In most species, gender is determined during fertilization. And the ones reaching their full weight for that species are usually … To... We all need sleep to function our brain and body perfectly. If you see a Painted Turtle on land at this time of year, chances are great that it’s a female on her way to or from laying her eggs. It’s actually not that difficult. So, how do you identify what sub-species you have? That means most eggs in a nest hatch as the same gender. Painted turtles are semi-aquatic pets, meaning they live both in the water and on land, explains Aquaworld Aquarium 3. One of the things turtles are well-known for is their long lifespans. They should be open, clean, clear and free of discharge or crusted material. Typical plastron lengths for mature males are between a little less than 3 inches and a little less than 4 inches. I have been keeping turtles as a pet for many years now. If a painted turtle is male, it has a slightly larger tail and a doodle. Not only are their tails lengthier, they're also wider. Not only do adult sizes differ, so do the actual developmental speeds. Now, I’ve got to warn you! Before going into more detail about each of them I want to tell you that all of the mentioned characteristics will become noticeable as the turtle ages. How to Tell If a Turtle Is Male or Female. On males, cloacal openings typically extend past the end of the carapace while in females, they're closer to the base of the tail. As Painted turtles mature the differences become apparent. This is another noticeable fact of determining painted turtles gender. If the turtle’s cloaca, the orifice in which its sex organs are located and through which it excretes waste, is located halfway between the turtle’s body and the tip of its … Watch how I made more than $800 last month from this site… My turtle keeping hobby! Shape The World. The cloacal opening of the male Painted turtle on the left (same C. p. picta / C. p. marginata intergrade as above) is lower on the tail, past the end of the carapace. how do you tell if a painted turtle is a boy or girl? In a nutshell… The male painted turtles have long wider tail whereas the female painted turtles have thinner and shorter. The shell of the female aged turtles is relatively bigger than that of the males. How do they reproduce?S tudies at Kikomun Creek Provincial Park have shed considerable light on Painted Turtle reproduction near the northern edge of this species’ range. Looking at the pictures below of C. picta marginata / C. picta picta intergrade specimens, the animal on the left has a longer tail which is wider at its base. To tell the kind of turtle you have, you have to examine the turtle's shell shape and pattern, as well as the turtle's feeding habits. The second reason is that painted turtles tend to eat slightly more protein than red-eared sliders. I googled western painted turtles and that's what yours looks like when you look at the bottom shell but when i googled midland the top shell resembles the midland turtle. This makes determining their sex much more difficult, but it's not impossible. Musk turtles, also known as stinkpots, have a very distinctive … After they put their eggs in depressions in the dirt, they promptly conceal them and depart the scene. Red-eared sliders are another common species, but they have red streaks behind their eyes. Male turtles have the cloaca located farther away from the body, about half the distance from the shell to the tip of the tail. The second method involves the … The male painted turtle are smaller in size compared to the females and has concave plastron where the plastron for females are flat. Comments for How To Tell The Age Or Sex Of A Turtle. On the contrary, the female painted turtles have short tails. I got a baby painted turtle about a year ago, when he/she was the size of a half dollar coin and he/she has gotten more then half that size. One of the more common ways to sex your turtle is to look at the tail. I really believe that turtles will get more popular as a pet in the upcoming years. However, unlike many mammals, turtles have no external genitalia. So you may or may not be able to tell the sex of your turtle or tortoise easily. Male painted turtles have long tails that are wide at the base; female painted turtles have thin, short tails. We need to see the tail. Usually, Westerns have really dark-green or olive-colored shells. Knick Knox. Keep it slow and steady, Shelly. For instance, a southern painted turtle usually doesn't get bigger than 6 inches (15 cm), while a large western painted turtle may grow to 8 inches (20 cm). So, when I heard about TortoiseTown, I thought I stroke a Gold Mine! If you are considering a baby painted turtle as a pet, remember that it will grow to as long as 10 inches, and you need to provide your turtle with a home with ample room to accommodate it as it gets bigger. Although individuals of both sexes have tails streaked with... Claws. In order to identify what sub-species of painted turtle you are looking at, I would suggest first remembering what sub-species live where, then judge by their appearance … In some turtle species, the fingernails/claws or overall size can be an indicator of gender. Differences between male and female Western painted turtles are similar to those of red-eared sliders. But how do you know the sex of a Painted Turtle at any other time of year? Watch it carefully or use a torch if extension is very small. Hi there, I am new to the forum and new to turtle owning. As the size of the male turtles is small you need to make sure that they are fully matured. However, the sex of most turtles, alligators, and crocodiles is determined after fertilization. 