I will refrain from getting overly technical here, but I would like to share some points of interest, dispel some myths, highlight some concerns, and provide information that may be more up to date that what you thought, or learned, when you were younger.
The basic body styling of turtles and tortoises has been around for many millions of years. In fact, they were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and have (obviously) outlived them.
Apologies for the lack of photos again, but my scanner is on the fritz. :o(
Did you know that a box turtle’s shell is actually a modified ribcage? They hatch with somewhat separate ribs, but the ribs fuse together, typically by the end of their first active ‘season’
The ‘top’ shell is called a carapace.
The ‘bottom’ shell is called a plastron.
The shell itself is bone, but the colorful overlay that we see is actually a thin layer of keratin.
The segments that comprise the keratin growth are called scutes.
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot accurately determine a turtle’s age by counting the number of growth rings visible in the scutes. This is because, unlike tree rings, turtles’ rings can indicate periods of little or no feeding. So, if for example, due to a lack of resources for a week or three during a hot summer, a box turtle may show a corresponding ‘ring’, even though the season is only part way over.
Injury to the shell can indeed result in bleeding, and if severe enough, expose a turtle to infection.
And no, you cannot separate a turtle from its shell without killing it.
About sexing an Eastern box turtle:
There are anatomical differences between male and female box turtles, but frequently these differences can be very discrete. It is better to look at all of these features in aggregate rather than to rely on one feature or another. Also, these differences are not present in young animals, so sexing the babies and juveniles can be virtually impossible.
Eye color: females usually have eyes that are some shade of brown. Males can too. Box turtles with bright, true fire engine red eyes are males, but be aware that merely reddish eye color does not guarantee that a box turtle is male. I have a couple of female turtles here that have reddish eyes.
Concave plastron: this is another anatomical feature that is present in males to varying degrees, but is frequently absent in females. I have female box turtles here that have slightly concave plastrons. The concavity allows for a male to 'fit' on a female as he mounts her prior to actual copulation.
Claws on rear feet: mature males typically have very thick, curved claws on their hind feet, while females are less thick and less curved. This is not always a good identifying characteristic unless you have other specimens for comparison. The thick curved claws help the male keep a 'grip' on the plastron of a female during mating.
Tail: length of tail and relative position of the cloaca on the tail. This one can be subtle as well. On males, frequently the tail is longer than on females, and the cloaca is positioned farther away from the body.
Skin and shell color and pattern: frequently, males are more colorful than females, but this applies more reliably to their skin coloration than to their shell pattern. I have males here with fairly colorful carpaces and monochromatic skin, with unremarkable carpaces and colorful skin, and sometimes both. I have females with beautiful carapaces, but the skin on most females is fairly reliably plain.
The scales on the forelegs of both males and females can be dull or bright in either sex.
Size is not a reliable indicator either, as females can easily be larger, and can weigh more than males.
Some texts say that females' carapaces can have a higher dome shape: this is not always true, as I have here a few females that are relatively 'flat' in comparison to other females.
Carapace flairing is another characteristic to look at: the carapace on male turtles can flair out along the edges (marginal scutes), but because these are the scutes that are most subject to damage and wear, this is not always completely reliable.
Lessons learned from trying to sex box turtles? Never look at just one indicator: here is a fun example why.
One of the box turtles that I have here is named Pat. When I rescued this turtle, it was the same size as most of the other mature turtles (or even larger) that I had on the premises. It didn’t have a particularly colorful shell, or skin. It had reddish brown eyes like several of the other turtles here, both male and female. It had a slightly concave plastron, but no more concave than one of the females here. Its hind claws were not particularly thick or curved. The length of the tail and the position of the cloaca were more indicative of a female than of a male.
It was only a year later that Pat demonstrated its gender without question: he was a male. A not-fully-grown male. He did something called penis fanning: he basically flashed me and settled the issue right then and there.
Now that a few years have gone by and he has reached his full size, he is HUGE, has red eyes, a well developed plastron concavity, added length of tail, thick, curved rear claws, etc. The skin on his head and neck has developed a little bit of a pattern.
So, not all the folklore is entirely accurate.
10:42 AM PT: Find the turtle:
