How can i tell what sex my TURTLE is? What's the differences between male and female turtles?

Question

i have a turtle and i was wondering what i could be..... and i used to have an older one but it died three days ago... RIP "Speedy".... please i always wanted to know...

i think that it's a BOX TURTLE.... umm he or she lives in a tank... they are the same type of turtle... but i dont know how to tell them apart...

i just looked for what type of turtle it is and i'm not sure but i would say that it's a Terepene Onata Onata, in other words a Ornate Box Turtle...

i got the turtle in New Mexico... at UNM(University of New Mexico, Lobos) to be Exact...

by the duck pond, where a lady was going to put it in the water with the other water turtles, but she said she got it by the biology building.... and said that i could have it if i took care of it...

Answer 1

Ornate, or Western Box turtles are sexed about the same way most other turtles are:

Male- long, thin tail with vent in the middle; plastron (belly shell) curves inwards (concave).

Female- short, wide tail with vent in the base; plastron flat or convex- curves outwards.

In SOME box turtles, the eye color can help as well- males have red or bright colored eyes, females have duller eyes.

Some good sites for box turtle care include:
http://www.boxturtlesite.info
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 2

It totally depends on what type of turtle you have believe it or not. Some turtles sex can sometimes be determined by their shell color, or the length of their tail, placement of their bunghole, the length of their nails, the shape of their shell and the color of their eyes.

If it is a young turtle you cannot tell it's sex because as they age these features take on different shapes. One thing you can do if your turtle is of age is go to one of the many turtle sites here on the web and upload a pic of your turtles tail(underside) and a pic of the turtle. Below I have listed a few good sites that I know of. I hope this helps!

Answer 3

Considering that you did not include much information to work with as far as age, size or species of turtle, I will give you a GENERAL way of visually sexing OLDER turtles. Male aquatic turtles of MOST species have longer front nails than female. Males front nails are about 1/2 the length of the " hand ". Females have much shorter nails. I hope this will help you.

Answer 4

Males have curved bottom shells (to stay on top of the female during mating), brighter colored exteriors (red, orange, and yellow) and eyes (normally red).

Females have flat bottom shells and darker (brown) eyes and shells.

Please do some internet research on box turtles--they are the hardest animal to take care of (that I know of). I've probably raised 6. They need lots of space, clean water, and MEAT--earthworms, crickets, ect--not just vegetables. They do not do well in captivity, so educating yourself will benefit both of you.

Answer 5

fat tail and it is longer than a female's tail.
A slight concaved curve on the bottom part of the shell.
You might notice more aggressive tendencies.
The cloaca (opening) is closer to the tip of the tail than the body.
congrats its a boy!!!

A shorter, thinner tail.
Flatter plastron (bottom of the shell).
females tend to be larger than males.
The cloaca (opening) on the tail is closer to the body than the tip of the tail.
congrats its a girl!!!
good luck with your little turtle!!!

Answer 6

i think instead of worrying if its male or female, you need to find out how to care for this turtle. You didnt even know what kind it is. Some turtles like to eat meat--chicken, turkey, beef, some like live fish in water if its a water turtle--rosey minnows, some like to eat what is natural in their surroundings-anture where you took it from1--water lettuce(u can buy at pet shops), water hyacinths, check out some sites. If u r planning on keeping this turtle research it, find how to care for it. What it needs for nutrition, what type of environmet does it need, special lighting-uva/uvb bulbs, heating lamps, nocturnal lighting?, water sand, dirt, mud, rocks, plants----would you like if someone stole you & knew nothing about you & fed u foods u didnt like to eat, & gave u somewhere u r not used to sleeping, non of your surroundings. It is alive--care for it!

Answer 7

look at the shape of their belly if it curves in like a bowl it is male if it is flat female

Answer 8

like crabs femals have a triangle shape near their tail. males have a rectangle shape

Answer 9

We had a turtle names Tommy...then he laid eggs. I dont think you can tell unless they lay eggs.