Differentiating Male and Female Geomyda spengleri (Black Breasted Leaf Turtle)

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Differentiating Male and Female Geoemyda spengleri (Black Breasted Leaf Turtle) - Chris Tabaka, DVM

スペングラーヤマガメ ― Geoemyda spengleri (Gmelin 1789), ポーラモーリス及びクリスタバカ DVM（獣医学者）

Black-breasted Leaf Turtle – Geoemyda spengleri (Gmelin 1789), Paula Morris and Chris Tabaka DVM

Much like many other species of chelonian, it is often difficult to sex spengleri correctly without having multiple sexed animals present. The following is a straight forward pictorial guide to help identify which sex animal you may have.

Please also see the excellent original care sheet by Paula Morris, WCT trustee, on this species at:

Geoemyda spengleri - Black-breasted Leaf Turtle (http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gspenglericare.htm)

There are two basic ways to sex this species and both involve the tail. While neither of these methods will have application for very young specimens as in the first photo below, as the animals approach maturity the differences become much more evident. These differences are very apparent as can be seen in the paired photos below.

Looking at the pictures below, the animal on the left has a large tail not only in terms of it's length but also in width. The female on the right has a much "daintier" tail again in terms of length as well as width.


*Geoemyda spengleri Male*	*Geoemyda spengleri Female*

The second method involves the cloacal opening. Look closely at the following pictures. The cloacal opening of the male spengleri is almost at the tip of his tail and is well out from the tail base whereas the cloacal opening of the female is much closer to the base of the tail.