Help identifying two torts

[Jessicaok]

I'm looking into adopting these two tortoises but I would like to know what they are before I commit. The original owner passed away and her sister doesn't know much about them.
I'm told the one on the photo of the rug is a 50 year old female.
The other one in the last two photos is also 20 plus year old male. I was told he's a Red Ear Slider. He doesn't look like one to me and I was hoping someone could confirm if that's true.
Last I read on the FQA that you shouldn't put two tortoises together. The sister thinks they're bonded and wants them to go to the same home. All of this is brand new to me and I want to make the best decision for caring for them. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[SinLA]

@Yvonne G @ZEROPILOT

They are not "bonded" they should be separated and will be much happier. What people think are "cute happy' behavior in mammals (cuddling, following around, eating together, sleeping together) is bullying behavior in reptiiles.

I am not an expert, but i think one is a Redfoot (not Red Eared Slider), and the other, well i'll let others weigh in because I get it wrong so frequently, but if they are different species then they not only even more so should not be together, but their diet and heating needs would be totally different

 

[wellington]

Yes agree with SinLA. No red Earred Slider there. They should not be housed together either.
The first pic could be a desert tortoise the other is a Redfoot.
@Yvonne G may be able to confirm the DT.

 

[SinLA]

Yes agree with SinLA. No red Earred Slider there. They should not be housed together either.
The first pic could be a desert tortoise the other is a Redfoot.
@Yvonne G may be able to confirm the DT.

yeah I was thinking DT as well...

 

[Jessicaok]

Thank you everyone for the quick replies. I appreciate it!

 

[SinLA]

Thank you everyone for the quick replies. I appreciate it!

If they are indeed a DT and RF, their needs are hugely different. You could have a DT live outside in Castro Valley (FYI they are protected so can't leave the state) but a RF needs a hot, humid environment which would be very difficult there. It also looks like these guys wander around inside a house which is super duper unsafe

 

[Jessicaok]

If they are indeed a DT and RF, their needs are hugely different. You could have a DT live outside in Castro Valley (FYI they are protected so can't leave the state) but a RF needs a hot, humid environment which would be very difficult there. It also looks like these guys wander around inside a house which is super duper unsafe

The original owner had the RF live outside during Fall, Spring, and Summer. She would bring him in for the winter. Since he has lived like this for a long time in the same town, do you think I could do the same? Per everyone's advice, I will only adopt one.

 

[wellington]

What kind of temps do you get during winter?
You likely can but it would need a heated night box for those cold days and nights.
@ZEROPILOT

 

[wellington]

Btw, the owners had all bad old outdated info. I wouldn't count on anything they did being right. You want them to thrive, not barely survive.

 

[Jessicaok]

Btw, the owners had all bad old outdated info. I wouldn't count on anything they did being right. You want them to thrive, not barely survive.

The weather here is a low of 43 and a high of 61, December - February. My thought was to get a turtle table or house and have it by a glass door where there's sun. The room also has a sky light. Then for the rest of the seasons the RF would live outside. I could make a very large enclosed area for him in our Japanese garden. There are plants he could hide under. We also have a small unfiltered pond. At night I would put him in an outside house to protect him from predators. Thoughts?

 

[wellington]

They only get warmth from the sun thru a window. They do not get uvb.
Those temps are too low. You will have to heat whatever you keep him in, at least at night, if not also during the winter days. An adult RF needs a large space, room size. Proper substrate, heat, uvb and coverage.
The summer enclosure sounds good as long as it's fenced off for him and there are no poisonous plants.

 

[Jessicaok]

Thank you for this information. I think I need to reconsider if this going to be feasible.

 

[wellington]

If the other one is a DT, wait until tomorrow and hopefully @Tom or @Yvonne G can positively ID. If it is, he would probably be the easier one to get. You could brumate him in winter. If you didn't, he would still need a heated winter enclosure with all the same stuff the RF would need, except the RF needs a high humidity.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

If they are indeed a DT and RF, their needs are hugely different. You could have a DT live outside in Castro Valley (FYI they are protected so can't leave the state) but a RF needs a hot, humid environment which would be very difficult there. It also looks like these guys wander around inside a house which is super duper unsafe

Warm and Humid
High heat will distress a RF

 

[ZEROPILOT]

What kind of temps do you get during winter?
You likely can but it would need a heated night box for those cold days and nights.
@ZEROPILOT

In my opinion. A nighttime temperature as low as 58 is not harmful as long as it gets well into the 70s or above once the sun comes up.
I use a heated night house if it's 55 to 62 outside at night. Any colder and my RF come inside my heated back sun room for the night.
My night boxes are uninsulated, plastic boxes with a single 75 watt CHE suspended by a rod near the top. Flip open top doors. Rubber flaps for a tortoise entrance to keep out drafts.
It's not the cool nighttime temperature that's dangerous. It's prolonged exposure to it. That messes with digestion and can cause respiratory issues, etc. (I'm not an advocate of keeping a RF outdoors in ANY temperature below 54 unless your heated night boxes are more elaborate than the simple ones I use here.)
Your Redfoot should have an ambient temperature of between 80 and 88. The target is 82 to 84 IMO.
A Redfoot also requires high humidity. At least 70%. In south Florida that's easy. In the high desert, that's doubtful.
It might be easier for you to keep the DT. The RF is a specialized, tropical tortoise. And he just doesn't look well.
RF eat a diet of up to 60% fruit. Fruit will kill a DT. Nothing about their care is at all similar.
Also, i want you to please consider that just because they have survived doesn't mean they're fine.
They need to be separated and each given a correct diet and housing.
Welcome to the forum by the way!

 

[Yvonne G]

Two different species that come from two separate continents and require totally different diets, habitats and care.

I'm leaning towards Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) in the first picture, but need more picteres, and redfooted tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) in the other twopictures

 

[SinLA]

Thank you for this information. I think I need to reconsider if this going to be feasible.

For what it’s worth, my rescue was also a “pair”(actually a trio but one disappeared before they got them) and one of them was a redfoot. I chose to keep the Russian and find another home for the red foot because I did not think I could keep it properly here in Los Angeles where it is substantially warmer than where you are.

if you can only keep one, personally I’d keep the DT, but it would be good to make sure the RF ends up in a good home.

 

[Tom]

I'm leaning towards Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) in the first picture, but need more picteres...

Oh, that didn't occur to me, but I think you might be right. Smaller size, higher dome, darker color... I was initially thinking DT, but I like your suggestion better.

 

[Jessicaok]

All of you are awesome! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I decided it would be best to not adopt the RF. The owner has someone interested in the DT. I also passed on all the information you shared with me since she didn't know much about them. Hopefully they will find good homes.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

All of you are awesome! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I decided it would be best to not adopt the RF. The owner has someone interested in the DT. I also passed on all the information you shared with me since she didn't know much about them. Hopefully they will find good homes.

Thank you for caring about them