Differentiating Male and Female Cistoclemmys (Cuora) flavomarginata (Chinese box turtle) - Chris Tabaka, DVM and Sharon Chancellor, MT

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Differentiating Male and Female Cistoclemmys (Cuora) flavomarginata (Chinese box turtle) - Chris Tabaka, DVM and Sharon Chancellor, MT

Cistoclemmys photograph Gallery

Once placed into the genus Cuora, this species is now known as Cistoclemmys flavomarginata. When researching it, both names should be used to retrieve information under both designations. This vibrant and personality filled species is often found in the pet trade in the United States. A fair number of captive bred specimens are currently being reproduced at various facilities.

Much like the Cuora, this species is relatively straightforward in terms of sexual differentiation. The two features that need to be studied most closely in order to determine sex in this species of box turtle are the plastron and the tail.

In the picture of the pair of Chinese box turtles below, note the rather wide body and plastron of the female on the left and the more fusiform, elongated shape of the male's plastron on the right.

In the pictures below, note the larger tail of the male on the right and the smaller, shorter tail of the female on the left.

Ventral Perspective


Female Cistoclemmys flavomarginata on left, male Cistoclemmys flavomarginata on right	Female Cistoclemmys flavomarginata on left, male Cistoclemmys flavomarginata on right

The two pictures below are to show that looking at the animals from the top down, it can be very difficult to sex this species.

Dorsal Perspective


Male Cistoclemmys flavomarginata	Female Cistoclemmys flavomarginata

The pictures below illustrate how, much like in Cuora galbinifrons sexing, (Differentiating male and female Cuora galbinifrons), the location of the cloacal opening is an excellent method to determine the sex of Asian box turtles. Note that the cloaca in the male on the left opens up well past the caudal edge of the plastron whereas the female's cloaca on the right opens up just barely past the back edge of the plastron.