Need help in identifying this tortoise

[Launcelot]

Hello everyone,
I'm happy to have found such a lovely forum for tortoise. I've been a tortoise lover since my crawling days.

This is my newest pet and yet to give him a name. I've recently rescued him from my late grand uncle's garden where he was completely neglected. As you can see some idiot has tried to paint him green.



Can you please help me in identifying him? My guess is that he should be a star but looks like no Star Tortoise I've ever seen.

Thank you...

 

[(r.t)]

I don't know what he might be but I think he is definitely not a star tortoise, but I am no expert.

 

[Launcelot]

Hello (r.t) and thank you very much for your reply. I'm trying to figure out exactly who he is so I can take better care of him...

 

[Jabuticaba]

Hello and Welcome! I don't have a clue as to what species s/he could be. I'm just glad you rescued him/her.


May, Aussies, & Hermannis
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Jabuticaba]

Oh, wait...is the outer layer of his/her shell nearly all chipped off? I do see some kind of pattern in the residual layer.


May, Aussies, & Hermannis
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[TeguBuzz]

It looks like its entire pattern peeled off. Whatever little pattern I do see though, makes it look like a leopard tortoise. Head structure also makes it look like one, too. I could be completely wrong.

 

[Alaskamike]

I think that is a Leopard tortoise. Defiantly had a rough go of it by the looks to the shell. Where are you located ?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ . It's a leopard tort . But it's really had a ruff life !


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[Yvonne G]

It might be a star. You can see the original pattern on the few pieces of keratin that are left on the tortoise. At one time or another this tortoise was either chewed on or burned badly and the top layer of keratin was damaged or removed. This happened a very long time ago. What you now see covering the tortoise is the new keratin that grew under the exposed bone that has since flaked off.

The residual pattern really doesn't look like a leopard, but the head and front legs do look leopard - y . I don't know enough about stars and what they look like to know for sure. At any rate, leopards and stars take similar care.

 

[G-stars]

Agree. It could possibly be a star from the very little shell that isn't damaged. I wouldn't rule out leopard though. Pretty much the same kind of care though. Good luck with him/her.

 

[Launcelot]

Hello and Welcome! I don't have a clue as to what species s/he could be. I'm just glad you rescued him/her.

Thank you for the greetings. Yes I'm surprised how he managed to survived on his own.

Oh, wait...is the outer layer of his/her shell nearly all chipped off? I do see some kind of pattern in the residual layer.

It looks like its entire pattern peeled off. Whatever little pattern I do see though, makes it look like a leopard tortoise. Head structure also makes it look like one, too. I could be completely wrong.

Yes, it looks like he's been in a crazy lab accident. God knows what happened to him. Thank you for reply.

I think that is a Leopard tortoise. Defiantly had a rough go of it by the looks to the shell. Where are you located ?

Thank you Alaskamike. So most probably it's a Leopard then. I live in Oxford, UK (the no tortoise's land).

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ . It's a leopard tort . But it's really had a ruff life !

Thank you for the greetings Grandpa Turtle. Yes it seems he underwent so much.

It might be a star. You can see the original pattern on the few pieces of keratin that are left on the tortoise. At one time or another this tortoise was either chewed on or burned badly and the top layer of keratin was damaged or removed. This happened a very long time ago. What you now see covering the tortoise is the new keratin that grew under the exposed bone that has since flaked off.

The residual pattern really doesn't look like a leopard, but the head and front legs do look leopard - y . I don't know enough about stars and what they look like to know for sure. At any rate, leopards and stars take similar care.

Highly appreciate your feedback Yvonne G. Wow so I guess someone tried to kill him at some point. I don't know how my grand uncle came in to possession of this poor thing. He has been a lover of exotic birds and reptiles as long as I can remember and all his pets got neglected following his death. I'm just curious, are there Leopard/Star hybrids?

Agree. It could possibly be a star from the very little shell that isn't damaged. I wouldn't rule out leopard though. Pretty much the same kind of care though. Good luck with him/her.

Thank you G-stars. So he could be either I guess.

Thank you everyone for warmly welcoming me and taking time to answer my question. So be it a Star or a Leopard, I'm glad I found him before much worse could happen. He could have easily died under English climate. So in case this is a Leopard tortoise, would it be wise to keep him with my other Star tortoises? I have four of them...

 

[Neal]

It's undoubtedly a very old star tortoise, not a leopard tortoise.

Could have been injured somehow, I highly doubt the out layer of the shell would have just fallen off. Whatever happened, it appears to be a long time ago unless the picture is distorted somehow.

 

[G-stars]

I wouldn't put him with your other tortoises until after you quarantine him. For him I would do about a year as he probably has a weakened immune system. It would also be a good idea to get a stool sample to check for parasites. As far as which tortoise he is you can check by what size he is. stars usually don't grow more than 10 to 12 inches, unless it's a Sri lanken. So if he's bigger than that most likely a leopard and leopards and stars shouldn't be mixed together.

 

[bouaboua]

Wow. This is a old fellow. I would like to say is a star tortoise. Why? due to the size of him/her. Leopard will be much bigger. Right?

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

It might be a star. You can see the original pattern on the few pieces of keratin that are left on the tortoise. At one time or another this tortoise was either chewed on or burned badly and the top layer of keratin was damaged or removed. This happened a very long time ago. What you now see covering the tortoise is the new keratin that grew under the exposed bone that has since flaked off.

The residual pattern really doesn't look like a leopard, but the head and front legs do look leopard - y . I don't know enough about stars and what they look like to know for sure. At any rate, leopards and stars take similar care.

I think Yvonne has a winner interpretation here.

 

[tortadise]

Could you post a picture of its plastron(underside)? How long has your great uncle had this specimen?

 

[tortadise]

I wouldn't put him with your other tortoises until after you quarantine him. For him I would do about a year as he probably has a weakened immune system. It would also be a good idea to get a stool sample to check for parasites. As far as which tortoise he is you can check by what size he is. stars usually don't grow more than 10 to 12 inches, unless it's a Sri lanken. So if he's bigger than that most likely a leopard and leopards and stars shouldn't be mixed together.

Platynota can get quite large. Females 16" and males 12-13" especially very old specimens.

 

[G-stars]

Your right. I meant indian and Sri lanken.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

If you do keep him he does have to be quarantined for a period of time. Some say 1 yr, I'm closer to 6 months. BUT...It's never a good idea to mix species. Each carries it's own pathogens that are like dormant in them, but put them with any other species and those same pathogens could possibly kill the other species. So it would be my suggestion as it's heritage is in doubt that he be set up by himself for a long time, and cared for as if he was a Leo. Good luck, that's quite a find...