Greek has gotten so much darker!

[biochemnerd808]

I have noticed something, and I THINK that I know the answer... but wanted to run it by you folks.

I noticed that Boo, our Antakyan greek tortoise, has gotten A LOT darker in the last month or so. He still has the pale yellow large-ish scales on his head, but the skin around them, as well as the dark parts of his shell, have gotten so much darker! It used to be that the dark brown areas of his shell markings were only really dark when he was wet. Now they are black even when his shell is dry. (and no, it's not dirtier)

MY guess is that this is because he is finally getting good UV and nutrition? He was kept without UV by his previous owner (except for the 4 weeks per Summer she kept him tethered in the yard by a ring in his shell), and she only fed him romaine. He has been with me since November, so not very long... would the good healthy varied leafy greens and the UVB make such a difference to his coloring so quickly?

 

[jwang1983]

I have noticed something, and I THINK that I know the answer... but wanted to run it by you folks.

I noticed that Boo, our Antakyan greek tortoise, has gotten A LOT darker in the last month or so. He still has the pale yellow large-ish scales on his head, but the skin around them, as well as the dark parts of his shell, have gotten so much darker! It used to be that the dark brown areas of his shell markings were only really dark when he was wet. Now they are black even when his shell is dry. (and no, it's not dirtier)

MY guess is that this is because he is finally getting good UV and nutrition? He was kept without UV by his previous owner (except for the 4 weeks per Summer she kept him tethered in the yard by a ring in his shell), and she only fed him romaine. He has been with me since November, so not very long... would the good healthy varied leafy greens and the UVB make such a difference to his coloring so quickly?

maybe some pics can help, some Greek tortoise from Turkey are really black,and so called black greek tortoise

 

[biochemnerd808]

No, he is definitely not a "black" Greek, as most of his shell is still light-colored. The difference I'm talking about is more that the dark parts have gotten darker, overall creating a higher contrast. The yellow cheek-patches and head scales are still just as pale yellow as ever.

Here are a few pics, although in these it is kind of hard to see the color difference.

This is Boo in October, still at his old owner's house:

This is Boo after being cleaned up and removing the ring from his shell... still with a long beak:

Here is Boo now:

And one more recent one of him bathing:

maybe some pics can help, some Greek tortoise from Turkey are really black,and so called black greek tortoise

 

[Mjdeisher]

I'm not really sure. I haven't heard anything like it. From my understanding, the shell doesn't really shed and new growth is the only changing thing on them aside from healing spots from damage or something. But I can definitely see what you mean, especially in the scute right behind his head. Maybe he's healthy and cleaner now so all the old scum has come off of him. Idk. I think we should think of his dark spots as his happiness shining through. :-D I cringe every time I read about how he was tethered in the yard... He's a lucky guy to have found you.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Aww, thank you!

When I was rehabilitating poor starved, injured Stumpy/Norbert (an RT), he came to me grayish-green, and after the 3 months he spent with me, his shell was golden yellow. So it does make sense that something about the colors in the underlayers can change.

I'm not really sure. I haven't heard anything like it. From my understanding, the shell doesn't really shed and new growth is the only changing thing on them aside from healing spots from damage or something. But I can definitely see what you mean, especially in the scute right behind his head. Maybe he's healthy and cleaner now so all the old scum has come off of him. Idk. I think we should think of his dark spots as his happiness shining through. :-D I cringe every time I read about how he was tethered in the yard... He's a lucky guy to have found you.

 

[james1974]

Better food,better care, makes for better color i guess.Pretty tortoise.