How to determine the sex of a small red-eared slider. How to determine the age of a red-eared slider by the structure, size and number of rings. How to determine the sex of a red-eared turtle. Sex determination by shell
Length and growth rate of turtles
The change in the length of the turtles can be seen by the light seams between the carapace scutes. If the turtle grows quickly, the new horny layers along the periphery of the scutes become very light, then processes of pigment cells (dermal melanophores) grow there and pigment is transferred along them, usually in the form of thin rays or dark spots. When these growth rings age, the pigmented zones will not differ from the previous ones. This is the cost of accelerated growth in captivity.(c) D.B. Vasiliev.
Growth stripes land turtles should not be too wide, otherwise this will indicate overfeeding.
As young turtles grow, their body shape and shell color change. The shell elongates and darkens. When the turtle grows and becomes sexually mature, if it is a male, then it may have a depression on the plastron, a thicker and longer tail, and long claws. Eye color and nose color may also change.
Parameters of red-eared turtles born and living in nature
Parameters of land turtles, turtles born and living in nature (using the example of Testudo hermanni)
At home, the growth of a turtle depends on the size of the aquarium/terrarium, frequency of feeding, diet, and the addition of calcium to the food.
Determining the age of a turtle
For turtles living in areas with well-defined seasons, their age can be approximately determined by the number of annual rings on the horny scutes. The annual rings of the Central Asian tortoise, for example, are clearly visible and delimited by sharp depressions - marks of the winter seasons. The embryonic shield, with which the turtle hatches from the egg, is clearly visible due to its uneven, granular surface. Using the growth rings, you can calculate the growth rate of a given turtle, since the increase in the width of the scutes is proportional to the increase in the length of the entire shell. In some cases, a correlation is shown between the number of rings in the cross-section of long bones and the size of the shell.
It is impossible to know the exact age of a turtle that has not been raised since birth, but it can be approximately determined as follows:
1. By turtle size (shell length)
2. According to the number of rings on the shell: 2-3 rings are formed in 1 year. To be more precise, you can count several flakes and then find the average value.
But we must take into account that both the size and number of rings depend on the living conditions of the turtle, as well as whether it hibernated.
The rings appear when the turtle is not yet a year old. In very old specimens, the shell becomes especially smooth, like in newborns, and the annual rings turn pale.
When counting grooves, it should be taken into account that during the period of active growth: from a newborn to a two-year-old, the grooves determine the period of development from 3 months to six months, and then about a year.
Growth occurs when new portions of keratin are added, which leads to a gradual increase in the diameter of the shield. In turtles temperate latitudes growth occurs more rapidly in the warm season. New portions of keratin form a clearly visible ring sculpture - the so-called “growth rings”. Counting these rings requires some skill. In young turtles, and especially in those bred in captivity, during the first few years of life, keratin is deposited in the form of many thin rings (this, of course, does not correspond to the age of the turtle). In wild-caught animals, growth rings can produce more useful information. Often, by the number and quality of the “growth rings,” it is possible to determine (although not in all cases) the age of the turtle, the time when it came into captivity, the beginning chronic illness associated with impaired growth, correct conditions of detention, etc.
With age, the Malpighian layer begins to function mainly only along the periphery of the scutellum (in the so-called areoles). In the center of the scutum, the germinal layer may degenerate and lose contact with the basement membrane. Here a cavity is formed and the shield may lag behind the underlying bone plate. In burrowing species, the outer layers of the stratum corneum can wear off and the carapace becomes completely smooth. Some freshwater turtles(including red-eared animals) and especially in young animals in the phase of initial (rapid) growth, the horny scutes of the shell can be peeled off and replaced with new ones. The mechanism of this phenomenon is similar to the molting of scaly reptiles. (Vasiliev D.B. Turtles. Maintenance, diseases and treatment)
Lifespan of turtles
The loss of eggs due to nest predators is 40-95%. The survival rate of young animals is 10-55%; at the age of 10 to 15 years, 10-15% die per year. A complete change of generations occurs every 20 years, and animals aged 30 years are already rare. At home, turtles often die from infections and poor maintenance. But on average, small turtles live for 50 years, large ones for 80 years, and very large ones for 150-200 years.
