Need a little bit of help.

[Mrs Toonz]

Good morning everyone I am new to posting on this forum. I am the new owner of what I was told are 2 forest hingeback tortoises. After doing much research I do not know anymore if this is true I would love any information that I can get because I am new to the tortoise having world. I will be posting four pictures the first two I am told is a girl and the second two I am told is a boy.

Again as I said before any help in any way would be greatful thank you!!!

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know anything about keeping the hingeback tortoises, so I'll send a shout-out to a few of those who do:

@tortadise @Will @Jacqui @Anyfoot @juli11

 

[Anyfoot]

These are Kinixys Homeana(aka homes hingeback).
Can we see a photo directly above where the head and shell is please of both tortoises.

 

[Mrs Toonz]

Thank you Yvonne!!

Any foot here are the pictures...

First two are the "boy" second two are the "girl"

 

[Mrs Toonz]

These are Kinixys Homeana(aka homes hingeback).
Can we see a photo directly above where the head and shell is please of both tortoises.

I added the photos you requested

 

[Anyfoot]

You can see the little scute above the neck, this is called a nuchal scute. The Homeana have this and the Erosa do not. Both are forest hingebacks, very similar looking.
The sexing looks correct to me too. I can't see the tails, but the male looks small and with concave plastron, the female looks big with flat plastron. Females grow bigger in this species. Obviously just because the first one is small it doesn't mean it's male but it has the concave plastron.

 

[Anyfoot]

Should have said.
Also the homeana has the nob then steep drop off at the back of the Carapace. The Erosa does not, it's more rounded.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

@Mrs Toonz , welcome to TFO. The good news is @Anyfoot has already written much about this species. It's up to you to look through his posts instead of hoping someone will re-write a whole narrative.

We all look forward to novel questions beyond identity. And I agree with Anyfoot on the species/sex.

 

[Anyfoot]

Have you read this.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/erosa-or-homes-hingeback-and-how-to-tell-the-difference.11491/

 

[Mrs Toonz]

You can see the little scute above the neck, this is called a nuchal scute. The Homeana have this and the Erosa do not. Both are forest hingebacks, very similar looking.
The sexing looks correct to me too. I can't see the tails, but the male looks small and with concave plastron, the female looks big with flat plastron. Females grow bigger in this species. Obviously just because the first one is small it doesn't mean it's male but it has the concave plastron.

Awesome thank you for that... I have had them since end of last month I have gotten her to eat greens, tomatoes, and a daisy and all I have been able to get him to eat is mushrooms. I am having trouble with humidity though. I live in Ohio so it is just now getting warm outside so I have them in an enclosure in my basement heat stays between 75-80 f and humidity has been between 50-60 but I know that is WAY TO LOW! I will send pictures of my enclosure now. Please everyone let me know what you think.

 

[Mrs Toonz]

Have you read this.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/erosa-or-homes-hingeback-and-how-to-tell-the-difference.11491/

Actually I have that's what made me think the expo told me the wrong kind. I will read through again though. Thanks again for your help

 

[Mrs Toonz]

@Mrs Toonz , welcome to TFO. The good news is @Anyfoot has already written much about this species. It's up to you to look through his posts instead of hoping someone will re-write a whole narrative.

We all look forward to novel questions beyond identity. And I agree with Anyfoot on the species/sex.

Was not looking for anyone to rewrite anything sorry if I came off that way. Maybe I have the wrong site I though this was a fun place to talk about tortoises with other people that enjoy them.

I will keep looking thank you all.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Was not looking for anyone to rewrite anything sorry if I came off that way. Maybe I have the wrong site I though this was a fun place to talk about tortoises with other people that enjoy them.

I will keep looking thank you all.

It is fun to share, and again welcome.

 

[Mrs Toonz]

It is fun to share, and again welcome.

Thank you for the welcome. Just looking for some information about my tortoises I will continue to look before I ask any more questions.

Thank you

 

[Yvonne G]

Please don't feel that way. We ARE a friendly group, and we're here to help. Ask away.

