Sexual differentiation and sex manipulation in turtles

How do you differentiate a male and a female turtle?

In mature turtles, differentiation lies in the size of the tail – a long and thick tail in males that in marine turtles, extend beyond the length of the hind flippers. In addition to tail length, the iris of male river terrapins become creamish in colour compared to the female.

In the painted terrapin, sexual differentiation is even more remarkable in that the head of the male becomes white and marked by a red strip on the top of its head. This gives the terrapin its name. A picture is provided to show how beautiful the male painted terrapin looks in its full reproductive coloration.

Can human control the sex of turtles?

Certainly, by conducting research to determine male and female-producing temperatures, then controlling incubation temperatures. The sex of turtle hatchlings is determined by incubation temperature.