i got a young one, and was hoping it was a male because they are quite a bit smaller. Its only like 2.5 inches shell length, and very young, but its plastron(bottom of shell right? i forgot) is flat a the back, its also got pretty short nails... if its female, im worried because housing will be more diffidcult. could i keep it single in a 50 gallon tank for its life if i provide a very happly environment and it wont know anything about being in a bigger cage? or could i keep it in a stiff sided wading pool during summer(the king like 2 foot radius) and the 50 during winter? thanx for any replies, and please dont flame me for reasons unknown, nick.
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what age/ size can you tell what gender a RES is?...
Replies (1)
Nick,
You'll have to wait a few more inches. Male sliders start showing secondary sexual characteristics - the long front nails and the longer, thicker tail - at about four inches. One young turtle in particular stands out in my mind, who was just barely 4", maybe a little under. I thought for sure it was a female. A few more months went by and BAM! Those nails grew out fast, and the tail morphed almost over night, and you couldn't mistake it for anything other than a male. So, keep watching, but don't be ready to guarantee gender until about 4.5", or unless your turtle flashes you! The plastron shape doesn't mean much in basking, hinge-less aquatics like sliders and painteds - no need, or little need, for a curved plastron if the water keeps you boyant during mating 
In the meantime, start checking your local classifieds, flea markets, thrift stores, and Pennysaver type publications to see if you can get a deal on a larger aquarium. Check the local (and sometimes not quite local) papers on-line for their classifieds section. That way you can check multiple papers without having to drive all over the place, and you might find a good deal between now and 4 or 5 inches on the turtle.
Also, if you are feeding every day, you can probably start feeding every other day to slow the growth.
Katrina
