When we talk about sexing tortoises, the most reliable way is by looking at the vent area (the cloaca, tail, and anal scutes). However, I have noticed in my steppe tortoises that the male has a wider face than the female. This difference could be due to age or individual variation. However, the other day I looked at another set of steppe tortoises at a pet store, and it seemed like those males also had broader faces than the females. Has anybody else noticed this? Do you think face width is greater in male steppe tortoises than in females? If so, might that apply to other species of tortoise as well?