New Tortoise Question(s)...

[Mindy Robinson]

Greetings,
I got a new tortoise yesterday, and his(her?) type was listed as "Testudo", but when I look that up, I believe that is the genus, not the species. Would anyone be able to let me know what kind he is specifically? I want to get the best environmental conditions for him as possible...
Next question... I have a Sulcata, about 2 years old or so, and as far as introducing them, would anyone have any recommendations? I currently have them in part of a room with a tank on its side separating them, so they can see each other but not interact.
Finally... I don't know if it will show in the pictures I am attaching, but on his back, the top three sections are kind of indented... is this a common thing? I haven't seen anything like this with my other three turtles, and it's a little concerning, but maybe it's just a turtle shell thing that happens sometimes, I don't know...

Our vet is of course on vacation, but we will be visiting as soon as they are back!

Thanks anyone for any advice, and Happy Holidays!

Mindy

 

[wellington]

That is a Russian.

 

[wellington]

The Russian and your sulcata should never share the same space.

 

[Big Charlie]

You will never want to introduce them to each other. They should have separate enclosures and it is better if they don't see each other. Seeing another tortoise is stressful.

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome Mindy.

You've got Testudo horsfieldii there. It was recently placed in the genus Agrionemys, but many people ignore that and still refer to them as Testudo.

Yours looks to be a wild caught adult. Did you buy it at Petco or Petsmart? Wild caught ones tend to harbor all sorts of parasites and pathogens, and your sulcata is at risk. Strict quarantine for at least the first few months is a must, and after that great care should be taken to avoid any sort of cross-contamination. The two species should NEVER be mixed, and they have distinctly different care and feeding requirements. Also, tortoises should never be kept in pairs, and these two species are among the worst for not getting along well with others.

Most of the care info circulating around for sulcatas is wrong. Russian tortoise care info usually isn't too bad.
Here is the sulcata info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Here is the russian info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

And some general info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome to the forum, beautiful tort. Wild caught Russians—yours is one—tend to look a little bumpy and lumpy, it’s fine.

You can’t mix tortoises, as others have said, period.

 

[Mindy Robinson]

Thank you all for your responses.

I did get him at Petsmart... is that a bad thing??

How do you know/can you tell he is wild caught? Maybe this is a stupid question, but I thought that was illegal and I don't want to support that...

They are separate and I will keep them separate, and we will be going to the vet as soon as they open back up from the holiday.

Thanks Again,
Mindy

 

[Ezra Lee Buck]

Thank you all for your responses.

I did get him at Petsmart... is that a bad thing??

How do you know/can you tell he is wild caught? Maybe this is a stupid question, but I thought that was illegal and I don't want to support that...

They are separate and I will keep them separate, and we will be going to the vet as soon as they open back up from the holiday.

Thanks Again,
Mindy

Hey Mindy,
If you're in the U.S., it is legal to import wild-caught Russians. Many big box stores like Petco and Petsmart get their tortoises from importers, and it's bad for a host of reasons
Firstly, big box stores in general really aren't good for any animal. Especially with reptiles and fish, they tend to use outdated information, which leads to improper care and sick animals that they're trying to sell. They also tend to sell you things you don't need or want in a tort enclosure, and it's often really overpriced.
Secondly, wild Russian populations are suffering heavily due to the import trade. They have a small clutch size, and are often victims of roadkill, meaning they are especially impacted by the exotic pet trade. Captive bred, well-raised tortoises from good breeders impact the import trade and benefit wild Russian tort populations.
Wild-caught torts of any kind, as mentioned before, also most likely have tons of parasites.
I have no idea how others can tell whether the tort is wild-caught or captive bred, but the pet store is typically a good indication that it's the former.
Hope this helps