A Thread For Your Pictures of Split or Extra scutes

Yvonne G

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Your little runt is probably a Texas tortoise, Gopherus berlandieri. That's as big as they get.
 

Lokkje

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That would make sense as I had actually gotten him back in the 60s when you could buy them at the pet store. He was in a wire cage on the floor stuffed in with at least 30 other tortoises is my recollection but I was only about four years old at the time. he appealed to me because he was much smaller, his shell color was a little different, and his eyecolor was much more black compared to the Sonoran‘s that had more of a yellow ring coloration in the eye. The two females were bred in my backyard with a different Sonoran desert tortoise.
 

Lokkje

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Yvonne G

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turtlesteve

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That would make sense as I had actually gotten him back in the 60s when you could buy them at the pet store. He was in a wire cage on the floor stuffed in with at least 30 other tortoises is my recollection but I was only about four years old at the time. he appealed to me because he was much smaller, his shell color was a little different, and his eyecolor was much more black compared to the Sonoran‘s that had more of a yellow ring coloration in the eye. The two females were bred in my backyard with a different Sonoran desert tortoise.

@Lokkje,

Could you please post some more pics of the “runt” (top, bottom, front, back, etc)? Desert and Texas tortoises should have a nuchal scute; the Chaco tortoise does not. I think it could be a Chaco but more pics would help confirm. If you have any old pics they might help too (did it have a different shell coloration when it was younger)?
 

Yvonne G

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@Lokkje,

Could you please post some more pics of the “runt” (top, bottom, front, back, etc)? Desert and Texas tortoises should have a nuchal scute; the Chaco tortoise does not. I think it could be a Chaco but more pics would help confirm. If you have any old pics they might help too (did it have a different shell coloration when it was younger)?
I have a group of seven texas tortoses. Some have a nuchal scute, some don't.
 

Lokkje

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@Lokkje,

Could you please post some more pics of the “runt” (top, bottom, front, back, etc)? Desert and Texas tortoises should have a nuchal scute; the Chaco tortoise does not. I think it could be a Chaco but more pics would help confirm. If you have any old pics they might help too (did it have a different shell coloration when it was younger)?
Interesting. He had much brighter yellow spots and he is more of a tan gray when he was younger for the background. I will try to see if I can dig up some pictures when I have a chance.
 

Micka_mouse

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This is Tostada ❤️ I’ve had him for about 3 weeks now and after I got him I noticed he’s got a small piece of his shell missing by his tail?? So far it doesn’t seem to bother him and I already got too attached so I didn’t want to switch him out for another baby
 

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Yvonne G

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This thread was started quite a while ago. I'd like to see it started again. We have lots of new members now. Do any of you have tortoises with split or extra scutes? Please share pictures!
 
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