Male and female sliders have differently shaped plastrons ( i.e. Make sure your turtle is at its adult size before you look at its weight and shell length. Red-eared sliders are fully grown when they reach six years of age. Comparing a 2-year-old and 6-year-old turtle will not work. When comparing turtles, make sure they are the same age. If one is quite a bit bigger than the others, it is more likely to be a female. Instead, compare the sizes of two or more turtles. Some male sliders may be above the average male size and some females may be below the average female size, so determining the sex of a turtle from averages alone may not be correct. This method works best if you have more than one turtle.Ī size comparison will give you a more accurate idea of a turtle’s gender than simply looking at average sizes. Male Female Shell Length 7 inches 10 inches Weight 4 pounds 7 pounds On the other hand, males more commonly weigh around 4 pound and have an average shell length of just 7 inches.

Female sliders are larger than males.įemale red-eared sliders can weigh up to 7 pounds with an average shell length of 10 inches, though lengths of 13 inches and weighs of 7.5 pounds have been recorded. This means that full-grown males and females are noticeably different in physical attributes, particularly size, in this case. Red-eared sliders are sexually dimorphic. Sliders under two years will also have short nails regardless of their sex because males’ claws have not yet developed. Keep in mind, however, that this technique only works for red-eared sliders older than three. However, if you take good care of your turtle and notice it has long front claws, then it is a male. Sometimes, males that were either raised in small tanks or not given the proper diet can have underdeveloped claws. Females are not sexually mature until they reach five, but even then, their claws are significantly shorter than males’. To sex your turtle, take a look at its front claws.īy the time a male is three, he will be well on the way to having the characteristic long nails. Females’ claws grow slowly throughout their whole lives, they never get as long as males’ claws, even in old age.

To prepare for breeding, the claws of males grow quickly at the beginning of sexual maturity ( 2 to 3 years old). Their claws are the same length as their back claws. The claws of females are stubby and much shorter, averaging just 0.8cm. On average, their front claws are 1.52cm vs 0.5cm for the back claws. Male claws are almost 3x the length of the claws on their back feet. They use their claws when mating females during the breeding season. Male sliders have long front claws, averaging 1.52cm. Perhaps the easiest way to tell male and female sliders apart is the length of their front claws. These methods work best when sexing adult sliders, but some can also be used on babies and hatchlings. Once you start to look closer, though, there are five key ways that you can use to determine the gender of your turtle. Male vs female red-eared sliders look similar at first glance.

Summary Red-Eared Slider Male Or Female Male Red-Eared Slider.

Male vs Female Red-Eared Slider Differences.

Red eared slider