General Care Discussion :: pros & cons of a male and female

[KoopaTroopa]

im picking up two new res turtles today and i dont know whats the best configuration of sex without complications.

will the male and female mate eventually?
will two males fight?

[robind]

Probably and yes. Incidentally the behaviors are similar; when the males pester the females they do the claws-in-the-face dance, as I like to call it, and when the turtles are working out the turtle-hierarchy (I'm reminded of Yertle the Turtle here) they do it too.

Here's a video: Red eared slider Mating Ritual

[jonreif]

if the turtle is going to fight it will do it regardless of sex of the other turtle

if you buy them in pairs you may stand a chance of them getting along but keep a close eye on any changes to behavoior as it can all of a sudden just happen

Id get 2 males if I were you but thats preferance on my part

[untsmurf]

I believe with RES that you would have the highest chance of success with two females. That would make the care requirements higher though as you would need a larger tank in the end, plus everything to go with it.

Males and females will try and mate. Males are more aggressive than females. With females you have to worry about eggs, even if there are no males present. Females are larger.

The easiest way to go would be to get one male. That would mean a smaller tank (possibly 55-75 range), no eggs, and no fighting.

[KoopaTroopa]

well i got my two res turtles today and the person i got it from says that you cant distinguish their sex when they are babies so i dont know what sex they are lol

[marisa]

That is true---they have to be around 4 inches (shell length, no curve) to really tell. With my male RES, the really long nails and broad tail became apparent when he was a little less than that size.

[bigG]

I originally had two young female RES, but one escaped while she was outside. The remaining female now resides with a younger male RES. She is definitely dominant but they both get along very well. And she was always the dominant turtle even with her sister of the same size and age. You will see him "flutter" to get her attention and sometimes you will see her "flutter" to display her dominance.

[KoopaTroopa]

Thanks for the info guys!
Hopefully in a few years I'll find out their sex

[theartbook35]

Don't you think the answer to the first question is kind of obvious, Koopa?

Male turtles have a reputation for fighting with other male turtles. The best combination tends to be two females, but sometimes the girls don't like each other either.

I was going to suggest just getting one turtle, since they don't have to live together, but since you got them already, good luck