Approximate data taken from observations of herpetologists in Zoos and private collections:
- Central Asian - 40-50 years
- red-eared - 40-50 years
- Indian roofing turtle(Kachuga tecta) - 37 years old
- box turtles - 50-100 years
- Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) - 60 years
- desert gopher ( Gopherus agassizii), sea turtles- 80 years
- radiant - 85 years
- Balkan (Testudo hermanni) - 90 years
- spur-bearing - 115 years
- Galapagos, Seychelles - 150-180 years
The lifespan of a turtle depends greatly on its care. Some people have turtles that are 20-30 years old or even 40-50 years old, but many of them, due to poor maintenance, have many senile diseases and do not live long. They say that if it were not for diseases and external factors, turtles would live forever. =)
The red-eared turtle is a very cute pet that requires a minimum of attention and care, looks great in photos and delights children with its friendliness. Therefore, owners often try to breed these reptiles by crossing them with each other. The question of gender determination red-eared turtle in this case it plays very important role. However, this task is not at all easy, and its solution causes difficulties even for specialists.
The easiest way to do this is comparing two different-sex creatures.
This is clearly shown in the video
Then the differences can be seen clearly and the gender of the turtles can be most accurately determined.
- Length and shape of claws
Adult males who have reached the age of five have long curved claws, pointed at the ends. While females have short claws and are not sharp at all. If you look carefully through a magnifying glass, you will notice that their ends are rounded.
This sign must be considered in conjunction with the others, since it cannot be considered completely reliable. Some turtles living in a terrarium with hard ground may simply have their claws worn down. In this case, their length and shape will change. And the male can easily be mistaken for a female.
- Shell differences
Nature made sure that mating of reptiles took place effortlessly, giving the males concave shape this part of the shield. It is inside the plastron that the genital organs of turtles are located. And thanks to the V-shaped shape of the abdominal part, the male is securely fixed on his partner during mating. In females, the plastron is completely flat and has no grooves.
The shape of the shell itself can also tell you who is who. Males sport a narrow, elongated shield, while females wear more rounded and shorter houses.
- Tail and cloaca
Females have a tail so shorter than the male's that it is visible to the naked eye. In addition, the form of this formation differs. The tail of “boys” has a large thickening near the base and a thin, pointed tip. In females, the tail is even along its entire length, without thickening, the end has a rounded shape.
In the red-eared turtle, the cloaca is located on the tail, and its location can also indicate gender. The anal opening of males resembles thin line, is located at the bottom of the tail. In females, the cloaca is zigzag-shaped, similar to half a star, located near the base.
Detailed story on this topic
Additional external signs
If you are still in doubt what gender your pet belongs to, evaluate other determination criteria:
- The diameter of the hole between the dorsal and ventral parts of the shell. In females it is noticeably larger, because they are the ones who lay future offspring.
- Body dimensions. Girls are always larger than boys by about a couple of centimeters. If a five-year-old female reaches 17–19 cm in length, then the male will not grow more than 15. By the age of 6, the length of the female is on average 19–21 cm, and the male is only 16–18.
Features of behavior
Try watching red-eared sliders in a pet store or on video.You can easily distinguish males by their behavior. Boys are more active and curious, they constantly move, try out all available objects, and pester girls. This is manifested by the fact that the male catches up with the possible partner he likes and tries to lightly bite her neck. The suitor invites the female to mate by fluttering his claws right in front of the female’s eyes.
Males constantly “nod” their heads, like Chinese tangerines.In addition, “men” compete with each other, trying to drive the rival away from their territory or from the female. It almost never comes to a serious fight, but males can push and bite for a long time until one of them retreats, leaving the battlefield to a more successful competitor.
