Indentity Crisis

[FunnyGirl]

It was suggested that I start a new post regarding the identity of my Tortoise named Switch. I have pictures on another thread but no one who read it was actually positive of his ID.

I was told he was a Greek male. No idea of his age or where he came from. A friend had him for a couple of months and gave him to me along with a Russian female. My friend was told the female was the Greek and the male - who is bigger - is Russian. I switched it around and others on this forum confirmed she is a Russian.

So, what is he?? He is the one on the right. Besides BORING! This guy has no personality!!

Thanks

 

[Meg90]

He's definitely a Greek...Could be a really dark Jordanian Greek I think (but I am no expert at subspecies)....

How have you been keeping him? UVB, heat etc. I don't think his carapace should be so dark, unless its a subspecies thing. What's his SCL?

My Greek has tons of personality. Is he sick? How long have you had him?

 

[Millerlite]

it is a greek, greek tortoises can be that dark, they range in that area. Greeks do have great personality, maybe hes just scared or had a rough life. How long have you had?

 

[Meg90]

I've been reading your other thread, and here are some things I think might help:

First, separate him from the Russian. He will do better by himself. Then, get him a nice basking bulb, trex 100 watt, or a powersun 100 watt. That will give him UVB, and heat. maybe he is too cold to be active. Also, go out and pick up some spring mix. ONLY offer that. He will eventually get hungry enough to just eat it, he is an adult. He can go a bit without eating.

Then, for a bedding, use aspen. you can get it at walmart or petco or petsmart. it is a compressed bag of shavings. Make sure it is ONLY aspen. Not cedar or pine shavings. Those are toxic to all tortoises.

 

[egyptiandan]

You have a male Caspian Greek tortoise, Testudo graeca buxtoni.

Danny

 

[FunnyGirl]

Thanks guys. So, at least I got something right with these guys -which was Russian and which was Greek! The gal I got him from said he was a Russian but at least I knew he couldn't be that. So, am I reading this correctly..... that Caspian is a type of Greek?

OK, so now for my next question Meg - what the heck is a SCL? I was a hog farmer, horse breeder, and a dog trainer but for the life of me I can't figure that one out. Somehow I don't get that you are asking me for a scrotal circumference?

I don't know if he is sick as he appears to be normal in every way as far as eating (crap he was fed) and crapping and sleeping. He just doesn't have the personality that my Russian or my DT have. Both of them come running when I come out or move about actively while he appears to hate people. I watch him move about the pen and he looks fine. In my handling of him he has all his toes and limbs and tail and his eyes and nose are bright and clear. No indication of trauma. Maybe his being with the lively little Russian is affecting his personality or, he may have had some rough handling. From what little I know, the gal who gave them to me said he was always like that and her co-worker who gave them to her said the same thing. I do know that people stress him out. He has peed on me several times after picking him up while T and Splash have never peed on me. That appears to be a stress/fear related thing.

trex 100 watt: this is one of the lights I have. The other is a heat lamp of some sort that came with the set-up. I have several heat lamps around but this one is pretty slick - it has a fancy little stand and everything! It even glows in the dark. (ah, small minds are so easily amused) I want to take the tub and clean it out. I guess I will re-bed with aspen. I keep plenty of that on hand to use in my senior dog's potty pool! Pine and cedar can have negative effects on dogs as well.

Spring mix it is.

So, Danny - how is it you are such a wealth of knowledge? I have read many of your posts and you seem to have all this ID stuff down pretty well?

 

[Yvonne G]

So, Danny - how is it you are such a wealth of knowledge? I have read many of your posts and you seem to have all this ID stuff down pretty well?

I know, huh! He even answered a recent question about some sort of slimey lizard!!

SCL stands for straight center line. That means, you don't allow the tape measure to curve around the top of the tortoise when you're measuring...you just measure in a straight line from the front to the back of the carapace.

Your Greek guy was probably wild caught and he just has never learned to trust people. Just be patient with him, give him time, and don't try to handle him too much. He'll soon realize that you are the food god and he'll come to trust you and act more natural.

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

Yes a Caspian greek is a subspecies (type) of Greek tortoise. They are from the area around the southwestern part of the Caspain sea, Turkey and Iran.
SCL is straight carapace length, nothing to do with his "package"

Just lots of books, internet, years and practice

Danny

 

[FunnyGirl]

Thanks guys. I have managed to seperate everyone and each has his or her own place now.

I tried the butternut squash and everyone looked at me as if I were crazy and said "where's the romain?" Heck, even T wouldn't eat it.

I put one of my wood clamps on him and "measured" him from the back of the shell to the front and he was 6".

So, I couldn't figure out why my pictures weren't showing up so I went to my website where I stored the pictures and the entire thing is GONE! I have no idea how THAT happened. The entire root folder and the db folder GONE! CRAZY! All my other sites were fine! Off to fix that little problem.

 

[BigBiscuit]

Yes a Caspian greek is a subspecies (type) of Greek tortoise. They are from the area around the southwestern part of the Caspain sea, Turkey and Iran.
SCL is straight carapace length, nothing to do with his "package"

Just lots of books, internet, years and practice

Danny

All this talk of the caspian reminds of Andy Kaufman, saying he was from "Caspiar" and that the island "sank."

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Butternut squash...cook it in the micro wave until it's the consistency of a baked potato..Soft and tasty...then I squash it up with a fork and feed it to them that way...I have never had a tortoise refuse it...

 

[FunnyGirl]

Butternut squash...cook it in the micro wave until it's the consistency of a baked potato..Soft and tasty...then I squash it up with a fork and feed it to them that way...I have never had a tortoise refuse it...

That is what I did - all except the fork thing. I sure wish I had a picture of T's face when he looked and sniffed that stuff. Have you even been giving the bird by a tortoise!