Erosa or homeana? ID please

[Kristina]

I say homeana. Seller says erosa, and wants $550 for this big male tort.

What do you guys think?

Kristina

 

[Itort]

It's a home's. The rear of the carapace has the sudden angle whereas an erosa has the slope.

 

[tortoiseguy65]

Yep, that is a VERY old homeana. Erosa doesn't have the vertebrals that drop straight down. They have the gradual sloping toward the rear marginals.

Take care,
Jeff Port

 

[Kristina]

That is what i tried to tell them. They said, no, it slopes. Yes, it DOES slope, BEFORE the drop off.

I hope no one pays that kind of money for this tort.... Not when it is worth $100 or less.

Kristina

---

Yep, that is a VERY old homeana. Erosa doesn't have the vertebrals that drop straight down. They have the gradual sloping toward the rear marginals.

Take care,
Jeff Port

Have you seen my two old girls like this, Jeff? They are the only others I have ever seen that were as aged as this tort.

Kristina

 

[tortoiseguy65]

Kristina,
Yep, saw your ol' gals. I saw a male homeana like that at a swap last month. He was so light weight, I bet he would have floated if he was put in water to soak. I had a line on an erosa up in Wisconsin. It is a subadult, looked like a female. I passed on her as I don't have any others right now. Email me at [email protected] and I can give you the contact info. Not sure if it is still available as it has been a few weeks since I contacted them. Can't hurt to try though.

Take care,
Jeff Port

 

[Kristina]

Poor old dude That is the way my one Sulcata was when I got her, poor baby. My new girls are actually lighter weight than my smaller homeana, who are so dang heavy they feel like little tanks, lol.

Kristina

 

[egyptiandan]

Looks like a male K.erosa to me. It doesn't seem to have a nuchal scute and the shape says K.erosa to me. It does drop off, but it does it to far back to be a K.homeana. It also has a more pointed face and less "frog" eyes than K.homeana.

Danny

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Send him this pic..

Terry K

 

[Redfoot NERD]

You can't really tell from the pic of that old one.. but K. homeona's have a 'nuchal' scute -

K. erosa does not -

Bet he didn't know that!

Ask him for an 'over-head' carapace pic.. that'll solve the mystery...

NERD

 

[Jacqui]

I would also say ask for more pictures. I agree with Danny at first glance it does look an Erosa. Then closer looks show things I think are not there and should be. Pictures from different angles could clear things up. Like Terry mentioned check for the nuchal scute just above the head. For this old of a male Erosa, I would expect more pronounced gular scute (on the plastron,under his neck), which I am not seeing.

Another option could even be it's a mix of the two or even mixed with a Bells.

My vote at this point based on the current photo is to go toward it being a Homes. I also agree he is way over priced, even if he is an Erosa.

---

Found the ad for this guy. It shows an upper picture...NO nuchal scute is present.

 

[Kristina]

I have wondered about my male Homer - he definitely has a homeana behind, but he has no nuchal scute. I posted pics once before wondering if he was a homeana/erosa cross.

Top view (on left)

So, is it possible that some do not have a nuchal? Doesn't that hold true for Aladabras as well, that occasionally they do not have a nuchal?

Kristina

---

Here is the thread I posted a year ago

http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-6165.html

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Here we are again.. still learning "after-all-these-years"!!!

There are always exceptions and extremes.

About a 5" female...

NERD

 

[Kristina]

Any other opinions?

 

[egyptiandan]

Yes some Home's don't have nuchal scutes and some Forests do have nuchal scutes.

Anything is possible Kristina, but he looks all K.homeana to me.

Bad Jacqui for doubting me

Danny

 

[Jacqui]

Bad Jacqui for doubting me

Danny

Danny we both know your not always right. I still think your wrong on this one too. Just too many little missing pieces of the puzzle for me to think this is a pure Erosa (or even may be an Erosa at all), not just the n. scute.

---

There are always exceptions and extremes.
NERD

It's one of those things that makes tortoise keeping so fun and yet so frustrating at times.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Did you say gular scute?

Male 'erosa -

You aren't the bad to accuse Jacqui... it's the accuser!?

It's an OLD Kinixys that I wouldn't take if it was handed to me............. etc.

 

[Kristina]

I dunno, my girls are that big and old looking and they are eating very well and seem very healthy - based on size, I would think I will get a good amount of eggs from them. My younger girl only laid two the last time.

If it is true that tortoises become more fertile as they age, up until a point, perhaps the age isn't a bad thing.

Kristina

 

[Redfoot NERD]

I dunno, my girls are that big and old looking and they are eating very well and seem very healthy - based on size, I would think I will get a good amount of eggs from them. My younger girl only laid two the last time.

If it is true that tortoises become more fertile as they age, up until a point, perhaps the age isn't a bad thing.

Kristina

Kristina from your pics the females are 'well matured'.. that old male is a dinosaur!!! You can do better than that one. [ did you see my PM? ]

I'm of the opinion that tortoises don't really get started until they're at least 20+ years old.

NERD

 

[Kristina]

Price on this guy is down to $375, lol.

 

[Spawn]

Hello:
The animal in the picture with the bright orange fruit is a K. erosa. K. homeana are more sharply "sculpted." it looks to be a nice animal.
Have a Great Day!!!
"Spawn"