Is My Spotted Turtle Boy Or Girl?

The-Great-Stash

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Apologies, but I really need to be sure about this. Could anyone tell me if my little Spotted female is truly a female? I noticed some thickening in the tail, but it could be just my imagination. I need someone to help explain it to me, as well as the true characteristics of adult males and females (went to multiple sources, including a journal saying of a possible gender change in a small population but not sure how reliable that journal is) as I am searching for a male for my supposed female to breed with.


Please and thank you!
 

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Markw84

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Looking male to me, but still a bit young to be sure. I would be 90% sure male at this point. The tail is looking male as the opening is now well past the edge of the carapace. The real easy defining characteristic of spotted males is they develop a black face. That normally happens about 4-5 years old. Females will always have a tan/orangish chin. Males will get almost totally black faces. It looks like yours is starting to darken and does not have a totally female look at this point.

How old is this turtle? Looks to be 3-4??
 

zovick

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Looking male to me, but still a bit young to be sure. I would be 90% sure male at this point. The tail is looking male as the opening is now well past the edge of the carapace. The real easy defining characteristic of spotted males is they develop a black face. That normally happens about 4-5 years old. Females will always have a tan/orangish chin. Males will get almost totally black faces. It looks like yours is starting to darken and does not have a totally female look at this point.

How old is this turtle? Looks to be 3-4??
I agree with Markw84.
 

Markw84

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Here's a photo of some of my spotteds basking. The male is easy to see with all the females. A couple of juvenile males there, but the old male is really easy to see with that black face. Zoom in and see if you can find him!

The second one up from the water on the log is also a male about 9 years old now. However, with the sun behind him you can't see the face so well.
IMG_1329.JPG
 

The-Great-Stash

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Looking male to me, but still a bit young to be sure. I would be 90% sure male at this point. The tail is looking male as the opening is now well past the edge of the carapace. The real easy defining characteristic of spotted males is they develop a black face. That normally happens about 4-5 years old. Females will always have a tan/orangish chin. Males will get almost totally black faces. It looks like yours is starting to darken and does not have a totally female look at this point.

How old is this turtle? Looks to be 3-4??
To be honest, I got "her" at an expo around two years ago from a breeder that lives in Seguin, Texas. But the guy who sold her to me was relatively new and told me that he was a she. He kept all of his animals outdoors as am I. So your guess on my spotted being around that age group sounds about right.

And thanks for verifying my suspicions on the gender differences in spotted turtles. And from other comments, many agree with my "girl" most likely being a boy despite the young age. I've always questioned it for a good year now, and now I have confirmation from people who know this better than I. I've said it once and I'll say it again, it's always good to learn new things. It may also explain why my animal is always wandering his enclosure so much after his hibernation. He (if true) may be looking for a mate. That's what my male Russian tort did until I finally gave him a harem and just like that...he stopped constantly wandering his pen. Of course, there may have been other factors at play, but either way.

In any case, I am in search of animals to make a small breeding group. I am gonna try my luck at the expo in Houston next month (I'm from San Antonio). Unless, of course, there are breeders or sites that I can obtain more spotteds (legally, of course).
 
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