Hi guys, need help identifying tortoise

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ARA

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Hello everyone,

I am from Pakistan and need help identifying a tortoise i found in a pet shop. It was in a very pitiful state kept in a cage with some birds and i just could'nt leave it there. Would appreciate if you guys could help me identify what species it is and what are the dos and dont's. I apologise for the poor pic quality. Your help and patience is much appreciated.

Regards

 

Yvonne G

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Hi ARA, and welcome to the Forum!!

Its hard for me to tell, but I'm sure someone here can help you. Can you post more pictures? Maybe a side view and a bottom view?
 

wellington

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Hello and Welcome:) I can't help Id your new friend. But kudos for rescuing him/her. More pics like emysemys said will help.
 

mctlong

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Hey ARA, welcome to the forum. :)

His face and overall shape looks like a Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii), but his coloration is throwing me off, so I cannot be sure. Can you take another picture in the light? How big is he? How many claws does he have on his front feet?

Horsfieldii are native to Pakistan, so if he is T. horsfieldii, he could have been caught locally.
 

kanalomele

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My first thought was also a Russian tortoise. T.horsfieldii, looks to be an old wild caught very dehydrated female to me. A nice long soak in a tub of shallow lukewarm water would definitely help. then take some pictures of its bottom shell including the tail and we can tell you sex for sure. My hunch is female, but I could be wrong of course. Lots of veggies, and broad leaf lettuces and leaves and weeds.
 

ARA

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Thank you guys for the warm welcome. My apologies for not replying earlier. Pls find attached further pics which might make it easier to identify him/her

I am giving him lettuce and other leafy greens, which he has been chowing down.





 

mctlong

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Still looks like Russian tortoise to me (Testudo horsfieldii). :)

Beautiful, old, and weather-worn...
 

ARA

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Thank you all for your help. I've started reading up on all the relevant forum threads on the russian tortoise.

Wow i did'nt realize that this thing was quite an old fella. Can make a quick dash if he wants to. I'll try to get some better photographs to determine his/her sex until then i'll like to believe he's a male :)

So how old do you think he might be ? Should i try to clean him up a bit with water and a soft brush. His shell could use some TLC.

cheers
 

sibi

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More important than being dirty is his dehydration. This tort probably hasn't had a warm soak in years. Give him a warm soak every day until he looks better. Keep giving him those greens, and I must commend you for rescuing this tort. Provide water for him to drink too. The soaks will accomplish two things: water to be absorbed, and it will also get him clean. Best to you both.
 

GeoTerraTestudo

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Hi Ara,

Yes, it looks like you rescued a nice, big Russian (or steppe) tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). As the others have mentioned, that species is native to your Pakistan, so it was probably caught locally. At that size, it's probably a female, although we'd need to see a good picture of the tail to be sure.

I have two of these myself (one male, one female), and they are wonderful tortoises. For more information on how to care for them, please visit:

http://russiantortoise.net/

In the meantime, keep up the good work with providing leafy greens to eat, and plenty of water available in a shallow dish to drink and bathe. You may also want to bathe it in a small plastic tub with warm, shallow water a few times, so that it can get rehydrated. If it lives outdoors, then that's great. Otherwise, keep giving it some time outdoors for sunshine and exercise. Enjoy your new pet. :)
 

mctlong

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ARA said:
Thank you all for your help. I've started reading up on all the relevant forum threads on the russian tortoise.

Wow i did'nt realize that this thing was quite an old fella. Can make a quick dash if he wants to. I'll try to get some better photographs to determine his/her sex until then i'll like to believe he's a male :)

So how old do you think he might be ? Should i try to clean him up a bit with water and a soft brush. His shell could use some TLC.

cheers

I wouldn't be surprised if he's male. Females are usually larger than males, but its not unreasonable for an older male to grow to that size. You can easily tell by looking at the size of the tail. Males have much larger tails. Females have small tails.

I wish I could tell you how old this tortoise is, but its impossible to tell. It could be 20 years, 50 years, 100 years. The size, as well as the shape and wear on the shell indicates that its an older specimen. Its probably the oldest I've ever seen, but we can never know exactly how old. He is a gorgeous animal. You're very lucky to have found him at the pet shop. :)

Cleaning with a soft brush and a little water won't harm him. As others have mentioned, soaking him in a shallow dish with warm water can be beneficial by re-hydrating him. As he's likely a wild-caught animal, he will be happiest if you can keep him outdoors in the sunshine.
 

ARA

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Thank you all for your encouragement. I soaked him in slightly warm water for 10 minutes yesterday, but am a bit concerned as we are experiencing a bit chilly winter and i do not want to shock the poor thing with extreme temperature changes. I will try to make the baths a regular feature.

I must admit though that i feel guilty as by buying him i am indirectly encouraging poaching of these magnificent creatures from their natural habitat. These are protected species i believe but sadly there is little protection or lax enforcement of animal protection laws in Pakistan.

Thanks again for your time and encouraging comments. I will try to post on this forum and contribute some useful and informative stuff from this side of the world. :)

cheers
 

pam

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Great looking Russian :) Welcome :)
 

kanalomele

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Beautiful old lady there. I would say at least 50 years old. The shell is starting to get very smooth from age, I rescued a male here in the states that was almost as smooth as yours. Her pattern is stunning. Dont worry about her getting too cool. They like a cool down at night. Soak her in warm water at least every other day for the next month and she will get rehydrated and happy. Dry her off after the soaking and let her bask in the sunshine. We have to deal with the mass importing of them here in the states. I like seeing this one getting to stay at home in Pakistan!
 
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