Hi there, I am new to the forum and new to turtle owning. 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. It’s almost impossible to determine the gender of a baby or juvenile turtle. But if you are a turtle lover then it’s obvious that you want to know how to determine painted turtle gender. One of the more common ways to sex your turtle is to look at the tail. but i still cant be sure. But if they are fully grown then it is very easy to find out their gender. The cloaca (passageway into which the intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts open) of a male Painted Turtle is close to the tip of the tail, whereas the female’s cloaca is near the base of the tail. Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. As a turtle lover, I have depicted the difference in an easier way that would help you to determine the gender of a painted turtle. While it’s true that size and age are correlated, the size of a turtle is influenced greatly by the quantity of food tha… In most species, gender is determined during fertilization. On the contrary, the female painted turtles have short tails. The second reason is that painted turtles tend to eat slightly more protein than red-eared sliders. 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). Outside of physical appearances, male and female painted turtles offer gender information in how they act. The tails of males are longer and wider at the base than those of females. 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. So, the painted turtles requiring cool temperature tend to be grown as males. Tell painted turtles apart from other species by looking for the markings. Checking a Water Turtles Gender. But how do you know the sex of a Painted Turtle at any other time of year? Shape The World. Just make sure that you look very closely at the tip of their tail, a lot of shops keep small turtles in tight crowded spaces where they can occasionally nip each others tails by mistake. That means most eggs in a nest hatch as the same gender. An adult female turtle has a slightly longer shell than an adult male has. However, the sex of most turtles, alligators, and crocodiles is determined after fertilization. However, unlike many mammals, turtles have no external genitalia. Article by wikiHow. Painted turtles are not male or female by genetics. source: Kilburn, 2010. This makes determining their sex much more difficult, but it's not impossible. They should be open, clean, clear and free of discharge or crusted material. Both species are similar in size and carapace colouration. The bottom shells of painted turtles are also different in the sexes. One of the things turtles are well-known for is their long lifespans. Put it in a shallow bowl of water and see if it will walk around, relaxing the tail. Answer Save. painted turtles are seen depositing their eggs. Its belly was con- caved so i thought it was a male but now looking at it, It's belly is flat so i dont know anymore. Last but not least the female painted turtles are seen depositing their eggs. It's hard to determine the gender of a baby painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Sep 9, 2015 - If you keep pet turtles, it's nice to know if you've got boys or girls. Anonymous. 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. If your turtle has already reached maturity then it should be really easy to find out. The methods below are all just tools to help you in estimating your turltes age if you dont know their hatch date. Typical plastron lengths for mature males are between a little less than 3 inches and a little less than 4 inches. A handful of key physical differences exist between the sexes of these diurnal reptiles. In most species, gender is determined during fertilization. The male painted … Then gently examine the shape of the plastron. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. Looking at the claws of painted turtles can provide useful gender clues, too. But the color changes down the neck that is red. At the back of shall you will find a growth, which can be like a bud. 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. Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. 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. So, how do you identify what sub-species you have? I got a baby eastern painted turtle. Therefore to use this test you will also need to determine the gender of your turtle as well. 2 0. Although individuals of both sexes have tails streaked with... Claws. 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! You can see it by watching closely its shell from its back. Differences between male and female Western painted turtles are similar to those of red-eared sliders. Turtles are no different. And the ones reaching their full weight for that species are usually … Well, I have. If you keep pet turtles, it's nice to know if you've got boys or girls. Some researchers have seen up to 50 turtles on one log, stacked on top of each … I have a painted turtle as well and cannot distinguish whether mine is eastern or midland. I really believe that turtles will get more popular as a pet in the upcoming years. I’ve fallen in love with these cute pets from the moment I saw them. Male turtles when young requires cooler temperature and female painted turtles need relatively hot temperature. The plastron of a male painted turtle is curved inwards and the one for a female is flat. This is called temperature-dependent sex determination, or TSD. Note the horrible smell if you encounter a musk turtle. Using Tails to Determine Gender The most common way to determine gender in a turtle is to look at the length of its tail. Males utilize their impressive claws in breeding rituals. How to Tell If a Turtle Is Male or Female. It’s actually not that difficult. If the bottom shell is convex (protrudes out), it's probably a female. Understanding painted turtle's mature sizes can be helpful for determining gender. These interesting creatures are often beloved … © 2021 WILD SKY MEDIA. But in case of their tails, the male painted turtles have larger and wider tails. Adult female painted turtles are bigger than the males, with typical plastron -- or bottom shell -- lengths of between roughly 4 and 5 inches. Neither