Age determination
This reptile lives for about 55 years, reaching sexual maturity at 5–6 years.It is at this time that her gender needs to be determined. How to understand how old a pet is? It's not hard to do if you know her dimensions:
- In a year, the length of the shell is 5–7 cm;
- at 2 years - 9cm;
- at 3 years - from 11 to 14 cm;
- at 4 years - 13 cm for males and 17 for females;
- at 5 years old - 15 and 19 cm.
If you are not planning to breed red-eared turtles, it may not matter at all to you whether the red-eared slider is a boy or a girl living in your aquarium.
For everyone else, I will now tell you how to find out the gender of a red-eared slider with a high percentage of accuracy. This can be done when the male and female reach sexual maturity - usually at the age of 6-8 years, with a body length of 9-10 cm. Until this time, it is very difficult to understand who is who. Guided by certain characteristics of a particular sex, a male can be distinguished from a female by the following characteristics.
First of all, look at the animal's tail. In males it is longer than in females. Turn the turtle belly up. The male's cloaca is located further from the base of the tail, and the female's cloaca is located at its very base, right under the shell. Now pay attention to the shell. Its ventral part, called the plastron, has an almost flat surface in the female red-eared turtle. The male has a concave shape, which allows him to stay on the female during mating.
Photo from Turtle.ru
Another sign that will tell you how to find out the gender of a red-eared slider is this: that the male’s muzzle has a more pointed shape, and its claws are much longer than those of the female, which is again associated with mating. However, this fact should not be considered indisputable, since the male can sharpen his claws on the pebbles or stones of the terrarium.
You can accurately determine the sex of a red-eared turtle during mating games. The male actively flirts with the female, “looms” in front of her muzzle, stretches his paws forward and upward and often shakes his head from side to side.
Determining the sex of various exotic animals is quite a complex matter. This is especially true for birds and amphibians.
Pond slider- a fairly popular aquarium amphibian in our homes. She is beautiful, active and interesting to watch.
Often, amphibian lovers get not just one turtle, but several at once for breeding. Therefore, owners often wonder what gender their pet.
Red-eared turtles are easy to care for and therefore are recommended for those who first decided to have reptiles. Red-eared turtles are freshwater species
. They live about 30-40 years. The length and shell can reach 18-30 centimeters.
The shell of turtles is olive or yellowish-brown in color. In young individuals it may be deep green.
The turtle's head and neck are covered with white and green stripes and spots. But they owe their name to two spots extending from the eye area. They have orange-red tint.
The red-eared turtle comes from America. Its habitat natural habitat- all Central America and northwestern part South America. The species was also introduced into Israel, South Africa, Guadeloupe and other European countries, where it successfully took root.
The amphibian lives in small swampy bodies of water: lakes, ponds. Turtles sedentary, but curious. Their favorite pastime is lying in the warm sun.
The red-eared turtle has well-developed vision and sense of smell, but the hearing and vocal cords of this amphibian are poorly developed. The turtle can only hiss or snort when excited and irritated. Possessing strong jaws , the red-eared turtle can severely injure a person or other pet if threatened.
Video: find out the gender
When can it be determined?
Turtles live a long time, so they acquire both young and adult individuals. Determine gender at a young age (before reaching the age of puberty) it is almost impossible. Therefore, in order to correctly and reliably determine the sex, you need to wait until the turtle turns five to eight years.
General signs of sex determination
General signs by which it is already possible to determine the sex of a turtle at the age of three years are:
- body color and characteristic markings;
- shape and color of the muzzle;
- length and thickness of claws;
- the shape of the abdomen and shell;
- tail length and thickness;
- the size of the turtle itself upon reaching sexual maturity;
- location and appearance of the cloaca;
- sexual behavior.
This general signs , which are suitable for determining the sex of most turtle species. But when studying appearance pet, please note that inspection should be carried out exclusively by adults. You must hold the turtle carefully and carefully, without squeezing the shell with your fingers. Do not bring it close to your face or areas with exposed skin; the turtle may scratch or even bite you.
