Need help identifying a tortoise?

sarahxmuldunne

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I just bought a new hermann's tortoise. I don't think they are hermann's tortoises. They look completely different to my tortoise. 62B02645-B456-4854-9B80-860EE4B41F28.jpeg FEDB3886-0EB9-4370-89EC-35C790101361.jpeg
5D577E81-B57A-43AC-B511-87DEF521D3AE.jpeg E92EFA60-88EC-455C-8DC3-FD4D8AD91270.jpeg
 

Ink

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That isn't a Hermanns tortoise. Let's get an expert for proper identification. @Tom
 

zovick

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I just bought a new hermann's tortoise. I don't think they are hermann's tortoises. They look completely different to my tortoise. View attachment 308885 View attachment 308887
View attachment 308884 View attachment 308886
Are all 4 pictures of the same tortoise? It certainly doesn't seem so unless the lighting has affected the colors. The tortoise in the upper left of your group of 4 pix appears to be a possible Hermann's Tortoise. The other three pix all appear to be a Marginated Tortoise.

Also you say you bought "a new Hermann's Tortoise" but then say you don't think "they" are Hermann's Tortoises. Do you mean you don't think your original tortoise or the new one are Hermann's Tortoises or do you mean you bought more than one new one and none of the new ones are Hermann's Tortoises? The wording is rather contradictory and thus is confusing.
 
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Maggie3fan

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Are all 4 pictures of the same tortoise? It certainly doesn't seem so unless the lighting has affected the colors. The tortoise in the upper left of your group of 4 pix appears to be a Hermann's Tortoise. The other three pix all appear to be a Marginated Tortoise.
Oh crap. The only time I was ever correct, it was a box turtle...lol
 

sarahxmuldunne

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Are all 4 pictures of the same tortoise? It certainly doesn't seem so unless the lighting has affected the colors. The tortoise in the upper left of your group of 4 pix appears to be a possible Hermann's Tortoise. The other three pix all appear to be a Marginated Tortoise.

Also you say you bought "a new Hermann's Tortoise" but then say you don't think "they" are Hermann's Tortoises. Do you mean you don't think your original tortoise or the new one are Hermann's Tortoises or do you mean you bought more than one new one and none of the new ones are Hermann's Tortoises? The wording is rather contradictory and thus is confusing.
No the one in the blue box has been separated because they started fighting and his back leg has been cut. The other three are of the other male tortoise. To clarify I got two male tortoises today thinking one was female. Hoping to put the female in with my other two female hermann's tortoises.

Sorry for the wording I'm just very disappointed and they've come with no papers
 

Ink

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Maybe take a picture of each ones top and plastron. Your pictures are a little confusing.
 

sarahxmuldunne

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This is the second one which I also believe to be a male marginated tortoises (maybe a cross breed due to the faded black)
33F5C181-7406-49F9-AE42-BF4593973C61.jpeg 096BBA97-FF64-46D7-B2F9-2F45BFED93E1.jpeg
82F30427-237E-4649-99BC-1C981786EE6A.jpeg 6B4452E1-1B96-4B52-93B6-D7B2BA569285.jpeg
 

zovick

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No the one in the blue box has been separated because they started fighting and his back leg has been cut. The other three are of the other male tortoise. To clarify I got two male tortoises today thinking one was female. Hoping to put the female in with my other two female hermann's tortoises.

Sorry for the wording I'm just very disappointed and they've come with no papers
So you bought both of these tortoises today if I understand you correctly. Did you buy them sight unseen or something? If not, I am still trying to figure out why on earth you bought them when they did not look to you like the Hermann's Tortoises that you wanted and are both obviously males when you wanted either a pair or two females if I understand that part correctly.

You need to explain yourself and your intentions better so that the whole process can be understood by an outsider.
 

sarahxmuldunne

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So you bought both of these tortoises today if I understand you correctly. Did you buy them sight unseen or something? If not, I am still trying to figure out why on earth you bought them when they did not look to you like the Hermann's Tortoises that you wanted and are both obviously males when you wanted either a pair or two females if I understand that part correctly.

You need to explain yourself and your intentions better so that the whole process can be understood by an outsider.
I bought them today but have been talking with the breeder for months. The pictures he gave look like my Herman tortoises. I have two 4 year old females and was looking for a male that I could put them with in a couple years time. I wasn’t in a rush to breed or anything as they are too young (plus I’ve heard stories of females bred at 4-6 dying from being egg bound). So when I saw two 7 year old tortoises for sale one male one female I thought great since I could put the female with my two and when they are old enough the male would have three females and not chasing after just the two.

