Kinixys ID help needed!

2turtletom

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Hello Fellow Tortoise Enthusiasts;

I'm new here, but I've been keeping Kinixys since I was a teenager; I have two today, including this one, that I'm wondering what exact species it may be. It was sold to me as a West African Hingeback, and it has only four front toenails. However, this one is quite different than my other Kinixys, which is a no-doubt-about-it nogueyi.

Take a look. I'd love to know what you think! This individual was imported before the ban- I purchased her in 2000!

I'd be happy to take more/better photos to help get an definitive ID. I'd love to find a male some day! :)

Thanks!

-Tom
 

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speckles&spud

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Hello!
I'm not an expert, but she appears to be either a Bells or Speke's. She's beautiful! I have a male Speke's myself.
 

2turtletom

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Hello!
I'm not an expert, but she appears to be either a Bells or Speke's. She's beautiful! I have a male Speke's myself.
Thank you. After showing this animal's photos to many Kinixys experts, they all believe she is a Kinixys nogueyi. This is the western subspecies of Kinixys belliana,now elevated to full species.
 

Bambam1989

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The four toes on the forlimbs sounds like a good indicator of a noguyei.
Can you show us a picture from directly above the tort looking down on the top of the shell. I'd like to see it's shape..
 

Toddrickfl1

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I think the hingebacks are very cool. They strike me as tough, scrappy little tortoises!
 

speckles&spud

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Thank you. After showing this animal's photos to many Kinixys experts, they all believe she is a Kinixys nogueyi. This is the western subspecies of Kinixys belliana,now elevated to full species.
Oops, read the four toes on front as four toes on hind-ha! Yes, def nogueyi then! I'm a member of the Facebook Hingeback group and the Kinixys Conservation Blueprint document they have I've found to be really helpful
 

2turtletom

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The four toes on the forlimbs sounds like a good indicator of a noguyei.
Can you show us a picture from directly above the tort looking down on the top of the shell. I'd like to see it's shape..
I have a top down, I'll post the next time on on my PC.
 

2turtletom

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Oops, read the four toes on front as four toes on hind-ha! Yes, def nogueyi then! I'm a member of the Facebook Hingeback group and the Kinixys Conservation Blueprint document they have I've found to be really helpful

Yes; Dave's blueprint is amazing. I'd love to go to Africa and study this species across its range. The scales on the front legs, overall lighter coloring on carapace, no dark markings on the plasteon, and in general, the shell shape, more enlongated and less round, makes my two female Nogueyi really different. My guess is that they came different ends of the species' range. For this female, the middle man I purchased her from back in 2000 did tell me the country of origin if memory serves; I just don't remember it...
 

2turtletom

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5 Year Member
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Mar 17, 2018
Messages
329
Location (City and/or State)
Akron, Ohio
I think the hingebacks are very cool. They strike me as tough, scrappy little tortoises!
They really are scrappy! I have two females, and I keep them separated. Just this morning, I put them together for 30 seconds while transitioning them back inside, and the larger female went straight after the smaller one's head with mouth agape. I pulled her away just in time...
 

speckles&spud

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Yes; Dave's blueprint is amazing. I'd love to go to Africa and study this species across its range. The scales on the front legs, overall lighter coloring on carapace, no dark markings on the plasteon, and in general, the shell shape, more enlongated and less round, makes my two female Nogueyi really different. My guess is that they came different ends of the species' range. For this female, the middle man I purchased her from back in 2000 did tell me the country of origin if memory serves; I just don't remember it...
I realized shortly after posting that you were in the FB group! I need to pay better attention - ha ha.
 

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