Educated guess please?! (male? female?)

[BoujeeAppa]

Hi everyone

My "girl" Boujee is 3 yrs old now and around 14" so I know it can still be wrong but could I please have your opinions on if "she" really is a she?! I think it looks like her plastron is starting to concave so would that indicate definitely male or can females still have some degree of this? Idk some parts look female to me but think they might just not have taken on male form yet. So looking at the pics do you think there's still a chance that Boujee is a girl? Any opinions would be great please!

 

[BoujeeAppa]

BTW Boujee was NOT impressed with us! 🤭

 

[Yvonne G]

female

 

[wellington]

Female

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone

My "girl" Boujee is 3 yrs old now and around 14" so I know it can still be wrong but could I please have your opinions on if "she" really is a she?! I think it looks like her plastron is starting to concave so would that indicate definitely male or can females still have some degree of this? Idk some parts look female to me but think they might just not have taken on male form yet. So looking at the pics do you think there's still a chance that Boujee is a girl? Any opinions would be great please!

The hormones that come with maturity have really not started to flow yet, but the tail is still small and the anal scutes are just starting to look a little female-ish to me. Its looking pretty female right now, but that could change when the hormones kick in over the next year or two.

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Thanks for the replies! So it's unanimous ATM that she looks female, I will have to see again in another year or so ☺️
Another thing I wanted to ask is how badly is she pyramiding? I've done the best I could but she wasn't started right and I know that can have an effect. Also that light patch on her shell is that just growth? Because it's so big there is it just due to a growth spurt or something to keep an eye on? She's gotten so big I can't quite believe how small she used to be (see profile pic!) I am disabled but I do struggle to lift her myself now! She's also got to the "bulldoze" stage now.... "I want to get to that place...so I will just forcefully shove my way there......or smash through whatever to get there!" 😆
They really are great aren't they?!

 

[Tom]

Thanks for the replies! So it's unanimous ATM that she looks female, I will have to see again in another year or so ☺️
Another thing I wanted to ask is how badly is she pyramiding? I've done the best I could but she wasn't started right and I know that can have an effect. Also that light patch on her shell is that just growth? Because it's so big there is it just due to a growth spurt or something to keep an eye on? She's gotten so big I can't quite believe how small she used to be (see profile pic!) I am disabled but I do struggle to lift her myself now! She's also got to the "bulldoze" stage now.... "I want to get to that place...so I will just forcefully shove my way there......or smash through whatever to get there!" 😆
They really are great aren't they?!

The pyramiding look minimal but the growth lines look very rough. I suspect that the light area and the rough growth lines are due to incorrect lighting from over head. Heat lamps and CHEs are great for little ones, but they are damaging and ineffective for larger tortoises. It looks like its time for you to change up your heating strategy. How are you housing this tortoise in your climate?

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Yes she has a che still ATM. We are getting an outdoor enclosure made that will be insulated and heated. Right now she trots about our house in the day and then at night we put her in a viv with the che. She also goes outside when it's warm enough which it definitely is ATM (sges been outside most of the day today). What is the best for her now that she's bigger? What's the best heating/lighting for her new outdoor house? I will do whatever is best for her.

 

[BoujeeAppa]

Do you think I've damaged her already tho by still using the che? Is there anything I can do other than changing her heating?