Things You'll Need
- Adult tortoise
- Magnifying glass (optional)
Instructions
Observe the length of your tortoise's neck and claws. In most tortoise species, females have a shorter neck plate and longer claws than males.
Flip over your tortoise and observe their plastron, or the underside of their shell. Males generally have a divot, or dimple, in the far end of their plastron, which reveals their sexual organs during mating. If your tortoise is very small, using a magnifying glass to observe may be helpful.
Pay attention to your tortoise's tail. The easiest way to determine a tortoise's sex is by their tail. Females have short tails which they hold in a downward position. Males have long tails which they will pull up and hold close to their shell when relaxed.