The tricks of the turtle trade are...

The tricks of the turtle trade are many. Take the issue of gender, for example.

“One of the biggest problems we see with large desert turtles is that people can’t tell what sex their pet is,” said Andy Olszewski, vice president of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club’s Westchester chapter. “They may call them Mary or Nancy for 15 years before they realize they have a John or a Joe.”

If you’ve experienced this or other tortoise-related trouble, today is your lucky day. The 29th Annual Turtle and Tortoise Show will be held at the Torrance Civic Center Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and experts will offer tips on a variety of turtle topics. Hundreds of live turtles, from hatchlings no bigger than a quarter to tortoises as long as your arm, will be on display.

The creatures, which can live to be more than 100 years old and reside on every continent but Antarctica, have walked Earth for 150 million years. Today’s event offers youngsters a chance to see toothless, beaked creatures from Torrance and as far away as Timbuktu.

Last year the event attracted more than 5,000 visitors, Olszewski said. A meeting place for longtime hobbyists, the event is also an educational experience for those new to turtles.

Have a question about your chelonian? Ask one of the dozens of preservationists, marine biologists and veterinarians who will be on hand to offer turtle tips on care, feeding, housing and conservation.

What’s the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? In the United States, turtle usually refers to water dwellers while tortoise is reserved for landlubbers.

Is there any truth to that bad rap about them being slow? Not always. The soft-shelled Pancake Tortoise of Kenya relies on its speed for survival. And, of course, a sea turtle can easily outswim a human.

If you’re tickled by all the turtle talk, tortoise T-shirts, terrapin vitamins and other turtle trinkets can be found at the turtle boutique. At 3:45 p.m. a drawing will be held for the door prize: Peter Pritchard’s “Encyclopedia of Turtles,” the turtle bible.

Now, if you hear the word turtle and immediately think soup, this event is not for you. The California Turtle and Tortoise Club is dedicated to the conservation of turtles and tortoises and their habitats.

But if you like what you see, experts at the show can tell you how to obtain a permit to legally adopt, for example, the endangered California desert tortoise.

By the end of the day, you, too, will be able to tell a carapace (top shell) from the plastron (lower shell).

Admission is $2 for adults and $1.50 for children. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. The California Turtle and Tortoise Club is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.

The Torrance Recreation Center is at 3341 Torrance Blvd. Information: (310) 649-0578 or (310) 827-1485.