measuring yellow belly turtles

hya everybody, i have always wondered since owning turtles how do you measure the size of a turtle.

With a tape kind of measure down over the shell from front to back or side to side, or is it a straight line from nose to tail?
I would really like to know and after knowing how to get an estimate on their age as i don't know i had my first about 2 1/2-3 years ago and had another given to me about a year after, but no idea on their ade to begin with.
thanks.

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Feb 02, 2011

How to measure a turtle
by: Shelly

Measuring a turtle is easy.

You will measure the length of the carapace, the top shell, from the front to the back. That is called the straight carapace length (SCL).

Don't measure up over the top because that will add extra length to your measurement.

Keep your turtle still on a surface you can mark in some way. Mark the front and back of the carapace. Then remove the turtle and measure the distance between the two marks.

Keep it slow and steady.

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