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Kapidolo Farms

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My guess is K. erosa. that area at the back is rounded and in my experience K. homeana look like their is an elbow poking through the carapace.

The care for both these forest species is more or less the same. A yes they like water to sit in, poop in and a drizzle or rain is always welcome.

One of my three all time favorite species.
 

William Lee Kohler

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Looks to be fairly old, male wild caught Kinixys homeana. Better pic(s) from side will tell for sure. Hard to tell if OK just by looking. How is eating and activity levels and what are enclosure conditions? Temp,humidity, water dish(?), lighting type, etc? Congrats on new pet.;) Also how big?
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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He's about 7-8 inches, I was told he was 2 ..he's eating well, I added plants (large enough for him to hide) and he LOVES them. His temps are between 80-85, with about 60 percent humidity and a water tub large enough for him to sit and soak in.
 

William Lee Kohler

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Thanks for added info. Anybody that told you he was only 2 years or anywhere near that is either a colossal liar or grossly ignorant. My guess would be based on center of scutes weathering, development of hinge and growth rings fading out at edges is a very minimum of 20 years and likely several more. Old tortoises are great tortoises.....especially if they are healthy, eating and happy;). As long as his home is large enough for him to run around in conditions sound pretty good to me.
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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He was definitely not knowledgeable! It was a rescue , as I approached the house the stench was overwhelming....He said he needed to get rid of him because his other male was bigger and picking on him....
I thought you and @Will would like his "trick" :)
He climbed up into one of the plant pots!!
 

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William Lee Kohler

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Sounds like he's got a much better life now. You'll likely find that real plants in pots might take a beating from his activities. They can surprise us with their personal quirks like pot sitting.
 

William Lee Kohler

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Still can't be sure as cannot see direct side view of rear of shell. If the last vertebral scute drops straight down and has a point at the front edge of it then you have a homeana. If not then erosa.
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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Voldatort is in his new enclosure and is LOVING it!! He has double the room and a nice new light that is a very low level of brightness! (He hated the brighter one)...He is a crazy climber, and he makes me laugh!!!
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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@Will....holy cow! Voldatort got "excited" today! I grew up on a hog farm, and it still threw me for a loop!! Do you know where I may get a mature female?
 

Kapidolo Farms

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@Will....holy cow! Voldatort got "excited" today! I grew up on a hog farm, and it still threw me for a loop!! Do you know where I may get a mature female?
Yeah erosa are scary big. I scan the for sale ads on Faunaclassified and Kingsnake near daily. There is also a facebook page 'turtle and tortoise classified' 'tortoise and turtle classified', and reptiles classified with a sub category for turtles and tortoises. There are also a bazillion regional reptile classified on facebook.
 

William Lee Kohler

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Exotic Pets Las Vegas(listing on Kingsnake)shows both Homes and Erosa for sale. Still not sure of ID of yours. If buying from them ask for treatment for internal parasites and would suggest getting 2 girls so one is not run too ragged by his attentions:eek:.
 

zovick

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@Alicia Hoogstra,

Before you buy a mate for your tortoise, you should get a definitive identification as to his species. None of the pictures you posted show a clear view of the rear of the carapace where it curves downward toward the tail. K. homeana has a vertical drop-off with a very obvious bump in the fifth vertebral scute where the drop starts. K. erosa does not have the bump or the sharp drop-off, but more of a gently sloping fifth vertebral.

One of the photos in post #1 is blurred so that area cannot be seen, and the other one which would show it is cut off right where the area in question begins. Side views are needed to see what species you have. If you post some more side shots showing the rear half of your tortoise, I will ID the male's species for you. Top views are not definitive for seeing what needs to be shown.

Here is a photo of a Kinixys homeana showing the area of 90 degree drop-off at the rear of the carapace and the point where the drop-off begins which Will said looks like an elbow poking through:

Kinixys_homeana_TDiagne_lr.jpg


If your tortoise does not have the 90 degree drop-off and bump in the 5th vertebral scute like the tortoise pictured above, you have a Kinixys erosa.

Bill Zovickian

PS: When I was in high school I worked on the largest pig farm in CT. Where was your hog farm?
 

Alicia Hoogstra

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Thank you Bill! I'm from Michigan. Lol I'll get some better pictures today and hopefully you can identify it definitely.;)
 

zovick

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OK, I will look for the pix later.

Meanwhile, I can tell you that Kinixys erosa and homeana LOVE worms and mushrooms. I used to keep adult groups of both, and they would devour dozens of night crawlers in a matter of minutes. The mushrooms went almost as quickly. They also liked frozen mixed veggies (corn, beans, carrots, peas, etc.) which I thawed, mixed together, sprinkled with Rep-Cal and Herptivite and fed to them on paper plates.
 
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