# Female?



## tortoisenana (Jun 14, 2020)

This is my 4.5-year-old, 23lb sulcata Tortoise, Sargent. I think Sarg is Female. What do y'all think?


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## Ink (Jun 14, 2020)

I think male, but wait for an expert because I am not


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## zovick (Jun 14, 2020)

tortoisenana said:


> This is my 4.5-year-old, 23lb sulcata Tortoise, Sargent. I think Sarg is Female. What do y'all think?


Looks female to me, going by anal scutes' shape and tail size.


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## tortoisenana (Jun 17, 2020)

Thank you both. I guess I'll just wait and see. lol


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## NorCal tortoise guy (Jun 17, 2020)

I vote male based on tail. Female tails I’ve seen don’t tuck to the side like that


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## tortoisenana (Jun 17, 2020)

That's 2 male, 1 female. It would be great if it was just stamped on their belly.


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## Markw84 (Jun 17, 2020)

That tortoise is a male. If you hold the tortoise head up against your chest and let someone take a picture you will normally get a much better shot of the tail. On their back and especially touching the tail, they will pull it in defensively making it look smaller. The "V" shape anals will start to thicken and point more outward as it matures. The gular scutes should already be elongating, but you don't show that in any of the pictures. It does look like its starting to get the concavity to the plastron, but that will accelerate and get much more pronounced it there is access to a female and repetitive mounting.


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## russian/sulcata/tortoise (Jun 17, 2020)

Male for sure.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 17, 2020)

Male.

Another indicator is the direction the tips of the anal scutes point - straight back or in = female, outward = male


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## Tom (Jun 17, 2020)

That is 100% a male. Here is what a female's tail looks like for comparison:



See that tiny nub just past the cloacal opening? Its less than half an inch.

Here is a male's tail:


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## tortoisenana (Jun 19, 2020)

Thank you all. I thought he was a female but hoped he was male. woohoo.


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