MOST RELIABLE SEXING METHOD? ARE THERE THREE WAYS?

[wellington]

I am asking because of what I saw on GMA (good morning America)today. Jack Hanna ( I know, kinda goofy, not the most informative) had a few animals on today. One was a sulcata. He said the way to tell the difference between male and female, was the indention in the bottom shell (plastron) of the male. I don't recall this ever being mentioned on hear that I can remember. I hear about the tail length and thickness and the tail area of the shell, whether its curved or V-shaped. I can't recall ever reading about the plastron being curved in, for assisting the male to fit the curve of the females shell. So my question is.
1- is this true? Does a curve/indention plastron mean male?
2-can this indention/curve at a young age, ever change to a flat, uncurved plastron? iIf its curved, at a younger age (what we preceive as too young to sex)does it mean it will be 100% male?
3-is either one more reliable then the other?
Please give any factual info. Also any guesses and ideals or opinions always welcomed.
Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Not every specie of turtle and tortoise has a concave plastron. But once sulcatas get pretty big, they DO. However, males have flat plastrons for a long time even after you've determined that they are male.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

A concave plastron is one of the ways to sex a tortoise. For the most part people dont look at that in the pictures posted on this site because normally the pictures arent at good enough angles to see any sort of indention of the plastron. Sometimes females will have a slight indention but if its really significant then yes its most likely a male. The concaving of the plastron is usually the last thing that develops for a male tortoise and I havent seen any concaving of the plastron of any species until they get to a decent size/age and their sex is already known by that time. Usually the tail is the most reliable way of telling if your tortoise is a male or female but body shape, concave plastron, anal scutes, and gular or no gular all play a part in it as well depending on the species.

 

[Neal]

I usually don't consider plastron concavity in sexing for the reasons stated above, that it usually doesn't develop until later in the adults life. And by then, the other features are pretty obvious. It seems like this method was used a lot more back in the early days of tortoise keeping. But that makes sense if you think more adults were observed compared to juveniles or younger tortoises back then.

It doesn't happen as much as I've seen with box turtles, but I have seen a few female's with slightly concave plastrons and males with almost completely flat plastrons.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

My grandma was telling me about this! I was curious too!

 

[wellington]

The one that Hanna had was large and he did lift it and show the concave/curved plastron. At the size he was, I am sure they had seen other signs too, that said male.

Eweezyfosheezy mentioned the gular. Do only males have that and can someone post a pic of what that is. I don't recall that mentioned either and I have no idea what that is. Well a little idea, I just looked it up, but couldn't really find a good pic or explanation. I don't trust most other sites for info anyway Also, is the gular on present in large adult males and is it on every species?

 

[Yvonne G]

Steppe males don't have a concave plastron.

 

[porter]

Here's a picture of my male redfoot, you can see the concave plastron but I think looking at the tail length and anal scutes on the plastron would be a earlier way of sexing a tortoise,

 

[wellington]

WOW, that is really concaved. Is that the norm to be that concaved, in redfoots or any others. The sulcata I am talking about in the beginning of this thread was no where near that concaved, more like indented. Thanks for sharing the pic. Interesting in the difference from yours and what the sully showed.

 

[Jacqui]

.

Eweezyfosheezy mentioned the gular. Do only males have that and can someone post a pic of what that is. I don't recall that mentioned either and I have no idea what that is. Well a little idea, I just looked it up, but couldn't really find a good pic or explanation. I don't trust most other sites for info anyway Also, is the gular on present in large adult males and is it on every species?

A gular on an Erosa hingeback:

Not as large or as distinct as on some other species.

You can sorta see it on this male sulcata.

 

[wellington]

WOW, now those I can deff see Thanks for posting, great pics.