How to Determine the Sex of a Turtle

You should love your pet no matter what its gender. This is especially true for turtles, if only because the act of sexing a turtle is more guesswork than science. And yet, not knowing your turtle's sex, or sexing your turtle incorrectly, can lead to not just a badly-chosen name, but also unexpected pregnancies and even more unexpected baby turtles.

Instructions

1. Take a look at the claws. Males tend to have significantly longer claws than females.

2. Assess the tail. Males usually have a long, fat tail, while females have a shorter, thinner tail.

3. Locate the cloaca, an opening along the tail for the intestinal, urinary and genital tracts. The male cloaca is closer to the tip of the tail than the body, and vice versa for the female cloaca.

4. Watch the turtle's behavior. Males are often more aggressive, especially while mating.

5. Gauge the turtle's size (if adult). Females are generally larger than the male.

Tips & Warnings

• Research the species of the turtle in question. Each turtle's sex is determined in its own way.

• Without a microscope or blood test, turtles cannot be sexed until they reach five years of age.