When sexing a russian...

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tortoise_addict

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Do you go by the tail or shell?
I just got another full grown russian in and he is a positive male (suppose to be a female) but there is no mistaking. He has a very long tail and his shell is sunk in underneath.
When I look at my other male who has a medium tail his belly of his shell is rounded out like my females??
What do you go by?
Thanks

Here are some pictures to help. We had established that tinkerbell is a female and peter pan was male. Now that I have this older male there are definite differences mainly in the underside of the shell.
Here is Mater the new guy who was suppose to be a girl but I am 100% on him that its a male.
2-2-09tortoises004.jpg

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Here is pan who does not have the sunken in shell under his belly like the male above. He also has a different shape to his shell around the back legs. It kinda flares up and does not curve rounded like the other two.
2-2-09tortoises009.jpg

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Here is where you can see his shell curves up instead of down??
2-2-09tortoises011.jpg


Here is Tink (my original russian I have owned the longest)
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The three of them from left to right
Mater, Tink, Pan
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Pan, Tink, Mater
2-2-09tortoises023.jpg

Mater, Tink, Pan
2-2-09tortoises021.jpg


Sorry for all the pics. I am just trying to figure out if I have a trio or 2 boys or ???
 

tortoisenerd

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CAUTION: Don't take my answer seriously...I'm just wondering if I'll be correct when one of the experts come along, lol. I guess Tink is the only girl and Mater and Pan are boys.

Great pictures by the way!
 

tortoise_addict

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tortoisenerd said:
CAUTION: Don't take my answer seriously...I'm just wondering if I'll be correct when one of the experts come along, lol. I guess Tink is the only girl and Mater and Pan are boys.

Great pictures by the way!

Thanks!
It seems I will never get another female. This will be the 4th supposed female I have got shipped.lol The other three I found a tortoise sanctuary for. This amazing guy was free though!! Very glad to have him even though he is a boy.
He is a keeper regardless. I still will look for another female but I am giving up for now.
1 female out of 6 torts total is horrible odds.
They sure are cute though.
Here are a couple more shots, sorry I had to post them.
Tink and Pan taking a nap in the Bermuda grass hut.
2-2-09dragonstorts094.jpg


Mater hogging the salad
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Tink always the messy eater. She wears most of her food. She loves her Mazuri tort pellets
2-2-09dragonstorts080.jpg
 

tortoisenerd

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Hehe that's cute to see a bigger tort eat Mazuri. When I feed my hatchling it, I have to moisten, microwave, and then seperate little chunks out or else he'll try to take more of a bite than he can handle. He also eats about half a pellet at a time!
 

egyptiandan

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Yup Pan is a male :D a young male though. His tail will suprise you one of these days. :p
Your new male looks great :)

Danny
 

tortoise_addict

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Thanks everyone!
These guys are so addicting and I figured I would get another male. I will wait for the reptile show to get another russian. I will make sure its a female this time instead of trusting someone.:rolleyes:
He is a handsome boy but a very picky eater and does nothing but trying to get out of his tort table. He was kept in a glass tank so I figured a table he would love but wrong. This guy is not going to relax till he is outside.
 

dmmj

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Just a wor dof warning dotn get to many males, they start to fight sometimes. I jave 2 def males right no and maybe female, no fight so far but I think it is paartly because I have so many hides for them and they live in a big enclosure so they are not crowded, just MHO, no actual facts to back it up :)
 

Yvonne G

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dmmj said:
Just a wor dof warning dotn get to many males, they start to fight sometimes. I jave 2 def males right no and maybe female, no fight so far but I think it is paartly because I have so many hides for them and they live in a big enclosure so they are not crowded, just MHO, no actual facts to back it up :)

You are absolutely correct, Dmmj: Russian tortoises can be brutal. They are the most aggressive fighters I've come across. Even the large sulcatas that I've seen fighting don't cause as much damage as the little Russian males can.

Yvonne
 

tortoise_addict

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I actually do not want males but that is what I keep getting. I have given the other two males a while back to a tort sanctuary but my two posted here. There is two boys and one girl. I will be getting another female if I can visually pick one out. I am done trying to buy online.lol This was not intentional to have two boys. They are not kept together so they do fine. I only ever wanted one boy but I now have 2:) I just love this new guy.
Thanks for the advice.
 
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