1 decade ago . The plastron is usually the covering of the underbelly of a turtle. On males, cloacal openings typically extend past the end of the carapace while in females, they're closer to the base of the tail. The male painted turtles have long wider tail whereas the female painted turtles have thinner and shorter. Starting from spring till the end of the summer, the female painted turtles are seen depositing their eggs. telling the sexes apart is the long slen-der claws on the front feet of the male. Not just once, but my pet turtles seem to move inside the aquarium when it is dark. However, unlike many mammals, turtles have no external genitalia. Lv 7. The visible characteristics do not form until the turtles mature to at least 4 to 6 inches long. Their name comes from the brightly colored markings on their extremities, which range from yellow, to orange, to red. Whereas the cloacal opening of a female painted turtle is much closer to its body. The western painted turtle is a subspecies of the painted turtle, and as the name suggests the turtles are painted with bright colors of red, yellow and olive on their neck, head, tail, legs and lower shell.. Family: Emydidae Genus: Chrysemys Scientific name: Chrysemys picta belli Aquatic/Land: Aquatic Size: 10 – 25cm It’s almost impossible to determine the gender of a baby or juvenile turtle. The legs also have red striping, and the carapace has bright-red crescent shapes along the marginal scutes. If you have any more question, do not hesitate to ask in the comment box below. Another way you can differentiate the male from the female is males often have a longer and a wider tail. This site is owned and operated by Muntaseer Rahman. So look carefully because you could mix up a male turtle with a female because the tail was nipped. I'm very interested to … This is not the pet for you if you are looking for something … I’ll get to you as soon as I can. This difference is not without a purpose -- it helps in mating. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. Telling the age of a turtle can actually be very difficult. How do I tell what gender my turtle is? Its tail is long but kinda skinny. What you should understand is that turtles do require some effort in their maintenance, and they require enough space to swim. Here also the male is smaller than the female turtle. Most turtle species tend to sleep underwater. Jul … Male and female painted turtles don't look 100 percent the same, though. Gender: Female; Location: North Florida; Report post; Posted July 12, 2013. Watch out for discharge or mucous around the nostrils which can be signs of a … I have been keeping turtles as a pet for many years now. Male turtles when young requires cooler temperature and female painted turtles need relatively hot temperature. Turtles bred in captivity tend to grow faster than their wild counterparts. The cloacal opening for male turtle is much away from the body but the opening is much closer for the female ones. Differences between male and female Western painted turtles are similar to those of red-eared sliders. If your turtles are very small then let them grow a bit. The tails of males are longer and wider at the base than those of females. Male Eastern Painted Turtles can grow to 4–6 inches in length, while females can reach 6–8 inches. In this area, male turtles become sexually mature at about four years of age; females not until seven or eight years. You may not be able to be 100% sure until they reach sexual maturity, which can take up to 10 years! The temperature of the developing eggs is what decides whether the offspring will be male or female. But if you are a turtle lover then it’s obvious that you want to know how to determine painted turtle gender. That’s why I am writing articles to share my turtle keeping knowledge with you. The cloacal opening for male turtle is much away from the body but the opening is much closer for the female ones. His/her shell is flat, its front claws are shorter then its back ones, and its "opening" is not right under the shell. Painted turtles will come out of the water to spend time in the sun, called basking. Sep 9, 2015 - If you keep pet turtles, it's nice to know if you've got boys or girls. This makes determining their sex much more difficult, but it's not impossible. Can you tell the difference between the turtles? His question was, what are the odds of reproduction if he just randomly gets another one (its 50-50, i know that one!) But in case of their tails, the male painted turtles have larger and wider tails. Note the horrible smell if you encounter a musk turtle. The gender of a turtle does not affect the age of the turtle. Though it wasn’t easy determining as because they do not have any external genitals but here are some of the easiest ways to determine the gender of your turtle. Keep it slow and steady. How to Tell if a Turtle Is Male or Female: Whether you choose to breed your turtle or not, determining the gender of your pet can be difficult if you don't know what to look for! However, the sex of most turtles, alligators, and crocodiles is determined after fertilization. Anonymous. You can base some age estimates on the size of the turtle. Research into painted turtles, (the ones we see sunning themselves on logs around here) showed that a temperature increase of a little over 1 degree Celsius would produce all female hatchlings. Otherwise, there could be confusion. Although individuals of both sexes have tails streaked with bright yellow, those of the males are markedly lengthier, despite their smaller overall sizes. Adult female painted turtles are bigger than the males, with typical plastron -- or bottom shell -- lengths of between roughly 4 and 5 inches. 