Maybe old enough to be sexed?

Reserchbeforecommitment

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Hello everyone,
My sulcata will be 5 years old in September of this year. Incubated to be female, I think female, but wanted to ask you guys,
 

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Markw84

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How big is (she)? Definitely looks female, but with sulcatas, my personal experience tells me to not count on it until they are 16" and 16 LBS. THEN I feel confident call it female. A male can certainly "show himself" before then, but otherwise I am always cautious until then.
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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What happened to good old rulers or scales??

OK. Unless you are like my daughter-in-law, who is a very short woman, we will call her female. If you're above 5-2, I will assume that tortoise is 16"!
Haha! Thank you so so much I am 5,4" and I couldn't find a measuring tape anywhere! As always I very much apriciate your expertise and advice. :)
 

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The secondary sexual charaterisctics (gular scute, anal scutes, plastron concavity, etc…) have not begun to manifest in this tortoise yet. Because of this, I'm reluctant to make a definitive call, but due to the smallish tail, I'm guessing female at this point.

But I would not be surprised if those anal scutes flared out and that tail grows a bunch in another year or two.
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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Thank you guys,
The secondary sexual charaterisctics (gular scute, anal scutes, plastron concavity, etc…) have not begun to manifest in this tortoise yet. Because of this, I'm reluctant to make a definitive call, but due to the smallish tail, I'm guessing female at this point.
But I would not be surprised if those anal scutes flared out and that tail grows a bunch in another year or two.[/QUOTE

Perhaps I can check back in a few more years Thank you
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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Hi everyone, hope you and your many animals are all happy and healthy. I have a question, my almost 5 year old 28lb sulcata appears to be active, eating well and healthy in most all respects, she/he is however very very aggressive?
We currently live in kentucky and she has a huge grass/weed enclosure with hibiscus, mulberry and grapevine, and some cactus in pots. She has a large mud puddle as well as a small pond, and uses both daily. I have a large vegetable garden nearby and from time to time toss in a handful of vegetable trimmings and watermelon rind. She has a large dug out and then loose dirt filled hide which she has partially burrowed into and she spends all night and about a third of the day inside of. Since this is where she lives 24/7 I hardly have to mess with her at all other than to clean and observe. Whenever I step into the enclosure she approaches me immediately and enthusiastically, then about 3 feet from where I'm standing she takes off running and rams into my feet and legs! she is very strong and will hurt you if you stand your ground. Is this normal. I work with horses so I understand big rambunctious young animals - is this all it is? Teenage tantrum? I'm concerned that me being near her causes her distress or anxiety or makes her feel threatened which I don't want to do. Thanks in advance everyone.
 

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The secondary sexual charaterisctics (gular scute, anal scutes, plastron concavity, etc…) have not begun to manifest in this tortoise yet. Because of this, I'm reluctant to make a definitive call, but due to the smallish tail, I'm guessing female at this point.

But I would not be surprised if those anal scutes flared out and that tail grows a bunch in another year or two.
I agree. I actually was thinking I saw the beginnings of a concave plastron.
 

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Hi everyone, hope you and your many animals are all happy and healthy. I have a question, my almost 5 year old 28lb sulcata appears to be active, eating well and healthy in most all respects, she/he is however very very aggressive?
We currently live in kentucky and she has a huge grass/weed enclosure with hibiscus, mulberry and grapevine, and some cactus in pots. She has a large mud puddle as well as a small pond, and uses both daily. I have a large vegetable garden nearby and from time to time toss in a handful of vegetable trimmings and watermelon rind. She has a large dug out and then loose dirt filled hide which she has partially burrowed into and she spends all night and about a third of the day inside of. Since this is where she lives 24/7 I hardly have to mess with her at all other than to clean and observe. Whenever I step into the enclosure she approaches me immediately and enthusiastically, then about 3 feet from where I'm standing she takes off running and rams into my feet and legs! she is very strong and will hurt you if you stand your ground. Is this normal. I work with horses so I understand big rambunctious young animals - is this all it is? Teenage tantrum? I'm concerned that me being near her causes her distress or anxiety or makes her feel threatened which I don't want to do. Thanks in advance everyone.
Sounds like defending her territory, i'm afraid.
She sees you as an invader.
Perhaps if you bring plenty of nice treats and try to hand feed her, she will come to be a bit more gentle with you ?
 

Maro2Bear

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Hi everyone, hope you and your many animals are all happy and healthy. I have a question, my almost 5 year old 28lb sulcata appears to be active, eating well and healthy in most all respects, she/he is however very very aggressive?
We currently live in kentucky and she has a huge grass/weed enclosure with hibiscus, mulberry and grapevine, and some cactus in pots. She has a large mud puddle as well as a small pond, and uses both daily. I have a large vegetable garden nearby and from time to time toss in a handful of vegetable trimmings and watermelon rind. She has a large dug out and then loose dirt filled hide which she has partially burrowed into and she spends all night and about a third of the day inside of. Since this is where she lives 24/7 I hardly have to mess with her at all other than to clean and observe. Whenever I step into the enclosure she approaches me immediately and enthusiastically, then about 3 feet from where I'm standing she takes off running and rams into my feet and legs! she is very strong and will hurt you if you stand your ground. Is this normal. I work with horses so I understand big rambunctious young animals - is this all it is? Teenage tantrum? I'm concerned that me being near her causes her distress or anxiety or makes her feel threatened which I don't want to do. Thanks in advance everyone.


