Could anyone ID this little tortoise please?
ID help please!
- Thread starter *Amber*
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I'm not good at Identifying tortoises, I thought it was a Russian Tortoise. Guess I need to keep studying.
Thanks, here's a couple more pics, the segments of the shell are spiky. Sorry, it's asleep, and don't want to wake it, so can't get underside pics at the mo!
I've looked at Hermann's tortoise pics, and their shells look smoother than his. I have looked through a lot of tortoise pics, and can't find one that matches him!
I've looked at Hermann's tortoise pics, and their shells look smoother than his. I have looked through a lot of tortoise pics, and can't find one that matches him!
That looks like a hermanns to me with quite a bit of pyramiding. She looks huge how big is she?
Thank you! Only tiny! About 5 inches!
No problem and yeah she is small but she does look big in the pic. Did you find her or did you get her from someone?
I think sheezy's right on this one. I gonna say Hermann as well. When greeks get larger they tend to lose a lot of that underlining scute shading, and more or less have little dots. She is pyramiding though, might wanna check the humidity levels in the enclosure. What type of environment do you keep her in?
From another thread:
She rescued the Tortoise, it was attacked by a fox or dog. SHe cleaned it up with salt water baths. She will bring it to the vet and see if it has a microchip. Right now the Tort is in a rabbit cage with Basking and UV lights as a temporary housing.
She rescued the Tortoise, it was attacked by a fox or dog. SHe cleaned it up with salt water baths. She will bring it to the vet and see if it has a microchip. Right now the Tort is in a rabbit cage with Basking and UV lights as a temporary housing.
Just found that thread, LOL. Sorry for my previous post. I commented on the other thread. 
Thank you all for your help! Yes, only got him today! Someone's lost him! Can't find the owner, but checking at vets for chip tomorrow. I'm so worried about this little guy! I'm trying to read up on tortoise care! What size enclosure would be ok for a 5 inch tortoise?
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It's an Eastern Hermann's, Testudo hermanni boettgeri. Looks like a male based on shape. Can you post a photo of it's underside?
Generally a 2 foot by 4 foot anyway, minimum.
Its shell looks like that because it has been raised in the wrong conditions and poorly cared for. The pyramided scutes are not an indicator of species, they are an indicator of incorrect husbandry.
Your hermanni should look like the ones you saw in the other pics.
... so sad. With proper care, you can get him healthy and he should live a long happy life, but the shell will always look like that.
Your hermanni should look like the ones you saw in the other pics.
... so sad. With proper care, you can get him healthy and he should live a long happy life, but the shell will always look like that.
Thank you very much for the ID and advice, it's much appreciated. I'm really sad that he hasn't been cared for propery in the home he came from! :-( If his shell is about 5 inches, would this make him young, or is that how big they get? Could poor previous care have stunted his growth at all? This morning he's eaten a tiny bit of dandelion. One of my cats has taken a very keen interest in sitting and staring at him!
Here's an underside pic, he has a spike on the end of this tail, and his tail looks long to me! You can see his wounds to the right of the top pic.
Here's an underside pic, he has a spike on the end of this tail, and his tail looks long to me! You can see his wounds to the right of the top pic.
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At 5" he is a young adult male. Average size for a male Eastern Hermann's is about 5.5-7". Some male Easterns do get larger but they are not common. He could be anywhere from 3-10 years old. But it is difficult to judge the age of your tortoise because of the accelerated growth/pyramiding. The appearance is actually more accelerated growth than pyramiding. Accelerated growth is cause by keeping tortoises too hot overall for long periods while feeding them a diet very high in vitamins (and possibly protein) and not allowing enough room for normal activity. Neither accelerated growth or pyramiding is reversible but both are stoppable from the point of recognition on. The good news is that your Hermann's is much better than many and while he may not be perfectly smooth he should still be able to live a long healthy life with the correct care now.
Thank you so much for everyone's help with my new addition! Any help or info is very much appreciated!
i think its older.. porr care, poor growth. long tails..
newspaper isnt giving him proper traction. can you change that? or is heon that due to wounds healing?
newspaper isnt giving him proper traction. can you change that? or is heon that due to wounds healing?
Hi thanks, I used newspaper, as I don't drive, and haven't been able to get to a reptile shop yet. He has been in the garden in the sun for about 3 hours today which he really enjoyed! He chose to eat mainly Clover, but ate some Dandelions and a little grass too. He loved basking in the sun bless him, he looked so happy. He's been to the vets today, and the nurse bathed him, as she said he looked a bit flakey and dehydrated. He had a wee in the water. We then we saw the vet and he was a little concerned about his wounds, so I have to give him antibiotics, and I've also got some wound cleaner to do once a day. The vet said don't be gentle when I do it, give it a bit of a rub. He weighed 400g. The vet thinks it's best he's not hibernated this year.
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