1 decade ago. On the same note, the FDA still maintains that purchasing a turtle of 4-inches or smaller is illegal. At the back of shall you will find a growth, which can be like a bud. Maders. I’ve had quite a few people ask me for help in identifying what particular sub-species of painted turtle they have, and so alas, I created this article as a kind of short-cut, quick answer guide. 4. Meaning, you’d just need a 70-gallon tank. The cloacal opening on the male is away from the body and further down the tail; it is close to the body on a female. Put it in a shallow bowl of water and see if it will walk around, relaxing the tail. Article by wikiHow. Male turtles have concave shells because it helps them mount the top of the female’s curved shell for breeding. These lovable pets are easy to maintain and are relatively inexpensive compared to their adult counterparts. The temperature of the developing eggs is what decides whether the offspring will be male or female. Unlike most animals turtles reach maturity not only based on age, but on size as well. If it's concave (caves in), then it's … This is because baby turtles of 4 inches or less present a high risk of contracting Salmonella. It's hard to determine the gender of a baby painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Well, I have. Painted turtles' tails can help indicate gender. This is because none of the physical differences really manifest when they are young. The male turtles have long claws and the females have short. That means most eggs in a nest hatch as the same gender. Painted turtles are not male or female by genetics. PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA | FAMILY & PARENTING, University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web: Chrysemys picta, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Chrysemys picta, Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Painted Turtle, Washington Natural Heritage Program: Chrysemys picta, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: Painted Turtle, How to Tell the Difference Between Boy & Girl Slider Turtles, How to Know the Difference Between a Female & Male Sea Turtle, Characteristics of the Male and Female American Alligator. Some people think that you can tell how old a turtle is by counting the rings on its shell the way you can with a tree, but that isn't true. The species reproduces starting at the end of the spring all the way into the beginning of the summer. Painted turtles' tails can help indicate gender. That’s why I’ve created this website to share my turtle keeping knowledge with you. I recently saved this turtle from being squished on the highway and was wondering if it is a painted turtle, and what sex it is. 7 Answers. Tails. If the bottom shell is convex (protrudes out), it's probably a female. Typical plastron lengths for mature males are between a little less than 3 inches and a little less than 4 inches. Turtles have several distinguishing characteristics. How to Know the Gender of a Painted Turtle. If the plastron is concave that is curved inward then it’s surely a male one. Painted turtles like the sun. 3  Female turtles have short and skinny tails while males sport long, thick tails, with their vent (cloaca) positioned closer to the end of the tail when compared to a female. The bottom shells of painted turtles are also different in the sexes. 826. For instance, a southern painted turtle usually doesn't get bigger than 6 inches (15 cm), while a large western painted turtle may grow to 8 inches (20 cm). If you check out a painted turtle's front feet and notice that his claws seem especially long, he's a boy. Note that this increased size can give a false impression of the turtle… Determining whether a painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) out in the wild or in someone's home as a pet is a male or a female isn't always an easy task. This isn’t 100% accurate as turtles that eat more grow quicker than turtles that eat less. But measuring the straight carapace length can give you a rough estimate on whether your turtle … Southern painted turtles, the smallest of the painted turtle sub-species, are on average 3.5 to 5″ big for males and 5.5 to 7″ big for females. I got a baby eastern painted turtle. This helps rid them of parasitic leeches. Baby painted turtles, regardless of gender, look the same. You might either have to be patient or get your hands a little dirty! The turtle’s shell, or carapace, differs slightly between male and female. Therefore to use this test you will also need to determine the gender of your turtle as well. Though the young painted turtles are not seen being reared up by their parents. Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. However, it may be difficult to determine the age of the turtle in … If you keep pet turtles, it's nice to know if you've got boys or girls. The former owner didn't know if it's male or female. Compare your turtle to the size chart. Tell painted turtles apart from other species by looking for the markings. Before going into depth, here is a table for you to have a quick look at the differences between a male and female painted turtle: There is a greater difference between the shell of a male and female painted turtle. Painted turtles are common household pets found in families that adopt reptiles or have been given a small turtle as a pet. The midland painted turtle … The visible characteristics do not form until the turtles mature to at least 4 to 6 inches long. Eastern painted turtles have a distinct glossy black carapace (shell), often marked with red along the edge. Painted turtles like the sun. These eggs are deposited using smooth dirt and are able to receive a good amount of sunlight. A handful of key physical differences exist between the sexes of these diurnal reptiles. Water turtles are dimorphic which is why the females will be significantly larger than the males. They can be found in many pet stores around the country in various sizes and appearances. The seams that divide each scute (piece of shell) line up perfectly from row to row in the eastern painted turtle and their underbellies are a uniform yellow color. That is male turtle while female turtle has no extension at its back. Females have much shorter claws than males. Both species are similar in size and carapace colouration. The Blanding's Turtle is much bigger than a painted turtle and box turtle and not quite as big as a smallish snapping turtle. Western Painted Turtle Facts. The turtle is the only species of the genus Chrysemys, which is part of the pond turtle family Emydidae.Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. Before buying … Red-Eared Slider Housing The Spruce Pets. How to tell the gender on a painted turtle? Be Her Village. Obviously, it's best to know when your turtle was hatched. Sexing a Painted Turtle. Males' plastrons have concave or hollowed appearances, while the females do not. Colder temperatures produce males, while warmer temps ---usually above 84 degrees --- produce females. Female painted turtles can reach about 22 cm in length and weighs about 500 grams whereas, male painted turtles can reach about 20 cm in length and can weigh about 300 grams. As I said before, male painted turtles are smaller in size in comparison to that of females. Some researchers have seen up to 50 turtles on one log, stacked on top of each … But if they are fully grown then it is very easy to find out their gender. Again, it's going to depend on the species and their age. It's hard to determine the gender of a baby painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). (see photos) … Like the Western Painted Turtle, male Sliders are smaller than females, and have long claws on the forefeet that are used during courtship (Bunnell 2005). The next step in determining the gender of your red eared slider is looking at its tail. How To Tell A Turtle’s Age. Male painted turtles require cool environment than that of the female. Tail Length. Favourite answer. Size of the turtle; Color of the turtle; Position of the cloaca; So those are the things that you will have to look at to determine if your red eared slider is male or female. They can be found in many pet stores around the country in various sizes and appearances. Turtles are no different. You can tell the age of your turtle by looking at the layers on the turtles scute. Range and Habitats Want to learn about small pet turtles that stay small? It might be difficult to determine from the pictures I'll post but let … It is very important that people know how to take care of them properly. This is usually a very good way to tell if one of your turtles is a different gender from your other turtles. It’s hard to tell the sex of very young box turtles, but once they get to be a few inches long (usually about 3 to 3.5 inches), you can start to see the differences between the sexes. You can tell the difference of a male and female water turtle thanks to some key features. But the color changes down the neck that is red. Jul 25, 2018: Age of RES by: Shelly See the answer further down in the responses in this thread. For example, male red-eared or painted turtles will have longer fingernails than their female counterparts. painted turtles are seen depositing their eggs. These affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to the specific sites.This site does not constitute pet medical advice, please consult a licensed veterinarian in your area for pet medical advice. The methods below are all just tools to help you in estimating your turltes age if you dont know their hatch date. While it’s true that size and age are correlated, the size of a turtle is influenced greatly by the quantity of food tha… I’ve fallen in love with these cute pets from the moment I saw them. These interesting creatures are often beloved by children and younger adults and they are long lived. Risk of contracting Salmonella the sexes tail whereas the female painted turtles by their parents the other,... 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They should be really easy to find out you will have longer and wider at the layers on the gender... Flat enough then it ’ s curved shell for breeding is usually the covering the. Be grown as males ever caught your turtle walking or moving inside enclosure. Between the sexes of these diurnal reptiles turtles need relatively hot temperature might either have to be grown males...