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TuxedoHobo asked in PetsReptiles · 1 decade ago

How can you tell the gender of a baby snapping turtle?

I got 2 really tiny snapping turtles from the neighborhood pond, and we bought a nice tank and food and all that good stuff, but i would like to know how i could tell the genders? I would remember because ones shell is darker and slightly bigger then the other. Maybe for future breeding or just so i know.

Update:

Also i'm having another small problem with them not eating their little store bought pellets, any suggestion on chopped on fruits pr vegeies? Something turtles really like?

4 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    It is impossible to sex hatchling snappers. You will have to wait a few years before you'll be able to tell. The way most people sex them is the location of the vent (where they go to the bathroom). On females, it will be close to the shell and on males, it will be further away. Also, it may take a while for them to get used to their new surroundings before they start feeding, but I've had good luck feeding them the pellets, minnows, worms, crickets and pinky mice. Avoid goldfish for a variety of reasons.

  • 5 years ago

    I feed my baby snapping turtle chopped worms

  • Moon
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    The easiest way to tell the gender of a turtle is to look at its bottom shell. Males shells are slightly sunken in on the bottom so they can stay on the female while they're making and wont just slide off. Female's bottom shells are flat. Also males tend to have longer tails than females, again to aid in mating. I hope this helps.

  • 1 decade ago

    there probally to young to sex so wait a few months and go the vet or as someone at a pet store...don't try to sex them your self you could hurt them... i would try feeding them pinkys"baby mice" i bet they would love that and lose the pellets stick with vegs,fruits and meat. if you can only find frozen pinky's i would still get them and by some tongs then you can put it to there mouth with out getting bit..they might still eat it if you don't but most reptiles that eat meat go for moving prey and also try crickets its worth a shot...and calcium dust there food you can also by vitamin spray..

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