You need bigger hiding places. Go to someplace like Walmart and buy a couple of dish pans. The dark ones are better, and black is even better. Cut a door out of one end and invert it into the enclosure. You can pack it lightly with either leaves or sphagnum moss for them to burrow into inside the hiding place. The straight up and down sides make it impossible for them to climb on top and fall off upside down. Plus they're big enough to comfortably hide each or both. I like to push my hiding places up against the walls in a corner. This gives you more walking around space outside of the hiding place and keeps them from getting behind it into the corner.

You may need to cover or partially cover the enclosure to keep the warm, moist air inside (adding to the humidity) and to keep the cooler air from the house out.

 

[Mrs Toonz]

Please don't feel that way. We ARE a friendly group, and we're here to help. Ask away.

You need bigger hiding places. Go to someplace like Walmart and buy a couple of dish pans. The dark ones are better, and black is even better. Cut a door out of one end and invert it into the enclosure. You can pack it lightly with either leaves or sphagnum moss for them to burrow into inside the hiding place. The straight up and down sides make it impossible for them to climb on top and fall off upside down. Plus they're big enough to comfortably hide each or both. I like to push my hiding places up against the walls in a corner. This gives you more walking around space outside of the hiding place and keeps them from getting behind it into the corner.

You may need to cover or partially cover the enclosure to keep the warm, moist air inside (adding to the humidity) and to keep the cooler air from the house out.

Thank you for the help I appreciate it!!

 

[Anyfoot]

Awesome thank you for that... I have had them since end of last month I have gotten her to eat greens, tomatoes, and a daisy and all I have been able to get him to eat is mushrooms. I am having trouble with humidity though. I live in Ohio so it is just now getting warm outside so I have them in an enclosure in my basement heat stays between 75-80 f and humidity has been between 50-60 but I know that is WAY TO LOW! I will send pictures of my enclosure now. Please everyone let me know what you think.

View attachment 205774 View attachment 205775

What size is this enclosure and how big are your tortoises. They look smaller than I first thought.
The trouble you will have with an open enclosure is it will only be warm enough under the heat sources, anywhere else is open to the room temperature, also it will be a constant battle to keep the humidity up.
You need to find a way to cover your enclosure some how. So you get an ambient temperature and a stable humidity reading.
Also those clock face type readers are not very accurate. You could do with some digital temp and humidity readers.
You could also do with some more cover in there so they feel secure. I go to the local woodland and gather up some of the forest floor, full of dried leaves, twigs and other debris. You can then create a forest floor that will act as a micro climate, full of worms,slugs,snails and woodlice etc. Keeping everything moist.

Mine rarely eat greens in any quantity.
I feed fruit, mushroom and weeds, most of the time weeds are left over, I tend to leave the weeds in the enclosure, I've noticed they seem to eat the them at 3 days old or so if they are going to eat them, I've also caught them eating dried leaves.
3 times a wk I feed worms, slugs or snails with mushrooms, the other 4 days is a mix of fruit/mushroom and weeds. So for example when feeding protein I literally make sure each tortoise gets 1 big juice slug, or I put a pile of worms in.
Spray them and the enclosure daily, they come to life when sprayed down.

 

[Jacqui]

Your temps are fine. Hingebacks do not appreciate the hot temps such as a leopard would.

 

[Jacqui]

Was not looking for anyone to rewrite anything sorry if I came off that way. Maybe I have the wrong site I though this was a fun place to talk about tortoises with other people that enjoy them.

I will keep looking thank you all.

You are fine. Writing does not always "sound" the way it was meant.

 

[Anyfoot]

@Mrs Toonz I was thinking about you situation, your heat and humidity is escaping so you need to close the enclosure some how, it looks a good enclosure so you don't want to dismantle that or have to start again. Why don't you add an apex on the open area, made of wood with a perspex front on hinges. Could even use a plastic sheet for the window with some creative thinking. This way you can hang the heat sources from the apex too. Also it will save you money on electricity because your not loosing the heat all the time.
Whats in those 4 holders.
A quick sketch to plant the idea.