"flashing"

Irwin4530

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I have a leopard that I was told...by someone who is usually pretty accurate about these things...that she is a female. Yesterday why she was poopping :rolleyes: I saw a "something"....do tortoises "flash" while moving their bowles??

*It was very tiny, pointed and very light pink.....i tried to get a better look but no luck
 

wellington

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My leopard only flashed when he was in his soak. Females can also flash. Post some more pics of the underside and keep an eye out too see if s/he does it again.
 

Irwin4530

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IMG_4987.jpg IMG_4988.jpg IMG_4989.jpg IMG_4990.jpg IMG_4991.jpg IMG_4992.jpg This is the one that i was told was a girl and that "flashed" me...


And just for fun I was told this was a boy...


i think it may be the other way around, what do you think??
 
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wellington

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I would say the very first pic is a boy and the last pic looks like a girl. That's my guess.


Btw, how old are they and how big?
 

mcory

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Just curious ... What age/size can you begin to tell? My tort is 3 and 5 inches.
 

rhachic

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i agree, first 3 pics look male last 3 look female.
And age/size for sexing really depends on the individual. My male showed he was 100% male around 4 years of age. I'm assuming my other two are female but waiting until they're bigger to be positive as I've read some people claiming they can suddenly show sex at 10+ lbs
 

motero

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wellington said:
My leopard only flashed when he was in his soak. Females can also flash. Post some more pics of the underside and keep an eye out too see if s/he does it again.

What is a female going to flash? I have one that is almost 2 years old and just over 5 inches, He flashes when he is doing his business in the soak.
 

motero

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Ok, So just seeing some thing is not a definite male. It has to be a real flash like sticking out past the tail? Is that right?
 

Jacqui

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Motero it sounds like your tortoise is a male and is flashing you. Most common is it happening while soaking and it goes right back in which is what yours is doing. We assume with them, there may be some pleasure to flashing. A female tends to only do it while straining (either to pass eggs, stools, or something plugging her or has worms). This isn't a flash, but a proplapse happening. Males can flash and not withdraw it back in or due to straining like the female cause a proplapse also.
 

Tactical Tort

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I agree. Male on the top, female on the bottom. Both the long fat tail and starting to concave underneath tells me male.
Mine started flashing at a year and a half and just a few months later completely shows everything fairly often and for quite a while then wanders around flashing. Has made for "interesting" conversation when company happens to notice. lol!
 

Elohi

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Thoughts and opinions on this?
She/he is still young. Just 2.5 yrs.


ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1415385015.322663.jpg
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1415385027.956008.jpg
 

tortadise

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Yep that's a boy elohi.
When females flash it's a very small glimpse of clitoral tissue. This will be fleshy, pink to light purple. It's nothing like a male flash as seen above by Monica's picture, the tissue will look like a sheath coming out of the cloaca and not a pointy, flower, suction cup like a boy. Hope that made sense to everyone,
 

Elohi

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It does look very similar to when Lyle started flashing me but scutes still look female and while the tail is big, isn't real long yet.
 

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