Sulcata Tortoise

[SGVlivin]

I don't have the time to look through the forums but I have a few questions on my mind and it be great if you guys could answer them for me !

At what age do they mate? My two tortoise maybe to young so I don't know their sex, but I feel like they are both male and female for some reason. LOL

And if you guys have indoor enclosures or out door enclosure drop a picture! I'd like to see your amazing ideas on your habitats. Since I plan on making a better habitat soon myself

 

[thehowards]

They reach maturity around 12" in length. To tell if the sex look at the bottom of the shell the male has a concave bottom shell to set on top of the female. Also the shell near the business end has a V shape for male and U shape for female.

 

[teresaf]

Male tails are longer and narrower than a shorter stubbier female tale.

 

[SGVlivin]

this is my older one what sex do you think it is ?

 

[SGVlivin]

then this is my younger one

 

[Tom]

Males are generally capable of reproduction at 14". Females usually not until 17-18", but I've heard of rare exceptions of 15-16" females laying fertile eggs.

Show us pics of the tails and anal scutes and we can probably sex them at the size they are now.

They really should not be housed as a pair. If they are male and female, the male will literally harass her to death once they reach maturity. Two males will fight to the death. Two females might survive, but it will be stressful on them to live as a pair.

 

[Tom]

then this is my younger oneView attachment 154044View attachment 154045

We need pics looking straight on to the plastron. Have someone hold them with their head pointed up to the sky and take a pic of the whole plastron, centering on the anal scutes and tail.

 

[SGVlivin]

okay definitely ill take the picture tomorrow. they are sleeping i don't want to bother them as they sleep. I will ask someone to take the picture for me as well, since i don't want to put them on the floor on the back too dangerous and i feel like its mean too LOL

 

[SGVlivin]

this is my younger one

 

[SGVlivin]

this is older one

 

[SGVlivin]

so are they both different sex ? or same sex

 

[teresaf]

@Tom @Yvonne G I don't think this member got an answer?

 

[Tom]

Too early to tell yet.

I'm leaning female in the younger one due to the shape of the anal scutes, but this could change as it matures.

I can't see the tail on the older one and the anal scutes offer no clue yet.

One thing that I have seen over the years is that the presence of a more dominant, large, older male can cause suppression of the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics in another male. One more reason they shouldn't be kept as a pair.

Looks like you will have to wait a bit longer to know for sure on these two.