I thought the tortoises looked a lot more pale to mine and less rounded but I thought it was just that they could've been from age or they were from another region or they were malnourished (which I didn’t mind, I’d . I didn’t think anything of it as Everything would be clear on the papers. The fact that they were a different species didn’t even cross my mind. But when they were delivered I knew something was up. Their tails were massive, markings completely different and their plastron markings were the same as a marginated tortoises.

he responded saying he forgot to give the paperwork and sent on pictures.He apologised as he says he was sold to Hermanns tortoises but the paperwork clearly says Marginated tortoises
 

zovick

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I bought them today but have been talking with the breeder for months. The pictures he gave look like my Herman tortoises. I have two 4 year old females and was looking for a male that I could put them with in a couple years time. I wasn’t in a rush to breed or anything as they are too young (plus I’ve heard stories of females bred at 4-6 dying from being egg bound). So when I saw two 7 year old tortoises for sale one male one female I thought great since I could put the female with my two and when they are old enough the male would have three females and not chasing after just the two.

I thought the tortoises looked a lot more pale to mine and less rounded but I thought it was just that they could've been from age or they were from another region or they were malnourished (which I didn’t mind, I’d . I didn’t think anything of it as Everything would be clear on the papers. The fact that they were a different species didn’t even cross my mind. But when they were delivered I knew something was up. Their tails were massive, markings completely different and their plastron markings were the same as a marginated tortoises.

he responded saying he forgot to give the paperwork and sent on pictures.He apologised as he says he was sold to Hermanns tortoises but the paperwork clearly says Marginated tortoises
So did you buy them in person or not? When you say "I bought them today" do you mean at a pet store or breeder's facility where you looked them personally first or was it from pictures posted in an online ad? When you say they were "delivered today" it sounds as though you bought them off the internet, but if they were delivered the same day you bought them, that seems extremely fast for an online transaction.

Either way, I think you would be completely within your rights to take them back and ask for a full refund since they are not what they were purported to be by the seller. The species of both and the sex of one were all incorrect. If he is too ignorant to be able to correctly ID the tortoises he is selling, even getting the sex of the one wrong (if he didn't do so purposely, which I suspect was the case) he should be more than willing to refund your money. I would point out to the seller that two male Marginated Tortoises are of absolutely no use to you. They were probably of no use to him, either, so he tried to pawn them off on you, an unsuspecting and trusting buyer.
 

sarahxmuldunne

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So did you buy them in person or not? When you say "I bought them today" do you mean at a pet store or breeder's facility where you looked them personally first or was it from pictures posted in an online ad? When you say they were "delivered today" it sounds as though you bought them off the internet, but if they were delivered the same day you bought them, that seems extremely fast for an online transaction.

Either way, I think you would be completely within your rights to take them back and ask for a full refund since they are not what they were purported to be by the seller. The species of both and the sex of one were all incorrect. If he is too ignorant to be able to correctly ID the tortoises he is selling, even getting the sex of the one wrong (if he didn't do so purposely, which I suspect was the case) he should be more than willing to refund your money. I would point out to the seller that two male Marginated Tortoises are of absolutely no use to you. They were probably of no use to him, either, so he tried to pawn them off on you, an unsuspecting and trusting buyer.
Because of covid travel restrictions I couldn’t see them in person so all I got was photos from a breeder. I arranged a price of €350 with the breeder a week ago and then I organised a courier to go up today who payed and collected them and drove straight to me
 

HermanniChris

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I’m not going to read through everything here because it’s too long so I’m sorry if someone already got to this, however, since I was tagged I will state that the animal in the original photos posted is in fact a Marginated tortoise and NOT any Hermann’s tortoise.
 

zovick

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Because of covid travel restrictions I couldn’t see them in person so all I got was photos from a breeder. I arranged a price of €350 with the breeder a week ago and then I organised a courier to go up today who payed and collected them and drove straight to me
Do you think the seller will refund your money? That is what I would make every effort to have done. Otherwise you may as well start a breeding program for Marginated Tortoises as well as Hermann's Tortoises and begin looking for FEMALE Marginateds and MALE Hermann's Tortoises.
 

sarahxmuldunne

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I'm not sure yet he apologised and sent the paperwork but I told him I don't want two male marginated tortoises and asked him how we'd arrange getting them back to him but he hasn't responded. I may try start a marginated tortoise breeding program but I have so much research to do and find at least two females to pair with one of the males. I'm still looking for adult male hermann's tortoises but they are really hard to find.
 

Maggie3fan

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I’m not going to read through everything here because it’s too long so I’m sorry if someone already got to this, however, since I was tagged I will state that the animal in the original photos posted is in fact a Marginated tortoise and NOT any Hermann’s tortoise.
Thanks Chris, it was me tagged you and I appreciate your comments on this tort.
 

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