How to Find Out If a Box Turtle Is Male or Female

There are several members of the family Emydidae that are commonly referred to as "box turtles." Box turtles,include the American box turtle (which has several subspecies, such as the Eastern box turtle), the Chinese Three-Striped box turtle and the Malayan box turtle, often are found as pets. Within this group of turtles, the differences between males and females are usually subtle and not clearly evident until they reach maturity, around 4 to 5 years of age. Often you will need a male and female turtle to compare in order to see the differences between the sexes.

Instructions

1. Look at the plastron (the underside or bottom shell) of the box turtle. In males,a slightly concave plastron makes the mating process easier for the turtle.

2. Check the tail of the turtle. Male box turtles have a thicker tail at the base than the female. The tail may also be longer in the male.

3. Locate the placement of the vent on the turtle. The vent of the male will be located past the carapace (upper shell) on the underside of the tail. The female's vent will be located on the underside of the tail and under the carapace, closer to the base of the tail.

4. Compare the claws of the turtles. A male usually has longer claws than a female.
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References

• Animal Diversity:Emydidae
• Turtles of the World: Carl H. Ernst and Roger W. Barbour: 1989
• Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles: A.C. Highfield: 1996

Resources

• RightPet: Box and Pond Turtles