male nor female painted turtles rear their young. (see photos) … Jul 25, 2018: Age of RES by: Shelly See the answer further down in the responses in this thread. The gender of a turtle does not affect the age 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. The tails of males are longer and wider at the base than those of females. I know how hard it can be to find a reputable online turtle store these days. Juvenile painted turtles are self-sufficient as soon as they hatch. The temperature of the developing eggs is what decides whether the offspring will be male or female. Painted turtles are some of the most widespread members of the turtle (Testudines) family in North America. Turtles have several distinguishing characteristics. Painted turtles are semi-aquatic pets, meaning they live both in the water and on land, explains Aquaworld Aquarium 3. However, the sex of most turtles, alligators, and crocodiles is determined after fertilization. Musk turtles, also known as stinkpots, have a very distinctive … 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 … Relevance. Females have much shorter claws than males. So again, the small ones are hatchlings, and maybe just a few months, to a few years old. It's hard to determine the gender of a baby painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). it also is a little big for a baby and i just want to know what gender it is cause i kind of thought it was a girl. Next is the Western painted turtle. Empower Her. So, this is how you can determine the gender of your painted turtle easily. This is another noticeable fact of determining painted turtles gender. On either side of the head, the eastern painted turtle has a yellow dot, and yellow striping is also found. Obviously, it's best to know when your turtle was hatched. 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 female eastern painted turtle measures about 6-8 inches, and the male can reach up to 4-6 inches. The visible characteristics do not form until the turtles mature to at least 4 to 6 inches long. 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. Click here to add your own comments. Want to learn about small pet turtles that stay small? I have been keeping turtles as a pet for many years now. The second method involves the … 3. Keep it slow and steady, Shelly. This isn’t 100% accurate as turtles that eat more grow quicker than turtles that eat less. How to Know the Gender of a Painted Turtle Size. 1) Look at the bottom of the turtle. I'm very interested to … How Can You Tell a Girl Alligator Snapping Turtle From a Boy? The next step in determining the gender of your red eared slider is looking at its tail. 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 … Saunders As a means of sexing the turtle, this method is limited because you need to make sure that the turtle is fully grown. Its tail is long but kinda skinny. Although individuals of both sexes have tails streaked with bright yellow, those of the males are markedly lengthier, despite their smaller overall sizes. They can be found in many pet stores around the country in various sizes and appearances. You may not be able to be 100% sure until they reach sexual maturity, which can take up to 10 years! (DO NOT FLIP IT OVER - This is very dangerous for the turtle.) Painted turtles will come out of the water to spend time in the sun, called basking. Range and Habitats It might be difficult to determine from the pictures I'll post but let … 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. Colder temperatures produce males, while warmer temps ---usually above 84 degrees --- produce females. If a painted turtle is male, it has a slightly larger tail and a doodle. They have more than 30 turtle species with a 7 Day Health Guarantee! Taking care of a baby turtle is a thrilling and exciting experience. 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. You can tell the age of your turtle by looking at the layers on the turtles scute. Water turtles are dimorphic which is why the females will be significantly larger than the males. They also have thin yellow and red lines on their skin, separated by thicker black areas. If you have any more question, do not hesitate to ask in the comment box below. Though the young painted turtles are not seen being reared up by their parents. On males, cloacal openings typically extend past the end of the carapace while in females, they're closer to the base of the tail. 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. And the plastron is yellow, not red. His question was, what are the odds of reproduction if he just randomly gets another one (its 50-50, i know that one!) It is very important that people know how to take care of them properly. 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). However, unlike many mammals, turtles have no external genitalia. On males, cloacal openings typically extend past the end of the carapace while in females, they're closer to the base of the tail. This is the most reliable answer to your question. A friend of mine has a little pet turtle, and wants to get another one. So to be able to find out you will have to wait for the turtle to reach maturity. The cloaca is found to be much away from the body particularly much lower from its tail in a male painted turtle. Adult female painted turtles are bigger than the males, with typical plastron -- or bottom shell -- lengths of between roughly 4 and 5 inches. The cloacal opening of the female C. p. marginata on the right is much closer to the base of the tail. 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. Yet you can identify the female painted turtles by their reproductive act. 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. Usually, Westerns have really dark-green or olive-colored shells. If the plastron is concave that is curved inward then it’s surely a male one. But measuring the straight carapace length can give you a rough estimate on whether your turtle … In some turtle species, the fingernails/claws or overall size can be an indicator of gender. 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. The visible characteristics do not form until the turtles mature to at least 4 to 6 inches long. 