Wow... its like you went out of your to find the worst lighting in the houseHope this helps
You 100% have an eastern Hermann’s tortoise (T. h. boettgeri) it just looks slightly different because it may be from a different region originally than the others. It does not bear the traits of a pure western or pure Dalmatian at all. So, there’s a chance it could be a hybrid but I’m not seeing much that confirms that. If you can take really good pics in good lighting I can be sure if it’s a hybrid. Either way, not a western or Dalmatian.
That would actually not be considered a U but more of a V with a slight wave in it. Everything is always and forever subject to variation, that’s the challenge. Once you see enough of these things it comes so much easier to you but even still, there are tricky ones.I guess I was thrown off by the non V-shaped line at the pectoral scutes. I thought it would be a perfect V if it were an Eastern? This looked more like the U-shaped line that you show on your site.
The head does look quite bulbous in the new photos.