Gamera the (what kind of?) Tortoise

Billy Long

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So, I have had this tortoise for almost a year now, and am still unsure of what kind she is. I found her in my backyard, we suspect she came along from someone else’s property or that someone left her there knowing they could not take care of her. She has grown and her shell has gotten a different look now. I am just questioning what kind she is. And maybe how old as well. Her carapace is 5 inches long, she is 3 inches tall. She is my first and only tortoise but my dad and I have had experience with many reptiles so we are doing just fine. Also our local pet shop has helped us A LOT. I just want a definitive answer on what kind she is. We were originally thinking Greek, and now aiming a little bit more towards Marginated. We are building a larger enclosure to replace her tank that I know she shouldn’t be in.

thank youimage.jpg
 

Markw84

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It does look like a marginated to me. A picture of the plastron and overall from the top and from the rear will help.
 

KronksMom

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I didn't think marginateds had such distinct diagonal lines of coloring within each individual scute, like Hermans do. I thought they were almost like desert tortoises in the way that their color stuck more to the center of each scute. And from those pictures you can't really see the flair around the back end that's so distinctive in marginated torts. I love these ID hunts, because I always end up learning. That's a very beautiful tortoise.
 

KronksMom

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Or maybe you can see the flair at the back, but my computer keeps the information about the picture pulled up along the bottom so that I can't see the entire picture.
 

Ink

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More pictures please. Including the underneath.
 

Billy Long

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Markw84

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Thanks for the pictures. Yes, definately a Marginated without a doubt.

Young marginated have very bold markings with those dark edges front and sides of carapace scutes. Normally pretty distinct triangles formed on the marginals, especially front and back. They will lack any central marking on the carapace scutes that most other Testudo young will have. The plastron is distinctive with the 6 dark chevrons.
 
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