How to Determine Yellow bellied slider male or female

Like any other turtle species, the yellow-bellied sliders don’t have visible genitals. So, it can be pretty hard to identify whether they are male or female. If you are buying a yellow-bellied slider, you can ask the breeder to know their gender. In case you already have the turtle and don’t know its gender, you will require following other ways.

In this guide, we will help you to determine whether your yellow bellied slider male or female. We will let you know about some of the best ways to decide the gender of the species. So, keep reading the below pieces of the paragraph with proper concentration.

Various ways to tell yellow bellied slider male or Female

Here are some of the best ways to detect whether a yellow bellied slider is male or female.

We will recommend you not to depend on one method solely. Inspect the turtle through multiple ways to be assured about its gender.

By checking the shell

One of the most common ways to check the gender of yellow-bellied slider turtles is by checking their shape. That shell of the female and male yellow-bellied slider varies in shape. Here is how to check gently lift the turtle with your hand. Hold it from the tail end to prevent snapping. Now check the female turtle should have a bigger shell. On the other hand, the male turtle should have a smaller shell.

The method will only work if you have two or multiple yellow-bellied slider turtles. If you have one, you should try other methods instead of it. Besides, you cannot find the gender of the baby turtles by following this way because the shells are not fully developed in the baby turtles. So, you simply cannot depend on the shell size while finding their gender.

By checking the cloaca

Cloaca is a tiny part of turtle body that is situated underside of their tails. It is called the cloaca. The cloaca can be a great way to determine the gender of your yellow-bellied slider turtle. That’s because the position of the cloaca is situated in different places based on their gender.

In the male turtle, the cloaca is situated at the end of the tail, close to the tip. It is more like a slit shape in the male turtle. On the other hand, the cloaca is situated close to the body, where the carapace and tail join the body. Besides, the organ is round in shape instead of tilt in the female and looks like a star.

By checking the size and shape of the tail

The shape and size of the tail of your yellow-bellied slider turtle can be another great way to determine whether it is a male or female. If you have two or multiple turtles, you can easily find their gender by comparing the tail’s size and shape.

The yellow-bellied slider typically features a thicker and longer tail. Besides, their position is also different. The genitalia organ of the male turtle is situated in the tail. The size and shape of the tail help in the accommodation of the organ.

On the other hand, the female turtle has a shorter and thinner tail. So, you should be able to identify the yellow-bellied slider turtle’s gender by checking their tail. Although the method is pretty accurate, it is not foolproof. That’s because based on the growth of the turtle, you will require checking in other ways.

By comparing claw length

The claws of the yellow-bellied slider turtle also change based on their gender. Typically, the male yellow-bellied slider turtle’s claw length is bigger when compared with the female turtle. Such a claw enables the male turtle to attract the male turtle while mating. The claw size also enables the male to climb on the female turtle.

So, if you have multiple yellow-bellied slider turtles, you can use it as a way to distinguish their gender. You can put them together and compare the size. Besides, you can also measure the size of their tail separately to distinguish the gender.

By comparing body size

The yellow-bellied slider turtle’s gender can also be revealed by checking their body size. You can hold the turtle together and check their body size to determine the gender. Typically, the female turtle’s body is more extensive when compared with the male turtle. So, along with checking the carapace shell, you can also compare the body size to find the turtle’s gender.

The maximum size of the yellow-bellied slider female turtle is around 11.4 inches. On the other hand, the male yellow-bellied slider turtle can be up to 9.4 inches. Like most of the methods discussed above, this one is not also foolproof as the male can overgrow the female with better food and metabolism. Besides, the method is also not suitable for baby turtles.

Mating habits

The last thing you can check is the mating habit of the turtle. Typically, the yellow-bellied slider male turtles try to attack the female by dancing. You can observe and inspect the turtles during the mating season to find out the males and females. The male turtle also expands their claws and touches the female turtle’s head and neck while mating.

Conclusion

Most of the ways mentioned above to find the yellow-bellied slider gender is pretty straightforward. However, we will recommend you to try several ways to be assured about gender. We hope that the article will be helpful for you.