Other Turtle Discussion :: I think sQuirtle is male but he only measures 1.25"

[sQuirtle]

Okay so I know that you can only determine a turtle's gender when they're at least 4".. but yesterday I was watching sQuirtle and I just noticed how long his nails were getting! I never noticed it before. and then he tucked in his tail and then let it go, and he was in a position where i could see under his tail and found a hole on his tail that opened & closed (which is just a bit away from his shell), and from what i've read, this means he's a male.

What do you guys think? Can I really say he's a male even if he's only 1.25 inches??

[missibsu]

Females have a hole in their tale as well. The placement of that hole is more of an indication of gender. I'd wait and see...

[sonyj]

At 1.25 inches it's still way too early to tell. They usually don't start changing to their specific characteristics until very close to or after they are 4 inches. Even if he looks like a boy now, it still can change with time. You'll just have to wait and see.

[sQuirtle]

I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait till sQuirtle grows... I just got too excited hehe

I read somewhere in the forum that a female turtle would swim into the window endlessly like they're trying to escape and sQuirtle does that a lot... I was just wondering if that characteristic is actually true and significant?

[sQuirtle]

I just re-read the anatomy section of the website and realized the hole is where their poop comes from, which makes sense because sQuirtle pooped right in front of me before I saw the cloaca open & close lol it's all obvious to me now

[missibsu]

The swimming at the glass trying to get out is a sign that maybe the female is trying to find a way out to lay eggs. Swimming at the glass does not mean that you have a female, as both of my turtles do this, and one is a male. Mine do it when they beg for food.

[steve]

You would know your turtle is a female before she would exhibit signs of wanting to nest.

[Wes_RES]

5 ways to tell if turtle is male or female:
1. Tail size
2. Claw size
3. Concave bottom shell (for males)
4. Snout size (boys have bigger noses)
5. Red markings (males tend to be darker)




*All should not be imposed on turtles under 4"

[missibsu]

Concave shells for RES is not an effective way to tell gender.

I have never heard of numbers 4 and 5.

[steve]

I have never heard of numbers 4 and 5.

That's because it's not true.

[missibsu]

Well, it didn't sound realistic, but since I hadn't heard of them, then I didn't want to jump to conclusions either.

I know that my male and female have different shades of stripes, but it never once occured to me that it was a difference in gender...I never had anything else to compare them to.

My turts do have the same nose, but I suppose that it doesn't mean anything either...my nose looks like my moms, but it doesn't mean that yours looks like mine!

Who makes this stuff up?

[marisa]

Sorry to disagree. I have read that males' snouts tend to be more pointy than females (and if my RES is any indication, this is true). The coloring is irrelevant, though.

I wouldn't rely on the snout to distinguish sex, though. The best predictor of sex is the tail and nails (when the shell length of your turtle, without the curve, is about 4 inches).

[Spookster]

I think the easiest way to tell if they are male or female is just throw a credit card into the tank. If they grab it and try to go shopping then obviously it's a female.

[steve]

My male and female RES have approximately the same size snout (in proportion to their physical size). I have seen a few snouts that are more pointy, not really larger though. If it is a sexual characteristic, then I agree that you can't rely on it.

[missibsu]

I just question whether it is a sexual characteristic or an individual feature. We could start a picture thread in the photo section. It could be a fun comparison to see difference snouts for different genders.