turtles reach reproductive age. And this usually occurs at six to eight years. During this period, some external signs of turtles change. For example, by this age, the shell of a red-eared bug should reach at least ten centimeters in diameter.
And if you want to get a younger one,then how to distinguish the turtle-boy from the 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.
Helpful 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 signs of different representatives of the species.
So, what signs will indicate how to distinguish the boy-turtle from the girl?
Determine the floor shape of the shell
Пластрон (то есть брюшной панцирь) у самцов concave. This allows you to hold onto a friend while mating. Due to the uselessness of females such a feature is not. In girls, the tummy sometimes even protrudes, has a curved shape. Also, boys-turtles on the plastron have many small specks. In girls, they are big and rare.
The dorsal shield (carapax) of male turtles has an elongated shape that resembles a tick closer to the tail. In girls, the shell is more rounded.
Features claws - genital sign of turtles
By the way, by the same sign it is possible to determinewhat floor is a land turtle. How to distinguish a boy from a girl? It's simple. On the front paws of the male are long, curved claws. In females they are more rounded and short. Again, this feature helps the male bug to stay on its partner’s mascara during mating.
However, with this sign you need to be careful.The turtle can simply grind off its claws if it spends most of its time on the island. Here you should pay attention to the material from which sushi elements are made.
Determine the floor of the tail
How to distinguish the turtle-boy from the girl on the tail? In males, it is wider and longer than in females.
Another important sign is the cesspool.Since females lay eggs by nature, an appropriate body structure is needed for this important function. In females, the cesspool is larger and is closer to the shell. In males, on the contrary. The cesspool of the boy turtles looks like a small straight line, and in girls it looks like an asterisk.
Pay attention to the body size of turtles
This feature will help in determining the sex if turtles are the same age. Girls are bigger than boys because they perform an important reproductive function: they carry eggs, and later they are laid.
How to distinguish the boy-turtle from the girl by behavior
Usually in nature males have tocompete for the right to fertilize the female. To do this, they have to dodge in every possible way to please and attract the attention of the chosen one of their hearts. Red-skinned turtles are no exception.
In the mating season, males become moreenergetic. They demonstrate their potential, arrange a variety of games. If one turtle is constantly catching up with another, then we can conclude that the mating season has begun. The boy is catching up with the girl to show herself in all its glory. Usually males in front of females attractively shake their heads and move their forepaws.
Одновременное сравнение нескольких особей и the cumulative analysis of all the listed signs 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 to your pet. Of course, it is quite difficult to determine the sex of this exotic animal to sexual age. To do this, you need to be a great specialist, but, as they say, you can try your luck.
