Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there a way to surgically or through ultrasound to determine the sex of sub-adult tortoise? Are there any visual markers to go by on aldabras and radiated?

Thanks.

George Wagner
214 534 7487 TX

Well, George, I am sorry to say that sexing Radiated Tortoises up to 10" and sometimes even larger is a real crap shoot. I have been working with them since the 1960's and have been "fooled" by 11" specimens a couple of times. The species takes so long to mature, we don't even have a good idea as to whether TSD works in them or not as of yet. Usually younger ones whose incubation temps have been well-controlled and are in the records have changed hands so many times by the time they are sexable that the owners have lost track of their identities along the way so the information sp carefully recorded in the beginning becomes useless.

If you are willing to run the risk of anesthetizing a perfectly healthy tortoise simply to learn its sex, you could have it surgically sexed by a qualified veterinarian. Generally, the larger they are when that is done, the more reliable the results. Sometimes animals have poor reactions to the general anesthetic agents, though, and can be lost from the anesthesia. You must decide for yourself whether that knowledge is worth the inherent risk, however small it may be (and the cost which can be rather considerable depending upon where it is done and the operator).

...if you had contacted EJ but he'd done so with his young Aldabs not so long ago...