How to recognize by the shell
Having reached sexual maturity, females and males already differ in size. Males usually fewer females and have a more elongated shell. Females are larger and have a rounded shell. But this applies only to those individuals who have already reached sexual maturity.
At the age of six years, the length of the shell in males reaches 9-11 centimeters, and in females - 10-18.
The ventral part of the shell is plastron, in males it has a more concave shape. This is explained by the fact that during mating it will be more convenient for him to stay on the female’s back. Posterior part of the plastron in males slightly pointed and resembles the English letter V.
Females have a flat, slightly rounded plastron closer to the tail.
Identification by claws
The easiest way to determine the sex of a turtle by claws. Males usually have longer, elongated, clearly defined claws.
With such claws, males attract females during the mating period.
They wave them in front of the females' noses to attract attention and please them.
In addition, males need claws during the mating period. With them they cling to the female’s shell in order to more firmly fixate on her during the fertilization process.
Claws of female red-eared turtles shorter and thicker. But keep in mind that this sign is not suitable for young individuals; claws that may not have yet grown to required sizes or for old turtles who may have worn their claws off on pebbles or soil in the terrarium.
Determination by length and shape of the nose
This sign is not reliable, but is sometimes used to determine the sex of turtles.
It is believed that the muzzles and noses of males are more narrow and elongated, in contrast to the rounded and wide muzzles of females.
This method should only be used by breeders with extensive experience in breeding turtles, since this trait is very subjective.
Video: pet review
Identification by tail
Determining the sex of a red-eared slider based on the length and thickness of the tail is done by measurements.
Males, unlike females, have a longer and thicker tail at the base. Females have a much shorter and straighter tail due to the oviduct located in it. In addition, the tail of males is slightly bent down.
By turning the turtle belly up, you can see the cloaca. In males it is located further from the body, almost in the middle of the tail, and resembles an elongated line. In females, the cloaca is located at the beginning of the tail, almost under the shell, and resembles an asterisk.
Determining gender by behavior
Except external signs, you can determine the sex of a turtle by its behavior. Females have a calmer disposition. They are less active and prefer to swim slowly or bask in the light.
Males are active. They study quickly and with curiosity the world, trying out all new items to taste. Be careful as they can also be aggressive.
If a female and a male are located in the same terrarium, then the male’s sexual attraction. He chases the female, nods his head and tries to bite her on the neck.
IN mating season The male swims with the female, only he does it with his tail first, supporting the head of the chosen one with his claws.
Conclusion
Based on all of the listed methods for determining the sex of a red-eared turtle, you can find out whether your favorite is male or female, or start breeding this beautiful amphibian at home. In addition, knowing the sex of the turtle is also important because keeping several males in one terrarium is unacceptable!
But take everything into account content rules turtles at home.
The terrarium should have both areas filled with water and islands of land where the turtle can bask in the sun and relax.
Turtles should include the following in their diet: plant foods, and raw meat. Add mineral supplements to the food to avoid calcium deficiency in your animal.
Under no circumstances should you keep your turtle in a terrarium with dirty water!
Any new animal that you add to the terrarium must undergo strict quarantine to identify possible diseases.
Don't forget regularly clean the aquarium and strictly observe personal hygiene when interacting with your pet, and also take into account all the necessary rules for keeping an amphibian in captivity.
And then your favorite red-eared turtle will always delight you with its activity, health and funny behavior!
If you decide to buy a turtle as pet, then you will definitely want to come up with a name for her first. The name usually depends on gender. But how to determine it? Scientists have found that determining the sex of reptiles is not an easy task, and in some cases, completely impossible, because in nature there are exceptions for everything. This applies primarily to fish, frogs, lizards and turtles. One of the frequently asked questions concerns red-eared turtles. So, how can you determine the sex of this turtle breed?
Red-eared turtles: how to determine gender?
