How to Tell the Sex of a Baby Turtle
A new pet owner purchasing a baby turtle at the pet store generally remembers to grab all the essentials that the turtle will need, including a home, food and a heat source. However, that owner may forget to ask whether the new pet is a female or male, which is valuable information to have especially as the turtle ages. Knowing the turtle's sex will allow the owner to breed the turtle or to keep two turtles separate to avoid any unwanted pregnancies.
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Instructions
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Examine the turtle's front claws. The claws of a female will have shorter nails than a male's.
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Look at the tail of the baby turtle. The tail of a male will be longer and wider than the tail of a female.
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Examine the turtle's cloaca, which is the opening at the rear of the turtle's body. The male's cloaca will be closer to the end of the tail than the female's.
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Tips & Warnings
Wait until the turtle has aged or grown to approximately 4 inches in size to make a more accurate determination of its sex.
The male turtle may also have a longer nose than the female.
A male box turtle's shell will also be flatter than a female's.
References
- Photo Credit Turtles image by Shaelene Thompson from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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I liked the information about turtles.
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Turles should not be check of gender until at least 2 years if you want to really try. My turtle hate it when I look at their tail and close up. HERE IS A ANOTHER WAY TO TELL THEM APART: The males eyes will be orange or red and a females light brown or possibly pale yellow. This is NOT 100% reliable, though a easier way to figure it out.