Hey Research. You might want to start a brand new Thread on this topic under Sulcatas. The original poster is looking for guesses on the sex of his tort, and many won't see your "aggressive" tort question.
 

Tom

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Hi everyone, hope you and your many animals are all happy and healthy. I have a question, my almost 5 year old 28lb sulcata appears to be active, eating well and healthy in most all respects, she/he is however very very aggressive?
We currently live in kentucky and she has a huge grass/weed enclosure with hibiscus, mulberry and grapevine, and some cactus in pots. She has a large mud puddle as well as a small pond, and uses both daily. I have a large vegetable garden nearby and from time to time toss in a handful of vegetable trimmings and watermelon rind. She has a large dug out and then loose dirt filled hide which she has partially burrowed into and she spends all night and about a third of the day inside of. Since this is where she lives 24/7 I hardly have to mess with her at all other than to clean and observe. Whenever I step into the enclosure she approaches me immediately and enthusiastically, then about 3 feet from where I'm standing she takes off running and rams into my feet and legs! she is very strong and will hurt you if you stand your ground. Is this normal. I work with horses so I understand big rambunctious young animals - is this all it is? Teenage tantrum? I'm concerned that me being near her causes her distress or anxiety or makes her feel threatened which I don't want to do. Thanks in advance everyone.

This is very rare in any sulcata, but exceptionally, rare in a female. You must have done something very wrong to make your tortoise behave this way…

HA! Kidding! I've seen this behavior in some male Testudo. I call these ferocious little beasts "super-males". My male SA leopards do this too. Vicious they are. Very territorial and combative.

I've never seen a female of any species do this. Can you post a pic of your tortoise's tail and anal scutes?
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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Tom! I could feel my heart sinking with that first line you wrote!!! Haha ok, I think there may be a little more concavity to his/her plastron in the last few months. Here are some pictures from today.

IMG_1140.JPG IMG_1141.JPG IMG_1142.JPG IMG_1144.JPG IMG_1146.JPG IMG_1147.JPG
 

Yvonne G

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Hey Research. You might want to start a brand new Thread on this topic under Sulcatas. The original poster is looking for guesses on the sex of his tort, and many won't see your "aggressive" tort question.

This is research's thread. In my opinion, it's ok for the ramming question to be here.

I had a female here a long time ago that would ram anyone who stepped into her yard. She was telling us it was not ok for us to be there and to get out. The suggestion above to always give her a treat when you enter her yard was a good one. Maybe you can change her behaviour that way.

(and, far as I'm concerned, she still looks female)
 

Tom

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As is the case with many young sulcatas, the tail looks female-ish, and the anal scutes are firmly set in the juvenile position. The anal scutes are showing no indication of which way they are going to go at this point, so I'm reluctant to guess. I couldn't tell the sex for sure on some of my recently raised sulcata until they were 4-5 years old. A couple that I though were going to be female, ended up being male.

Time will tell...
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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Thank so much everyone. I do occasionally hand feed her, but I have to dodge her like a matador a few times before she sights in on the food and stops ramming me and approaches the food nose first. However if I move my hand at all she immediately hunches up and rushes me shell first. It actually makes me laugh most times she's so sassy! I hope it means she likes her home well enough to want to defend it! Perhaps I will try sweetening her up with some more hand delivered bunches of dandelions
 

Markw84

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I don't think I have seen a sulcata at this size show no signs of sexual characteristics. Is that an adult foot next to "her"? If so, she has got be about 16" now. I have NEVER seen a male at 16" that did not have gulars extending, anals flaring, and a longer tail obvious by then. Since "she" has no male characteristics at this size and her tail is SOOOO female, I would give a very high chance she is a she. Her gular is also very female for this size. The slight concavity you show is normal for even females. The outer side of the anals may be just starting to curve inward. Can you put a ruler down next to her? If 16", I'm definitely saying female.

I also have had a female that would ram intruders, More so when she was getting close to egg laying time, but she would ram. Once of the best sulcata for good high viability eggs I have had. I have another smaller male (14") that absolutely will chase my dog any time the dog enters the tortoise area. He will rush after the dog for up to a half hour without stopping if we are out there that long. My dog loves it and thinks the tortoise is playing. The dog will crouch down a few feet in front until the tortoise gets within inches then just away to repeat.
 

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Your sully must be a really late bloomer! At 5 yrs old and 28lbs... with still no secondary sex characteristics... and with territorial aggression behaviors.... if torts are anything like humans.... I wouldn't be surprised if this gorgeous sully turned out to be a boy after all...:) this is just me theorizing since I have never raised a sulcata. Yours is a very beautiful animal though, whatever sex he/she turns out to be
 

Reserchbeforecommitment

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I love this site! Thanks all, she is just about 16", she was hatched about November 2012. Despite her feelings for me, I adore her.
 

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