Main features
There is a period in the life of turtles when sex determination becomes noticeably easier. In the interim between five and seven years old. Perhaps an experienced amateur turtle breeder knows how to determine sex before this period, but a young naturalist will certainly experience difficulties in this matter.
Basically, many buyers who come to a pet store determine gender by comparing three characteristics in animals:
- length and shape of the turtle's tail
- features of the plastron shape
- length and shape of reptile claws
The first point is based on matching two tails. The male has a longer tail compared to the female's tail. In this case, the male individual has a thick tail at the base, and gradually tapers towards the end. Females have a straight tail that has neither narrowing nor widening; their tail is more rounded. This criterion for identifying sex is the most common among naturalists.
The second sign of determining the sex of an animal is based on the shape of the plastron. This formation is located in the back of the shell. Inside the plastron are the genital organs of turtles, which have different shapes
, which can make it easier to install the reptile's floor.
Boys have a concave back, this shape is convenient for mating. In female representatives, no noticeable changes are visible in the posterior part of the shell; the surface is fairly smooth.
The third sign by which the gender of a red-eared slider can be determined is the shape and length of the claws. In the male, the fingers with claws are elongated and often the claws themselves may have a slightly curved appearance. In females, the fingers are noticeably shorter and often practically devoid of claws, having a rounded rather than pointed appearance. But by determining only by the third sign, you can get into trouble, since over time, the claws of a turtle living in an aquarium can wear down on hard ground and change their shape. Also, when comparing the claws of a young turtle, you can come to the erroneous conclusion that it is better to wait until the reptile reaches the age of five.
Additional indicators
If it was not possible to determine the gender of the red-eared turtle based on the main characteristics, then they will come to the rescue Extra options.
- you need to compare the body sizes of turtles;
- compare the shapes of the posterior part of the plastron of both sexes;
- compare the anal openings of individuals;
The first sign for determining belonging states that the female must be larger than the male; this state of affairs is inherent in nature and is necessary for the successful bearing of eggs with future offspring.
You can recognize whether a turtle is a female or a male by its plastron; it is the main part of the turtle’s body, with its help you can accurately guess who is in front of you. Males are distinguished by the pointed lower part of their shell, which looks like the Latin letter "V". In females, the end of the plastron does not have any distinguishing features, but simply ends in a roundness.
The anus is the last circumstance that will help establish gender of the turtle. In males, this part of the body is located closer to the pointed end of the tail and has the shape of an oblong line. Females have a cloaca shaped like an asterisk, and it is located closer to the base of the tail.
Features of behavior of both sexes
If you are still unable to determine the sex of your red-eared slider, you must first select one turtle. When she grows up a little, you will be able to clearly verify the truth of her gender. After some time, you will be able to understand the behavior of turtles and assign it to a specific gender. But for such an analysis you need to have sufficient experience in breeding turtles of both sexes. You can observe their behavior in the pet store.
Many experienced amateur naturalists have come to the conclusion that females are the calmest. The fact is that the boys are very active, moving around their property and tasting everything that comes their way. Their interest in their chosen one is clearly manifested.
Owners of red-eared turtles may witness the male trying to catch up with the female and bite her on the neck. Experts say males give themselves away active head nodding.
Another sign for determining the sex of a turtle can be the shape of its muzzle. But this sign is very controversial and cannot be the main one, since it has no basis in confirmation by zoologists. Males have a more pointed muzzle than females - this is distinctive feature this method.
How to determine the sex of a land turtle?
Everything is clear with the main criteria and additional ones; this list for determining the sex of turtles can be continued by also including species characteristics of land turtles.
- By the color of the nose, you can recognize whether the Indian yellow-headed tortoise is a boy or a girl. In males it is pink, and in females it is normal.
- Eye color will give away Caroline box turtles. Males differ from females by having bright red eyes; females have slightly reddish eyes. Spengler's girls of mountain species are endowed with blue eyes, males are brown.