Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Being that I was posting pictures I thought some of you might find this interesting.

Somebody want to venture a guess what it is?
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that it is a boy?

It looks like a male Chaco tortoise getting ready for his next scene.
Nice picture Ed.

>>It looks like a male Chaco tortoise getting ready for his next scene.
>>Nice picture Ed.
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n/p

Female.
Glans Penis

>>Female.
>>Glans Penis
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Angle of scutes suggest a female because of the wide width to accomodate egg laying, short tail which is common in female tortoises and location of cloacal opening in relation to the tail length.
Glans Penis = Perhaps I should have said "Pseudo Glans Penis". Documented in at least two female tortoises of two different species. Purpose = Who knows, some have suggested the tortoise equivalant of a human females' clitoris or perhaps the cheloninan version of a hermaphrodite. As far as I know the animals that displayed this "organ" proved to be fertile regardless.
Any way it was just a hunch.

And thanks for clippin me off at the knees in my fun.

The next picture was going to be that 'male' laying eggs. He's deposited about 6 eggs and has broken about 4. The hinge on the plastron never developed as it should and it has broken eggs that were too large for it to pass. It started laying eggs at age 4. It is a tortoise that is an offspring on another tortoise I have. I'm still hoping I can get my first true 'second generation' Egyptian. Why this is really interesting is that I have 3 different tortoises that have displayed this. The Egyptian I know is a female because of the eggs. I have a Star that is female in every respect but she is too small for eggs. Then, I seen this in a graeca. I've heard many people talk about seeing this in known females and everyone thinks it is abnormal. This is way too common to make me think that all females have this and it is normal which brings me to the final point. If the tortoise 'flashes' you it's a male... not so.

(Thanks John)
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Sorry bout that Ed!
I must admit the husband gave me a little hand on "diagnosing" the photo.
Keep up the good work and I know you will eventually have success with getting second generation Eqyptians.
Now if you'll kindly hatch another albino and send it my way as a doorprize I would greatly appreciate it.
Cynthia

Out here at ASU guys aren't the only ones flashing everyone...oh wait, we're talking about tortoises, aren't we? I agree, Ed...venting is certainly not only "excercised" by males. For some reason females enjoy the sport too. When tortoises mature, males develop a large fan-like penis...females will remain small and thick. I've heard R-rated rumors that a large male Sulcata's penis will be as large as a man's open hand.

Ummm...I'll stop.

Ian

Have you seen that documented anywhere. I've suspected for a long time that this was normal but could not find any documentation outside or the statement that tortoises can occasionally be hermaphroditic.

>>Out here at ASU guys aren't the only ones flashing everyone...oh wait, we're talking about tortoises, aren't we? I agree, Ed...venting is certainly not only "excercised" by males. For some reason females enjoy the sport too. When tortoises mature, males develop a large fan-like penis...females will remain small and thick. I've heard R-rated rumors that a large male Sulcata's penis will be as large as a man's open hand.
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>>Ummm...I'll stop.
>>
>>Ian
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Ed @ Tortoise Keepers
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

If you are a subscriber to Darwinism then parthenogensis and individual animals developing hermaphroditic traits would be almost a necessity. Course then again maybe that stuff is a bunch of bologna.
Of course that is a subject best left for another time.

I don't know who is was that did the measurement to find that out, but he must have looked awfully weird doing it.

Methinks he likes his tortoise TOO MUCH.

Haha...I would tend to agree that he likes his tortoises too much if it weren't Richard Fife. I meet up with him a few weeks back to do an exchange and we ended up talking for an hour and a half in a Home Depot parking lot. The guy knows his stuff. Ed, I haven't seen anything documented, but knowing Richard as both you and I do I believe it fully.