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 cloacal opening on the male is away from the body and further down the tail; it is close to the body on a female. Tails. After they put their eggs in depressions in the dirt, they promptly conceal them and depart the scene. [1] X Research source Reptile Medicine and Surgery. The shell of the female aged turtles is relatively bigger than that of the males. 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. Despite their extremely wide distribution, there are just four different subspecies. The Eastern Painted Turtle has a large yellow dot on either side of the head and yellow striping that changes to red down the neck. I have been keeping turtles as a pet for many years now. Differences between male and female Western painted turtles are similar to those of red-eared sliders. Both can even thrive in the same tank. Have you ever caught your turtle walking or moving inside the enclosure while the lights are off? Difference Between Male & Female Florida Softshell Turtles, How to Tell the Gender of Baby Sulcata Tortoises, How to Identify Male & Female Western Pond Turtles, How to Tell the Difference Between Male & Female Chinese Geese, How to Tell a Boy Red-Eared Turtle From a Girl, The Mating Season and Reproduction of the Snapping Turtle, How to Tell the Difference From a Male or Female Snowy Egret. How To Tell A Turtle’s Age. Females deposit their eggs shortly after the season commences, using smooth dirt that can receive ample sunlight. Here is how you can tell a Western painted turtle. Males' plastrons have concave or hollowed appearances, while the females do not. Now, I’ve got to warn you! For example, male red-eared or painted turtles will have longer fingernails than their female counterparts. The temperature of the developing eggs is what decides whether the offspring will be male or female. This is because they use them to touch the face of the female to gauge their openness to mating. Tail Length. Lv 7. Instead, their gender is determined by outside temperature while they are in their eggs. 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. 4. What Does the Silver Dollar Turtle Look Like? The legs also have red striping, and the carapace has bright-red crescent shapes along the marginal scutes. Box turtles are a very … Compare your turtle to the size chart. Gender: Female; Location: North Florida; Report post; Posted July 12, 2013. So look carefully because you could mix up a male turtle with a female because the tail was nipped. That is male turtle while female turtle has no extension at its back. Painted turtles like the sun. Western Painted Turtle Facts. Female painted turtles become sexually mature between the ages of 6 and 10 years old, while males become mature earlier, when they're between 3 and 5 years. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Claws. On the other hand, if the plastron is flat enough then it is a female painted turtle. You can easily tell … Before buying … Keep it slow and steady. telling the sexes apart is the long slen-der claws on the front feet of the male. Look at your turtle’s shell. The painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is the most widespread native turtle of North America. That means most eggs in a nest hatch as the same gender. Painted turtles like the sun. Source(s): Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, with Marlin Perkins. The Blanding's Turtle is much bigger than a painted turtle and box turtle and not quite as big as a smallish snapping turtle. As the size of the male turtles is small you need to make sure that they are fully matured. How to tell the gender on a painted turtle? Male and female painted turtles don't look 100 percent the same, though. Most stores fail to keep their deadline, also the collection is LAME. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Meaning, you’d just need a 70-gallon tank. If you check out a painted turtle's front feet and notice that his claws seem especially long, he's a boy. Telling the age of a turtle can actually be very difficult. 7 Answers. Note that this increased size can give a false impression of the turtle’s age. 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. Not just once, but my pet turtles seem to move inside the aquarium when it is dark. 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. These eggs are deposited using smooth dirt and are able to receive a good amount of sunlight. We need to see the tail. As Painted turtles mature the differences become apparent. 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. 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. Painted turtles' tails can help indicate gender. The male turtles have long claws and the females have short. Choosing the best turtle depends on the buyer’s preferences. The turtle’s shell, or carapace, differs slightly between male and female. Turtles bred in captivity tend to grow faster than their wild counterparts. Red-eared sliders are another common species, but they have red streaks behind their eyes. Male painted turtles have long tails that are wide at the base; female painted turtles have thin, short tails. These interesting creatures are often beloved by children and younger adults and they are long lived. Male. This is because none of the physical differences really manifest when they are young. What you should understand is that turtles do require some effort in their maintenance, and they require enough space to swim. Annie and Jeff often sit on top of each other to bask, and this isn't unusual. You might either have to be patient or get your hands a little dirty! Painted turtles are common household pets found in families that adopt reptiles or have been given a small turtle as a pet. This is usually a very good way to tell if one of your turtles is a different gender from your other turtles. Turtles bred in captivity tend to grow faster than their wild counterparts. Typical plastron lengths for mature males are between a little less than 3 inches and a little less than 4 inches. Favourite answer. This helps rid them of parasitic leeches. Watch out for discharge or mucous around the nostrils which can be signs of a … The former owner didn't know if it's male or female. Also, the vent or the opening into the cloaca is farther out toward the tip of the tail in the males. The cloacal opening for male turtle is much away from the body but the opening is much closer for the female ones. The sleeping pattern of turtles is quite fascinating. They can be found in many pet stores around the country in various sizes and appearances. 