Hello from Africa!

desiree

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Howdy :cool:

My name's Desiree, I'm 19 crawling to nearly 20 and I am Portuguese (European, not Brazilian tehehehe). A year ago I moved to Angola, in Africa and I love it here :p

I have always been a dog/cat person but also never disliked reptiles at all. I actually do find turtles adorable and wish I owned a snake muahahaha. Anyway, in here people do not really care for animals as they should and I always see them selling monkeys and other wild animals, which they actually eat or keep restrained and mistreat. This one time I found a tortoise being held head down by a wire on its paw. It seemed nearly dead and I felt so sorry I bought it for so only 50 cents. I had no idea what to do with it but I ended up keeping it (cuz the nearest natural park is 6 hours away from the city). Since I have a big yard, I made it a cave with rocks and digged a lake and it's been with me for nearly a year now. An believe it or not, I'm still fighting over the propper name to call him (from what i saw online, seems to be a HIM xD) so I just call him cutesy and other fluffy names UASHAUAHSUHAUSHUAHS. I don't know his species but the closest thing seems to be some subespecies of Kinixys...?

Here he is (and he's also the one on my avatar ^^):

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Now, about a month and a half ago, I found another cute thing in the same condition, hanging by a wire on its paw and again I felt sorry and bought for another 50 cents. This one seems to be aquatic and wont go out of the lake for anything much hahaha. And I think its a her (?). Anyway, I named her Shelly and I think its some sort of Pelusius species?

And this is Shelly :3 ...

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And I love these two to bits :tort:

This is about it for my introduction...
Suggestions of names to the first one are needed o_O

Nice to meet y'all :shy:
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome:). Also, thank you for saving these two cute little shelled friends. I can't really help on their species, but someone will be able to.
 

tortadise

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Welcome. Indeed it is a kinixys. Appears to be a belliana. How many toes are on its back feet?
 

desiree

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wellington said:
Hello and Welcome:). Also, thank you for saving these two cute little shelled friends. I can't really help on their species, but someone will be able to.

Thank you! ^-^
 

desiree

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tortadise said:
Welcome. Indeed it is a kinixys. Appears to be a belliana. How many toes are on its back feet?

Thank you! :)
4 toes on its back feet..
 

sibi

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Hi Desi, and welcome from America! I just love your story. I, too, would have done what you did for your animals. I suggest you get a huge backyard fenced in because I predict you'll have a whole lot of reptiles before long:p Btw, my daughter's name is Desiree too.
Btw, your pix are beautiful!!!

For names, if it's a girl, I'd call her Jeanerette. If a boy, Janalex (Jason, Nathaniel, Alexander combined).

Nice meeting you:)
 

tortadise

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Kinixys Nogueyi. They just recently became elevated to its own species from belliana belliana. They use to be kinixys belliana nogueyi. But now are kinixys nogueyi. Your within their natural range too. South part really of the range though. All of western and central africa you can find them. Great tortoises. As for the Pelusius. I am not super experienced with turtles. But it does look like a Pelusius for sure.
 

desiree

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sibi said:
Hi Desi, and welcome from America! I just love your story. I, too, would have done what you did for your animals. I suggest you get a huge backyard fenced in because I predict you'll ha e a whole lot of reptiles before long:p Btw, my daughter's name is Desiree too.

For names, if it's a girl, I'd call her Jeanerette. If a boy, Janalex (Jason, Nathaniel, Alexander combined).

Nice meeting you:)

Nice to meet you and yey cheers to your daughter! As they say here, in local language, she is my xárah (person with same name) ^^

Those pet names are quite uncommon (from a Portuguese point of view at least) but I like them.. Just waiting for some more ideas. So far all I came up with was Rocky (I'm really nearly sure it is a boy o_O)..
 

desiree

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tortadise said:
Kinixys Nogueyi. They just recently became elevated to its own species from belliana belliana. They use to be kinixys belliana nogueyi. But now are kinixys nogueyi. Your within their natural range too. South part really of the range though. All of western and central africa you can find them. Great tortoises. As for the Pelusius. I am not super experienced with turtles. But it does look like a Pelusius for sure.

Thanks for the help! I was quite unsure between which kind of Kinixys and even checked on some pictures, but none I can recall was Nogueyi ._. Didn't even know of that one... Either way thank you so much!

Is there any way I can possibly figure how old is he? Just curious really...
And about the gender? I know males are smaller than females and that males have a concave plastron like he has but then the cloaca raises me some doubts -.-'
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Desiree, and welcome to the Forum!
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

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Welcome to TFO Desiree. Yay!

Thank you for saving those precious creatures. Ugh. Hanging by their back feet made my heart drop. The visual is just so sad. Boo.

How about Kini? Little baby Kini. Belli or Bella would have been good but since it is now no longer kinixys belliana nogueyi, may be not. Nogu would be good if it's a boy. I rather like Kini.

I am so happy you saved them. They are both such beautiful animals. I cannot wrap my head on them being eaten.

Okay, happy days ahead. I am so glad you found us. Halo Africa! : )
 

AnnV

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Welcome. So glad to have you aboard!
I too, am appalled at the treatment of the poor tort and turtle. Glad you are enjoying them as pets!
 

mike taylor

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Good day mate! Welcome to TFO !! Nice save .
 

kathyth

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Welcome Desiree! You are right up our alley!
Welcome to the forum, with open arms!
[HEAVY BLACK HEART]️[HEAVY BLACK HEART]️[TURTLE]
 

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