Just another pretty face?

[GeoTerraTestudo]

When we talk about sexing tortoises, the most reliable way is by looking at the vent area (the cloaca, tail, and anal scutes). However, I have noticed in my steppe tortoises that the male has a wider face than the female. This difference could be due to age or individual variation. However, the other day I looked at another set of steppe tortoises at a pet store, and it seemed like those males also had broader faces than the females. Has anybody else noticed this? Do you think face width is greater in male steppe tortoises than in females? If so, might that apply to other species of tortoise as well?

 

[bikerchicspain]

Good point, very interesting.
I can't say I have ever noticed but that's because I've never looked at them in that way before.
With most animals this is the norm, the male has a larger head than the female, actually in most reptiles this applies.
Tomorrow I will look at mine and see if I can see a difference.

 

[dmmj]

Maybe we could start a thread of russians faces and see if there is something going on here.

 

[bikerchicspain]

Maybe we could start a thread of russians faces and see if there is something going on here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mikhail_Gorbachev_-_May_2010.jpg.

As you can see the males head is much larger than the female

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Хоркина,_Светлана.jpg

 

[wrmitchell22]

Maybe we could start a thread of russians faces and see if there is something going on here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mikhail_Gorbachev_-_May_2010.jpg.

As you can see the males head is much larger than the female

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Хоркина,_Светлана.jpg

LMAO, not that kind of russian, hehe!

 

[bikerchicspain]

Oops sorry silly me, I just had to do it

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Maybe we could start a thread of russians faces and see if there is something going on here.

Great idea. I'll start.

Here's our female:


And here's our male:


Both of them are about 4 inches SCL. Don't you agree that the male's jaw seems wider?

 

[Yvonne G]

You know, I never really paid attention to actual head statistics, however, I've always thought, "Hm, that sulcata's face looks feminine...(or masculine as the case may be)." So I guess, subconsciously I have noticed a subtle difference.

Our forum members are really quite observant. Good catch and good thread.