found beautiful tortoise in backyard

supertor

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Grandfather found a beautiful 6in tortoise in backyard and gave to my kids to take care.
Tortoise loves to run around but doesn't seem to eat much and we haven't seen him poop.
He loves to jump in his water dish and sit there. He looks okay but we do see some cracks on underside of shell.
Does tortoise need special care for these cracks, any suggestions if tortoise needs help?
I posted pics of the underside of turtle.
Also, any way to tell how old is tortoise?
Any advise is appreciated Thanks!!!

IMG_4844.JPG IMG_4846.JPG IMG_4843.JPG
 
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wellington

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Hello and Welcome. Where are you located? I'm not sure of the species. There's no way of telling a true age without knowing the hatch date. Some can give a good guess. @Yvonne G might be able to help here with species. Also @tortadise
 

supertor

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Thank you for the welcome. We are in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. The tortoise is very cute, looks like an arid weather tortoise with some intranet research. Any ideas about these cracks, are they normal or do they need special care?
 

Speedy-1

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Hi and welcome . It almost looks like shell rot , you can get any type of anti fungal cream and rub it into the affected areas. Like the stuff for athletes foot that you can buy over the counter at most any pharmacy .
 

ascott

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Grandfather found a beautiful 6in tortoise in backyard and gave to my kids to take care.
Tortoise loves to run around but doesn't seem to eat much and we haven't seen him poop.
He loves to jump in his water dish and sit there. He looks okay but we do see some cracks on underside of shell.
Does tortoise need special care for these cracks, any suggestions if tortoise needs help?
I posted pics of the underside of turtle.
Also, any way to tell how old is tortoise?
Any advise is appreciated Thanks!!!

Sure looks like aquatic turtle...could be why it is not eating and why it is retreating to water dish :) looks like it is wild...perhaps it was simply crossing your property en route to or from water/land to lay eggs... I don't see cracks but I do see normal pattern to shell...
 

SarahChelonoidis

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I don't know California turtle species, but if your new water turtle is a native, you should really have left it be in the wild. How long has it been in captivity? If any real period of time, I believe you may need the permission of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to release it back where it was found.
 

Yvonne G

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It's a water turtle, and judging by how sunken the eyes are, he's very dehydrated. He needs to be set up in a little pond. One of those blue plastic kiddy pools would be good.

The head is the wrong shape, but the shell looks like a western pond turtle. They're protected and no one is supposed to have them.
 

ascott

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Thait will die as a resultk you for the welcome. We are in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. The tortoise is very cute, looks like an arid weather tortoise with some intranet research. Any ideas about these cracks, are they normal or do they need special care?
You need to quickly set that turtle up properly or it will die as a result of being kept dry..
 

Gillian M

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That's a turtle. He/she looks rather sick, I'm sorry to say. :(


And a very warm welcome to the forum. :D
 

juli11

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I don't know but I think it's a kind of phrynops. Maybe P. hillarii but a really old animal.
 

Yvonne G

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No, I think Will's answer was the correct one.
 

MichaelaW

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Ah yes, I see the plastron hinge now that makes it Pelusios. I missed it before.
 

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