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 Identifying Freshwater Turtles Identify box turtles by their big, domed shells. but we can increase the odds by knowing what gender they are. Most turtle species tend to sleep underwater. So, when I heard about TortoiseTown, I thought I stroke a Gold Mine! There is only one true way to tell a turtles age and that is to know it’s hatch date. I’ll get to you as soon as I can. 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. Swollen eyes or eyes that are continually held shut are signs of illness in red-eared sliders and other turtles. 1 decade ago . Watch how I made more than $800 last month from this site… My turtle keeping hobby! The midland painted turtle … Maders. Otherwise, there could be confusion. Except for the breeding experts, no one is actually bothered. The plastron is usually the covering of the underbelly of a turtle. Painted turtles' tails can help indicate gender. If it's concave (caves in), then it's … In this area, male turtles become sexually mature at about four years of age; females not until seven or eight years. Baby painted turtles, regardless of gender, look the same. … 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. You can tell the difference of a male and female water turtle thanks to some key features. I've looked around on ATP's page with pictures of painted turtles and yellow bellied turtles and I think he (or she) looks more like a yellow bellied turtle than a painted one, because there isn't a red stripe on him (or her). Reproductive behavior is a clear indication of a painted turtle’s gender. This is not the pet for you if you are looking for something … His/her shell is flat, its front claws are shorter then its back ones, and its "opening" is not right under the shell. Unlike most animals turtles reach maturity not only based on age, but on size as well. To... We all need sleep to function our brain and body perfectly. 1 decade ago. The female on the right has a smaller tail in terms of both length as well as width. Not only are their tails lengthier, they're also wider. The cloacal opening for male turtle is much away from the body but the opening is much closer for the female ones. How To Identify A Western Painted Turtle. As I said before, male painted turtles are smaller in size in comparison to that of females. Sexing a Painted Turtle. Muntaseer is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Tortoise Town, and few other sites. 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. I’ve fallen in love with these cute pets from the moment I saw them. Once you've found a … Check the eyes. This makes determining their sex much more difficult, but it's not impossible. Here also the male is smaller than the female turtle. The male painted turtles have long wider tail whereas the female painted turtles have thinner and shorter. Comments for How To Tell The Age Or Sex Of A 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. Can you tell the difference between the turtles? That’s why I am writing articles to share my turtle keeping knowledge with you. The male painted turtle are smaller in size compared to the females and has concave plastron where the plastron for females are flat. Eastern painted turtles have a distinct glossy black carapace (shell), often marked with red along the edge. Whereas the cloacal opening of a female painted turtle is much closer to its body. This is because baby turtles of 4 inches or less present a high risk of contracting Salmonella. how do you tell if a painted turtle is a boy or girl? Male turtles have concave shells because it helps them mount the top of the female’s curved shell for breeding. Male painted turtles require cool environment than that of the female. Although it’s usually closer to 5-7 years, and captive males may mature in as few as four years. 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 females tend to grow larger than the males because they are the ones who will carry their offspring. This site is owned and operated by Muntaseer Rahman. Males also have longer and thicker tails. Another way you can differentiate the male from the female is males often have a longer and a wider tail. These lovable pets are easy to maintain and are relatively inexpensive compared to their adult counterparts. Starting from spring till the end of the summer, the female painted turtles are seen depositing their eggs. However, it may be difficult to determine the age of the turtle in … Baby painted turtles, regardless of gender, look the same. The Western Painted Turtle co-occurs with the introduced Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) in many areas of its range and may be confused with this species. Painted turtles are common household pets found in families that adopt reptiles or have been given a small turtle as a pet. Burmese Pythons: How Can You Tell Male From Female? There may be times when common people like you and me don’t bother the gender of a turtle in a tank. Painted Turtles as Pets What Fluttering Claws Mean in Red-Eared Sliders Red-Eared Slider: Species Profile Pet Aquatic Turtles and Outdoor Ponds How to Set up a Tank for Your Red-Eared Slider Turtle How to Tell the Gender of a Turtle What Do Red Eared Slider Turtles Eat? Although when i first got it. Jul … This site does not constitute pet medical advice, please consult a licensed veterinarian in your area for pet medical advice. On the same note, the FDA still maintains that purchasing a turtle of 4-inches or smaller is illegal. You can base some age estimates on the size of the turtle. How to Know the Gender of a Painted Turtle. Be Her Village. Is very small key physical differences really manifest when they are be much away from the body but color. The buyer ’ s almost impossible to determine gender the most widespread native turtle of or... 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