Instructions
Observe the colors of your box turtle. Many box turtle types, such as the Eastern box turtle and the Ornate box turtle, will have slightly different colorations between males and females. Male box turtles often have brighter coloration on their arms, legs and heads. The common Eastern box turtle may have red, white, orange or even striking black markings on their heads. Females will often appear browner in tone. Male Ornate box turtles will display red or orange markings, while females will tend to have more yellow colorations on their bodies.
Examine your box turtle's eyes. Male box turtles often have eyes that appear brighter, or even red. Female box turtles usually have brown eyes.
Look at your turtle's back feet. Male box turtles usually have toes and claws that are long and quite curved. Their toes often appear to be thick. Female box turtles have claws and toes that are thinner, somewhat shorter and much straighter than the male's.
Turn the turtle over and examine the bottom of its shell. This area is called the plastron. Some males will have a dip, dent or concave area in the plastron, which makes mating easier. Females will never have this dent in their bottom shells, as their plastrons are always flat. However, some male box turtles do not have this depression, either, so use other gender markers in addition to this one if you are not sure.
Examine your turtle's tail while you still have the turtle upside down. Male box turtle's tails are longer and thicker, or broader, than female box turtle's tails. You can also look for the cloaca on the tail. The cloaca is a vent through which feces, urine and eggs are all passed. The cloaca of a male box turtle can be found nearer to the tip of the turtle's tail. Female box turtles tend to have cloacas located near the base of the tail, or even tucked inside the under shell.
How to Tell a Male Box Turtle From a Female Box Turtle
There are four species of box turtles, each of which contain many different sub-species. Several of these different sub-species are commonly found as pet turtles. All box turtles share some physical similarities, although exact shape, size and coloring may vary from sub-species to sub-species. Luckily, box turtle gender can mostly be determined the same way for any type of box turtle you might encounter. There are several ways you can find out whether your box turtle is a male or female.