Red-legged tortoise (detailed introduction)

There are many types of tortoises. Although they look very different in appearance, they have many similarities. For As for the method of distinguishing male and female tortoises, we can divide tortoises into several major categories. By putting similar tortoises together, we can easily learn how to identify male and female tortoises.

1. Star tortoise, Burmese star, Burmese terrestrial species

The gender of tortoises can be identified when they weigh about 500 grams. The center of the plastron of female turtles is flat with no depression, and the tail is short. The cloaca hole is closer to the rear edge of the plastron. The center of the plastron of male turtles is sunken. The older the turtles, the greater the degree of depression in the plastron, and the tail is longer and thicker. The cloacal foramen is located farther from the posterior edge of the plastron. The male turtle is narrower and longer, while the female turtle is rounder. The male turtle's tail is thicker and longer, while the female turtle's tail is fatter and shorter. The male turtle's cloaca is further away from the anal shield, while the opposite is true for female turtles. The ventral carapace of male turtles is sunken, while that of female turtles is flat. Male turtles grow more slowly and are smaller than female turtles.

2. Red-legged and yellow-legged species

It is difficult to tell the gender visually, even from the body shape and plastron. The male turtle's tail is flatter than that of the female turtle and has four scales, which is the only identifiable part

3. Radiated turtles

It can be distinguished from the tail, but it is not easy to judge. Those with a smaller opening angle on the tail end of the plastron are usually female turtles because their tails are smaller. The male turtle's tail is longer and larger. When it is picked up flat, the male turtle will sometimes roll up its tail from bottom to front, a bit like mating. To distinguish it from the plastron, you need to reach a certain size to see it. The plastron of male turtles is obviously sunken, which is difficult for young turtles to judge. On the other hand, the plastron of female turtles is flat and may be sunken in some cases. Adult male turtles will take the initiative to smell each other's cloaca to confirm their gender, but female turtles will not.

Land turtles

4. European turtles

The tail of male turtles is long and thick, while the tail of female turtles is the opposite. Male turtles are impatient during estrus, and they will chase and bite each other. Male turtles are smaller than female turtles.

5. Sulcata and leopard tortoises

The plastron of male tortoises is concave, while that of female tortoises is flat. The opening angle of the anal shield of male turtles is larger, while the opposite is true for female turtles. Male turtles will physically hit other turtles or male turtles of the same species, and may even attack people and things they deem suspicious.

6. Summary

If the turtle's tail is straightened and the location of the cloaca exceeds the edge of the tail shield, the composition of the male turtle will be higher. Males of most species are smaller than females, with the opposite being true for the island tortoises Galapagos, Aldabra, and Sulcata. There is little difference in body size between males and females of some species, such as radiated turtles, red-legged turtles, yellow-legged turtles, etc. Male turtles of most species are more lively and active, while female turtles are more calm. When male turtles of most species reach maturity, they will actively sniff each other's cloaca to confirm their gender.

It is not that the male and female can be identified after the tortoise is born. The tortoise is different from other types of creatures. The male and female are not obvious. Only when the body weight reaches a certain weight can the male and female be distinguished. The identification of smaller turtles is less accurate, so if you want to know whether a turtle is male or female, don't be too anxious. The temperature when the turtle hatches determines the gender of the turtle, so during artificial breeding, the gender of the turtle can also be controlled based on this characteristic.