Please identify tortoise

[Zaffy]

I am looking after my brother's tortoise, which he has had for 50 years. A worrying experience for me, but so far we are doing fine, I think. The funny thing is, my brother has no idea what sort of tortoise it is. The tortoise is called Boris but I wonder if it might be female. Thank you for reading.

 

[Sara G.]

No idea what kind of tortoise that is but I will say that it looks like a male.

 

[wellington]

Guessing at a Greek or Hermann. I don't know anything about those species. @HermanniChris probably can positive ID it for you

 

[ZEROPILOT]

50 years?
Your brother must be doing something right!

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

You're in the UK, perhaps? Greek is likely.

 

[Zaffy]

50 years?
Your brother must be doing something right!

Yep, 50-years and he has had his parrot for 28-years as well, and both seem in reasonable condition. Brother is in his 70's, his condition isn't nearly so good. Brother doesn't use a computer or consult anyone or read books, seems to do it all by hearsay and instinct.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yup. I'm goin' for Greek too.

 

[Zaffy]

That's 3 Greeks. I'll go with Greek male. Thank you everyone.

 

[HermanniChris]

It's a Greek tortoise and male, no doubt about that but can you post a photo of the side of the head so I can get a better idea of the subspecies?

 

[Zaffy]

It's a Greek tortoise and male, no doubt about that but can you post a photo of the side of the head so I can get a better idea of the subspecies?

 

[HermanniChris]

He appears to be a Testudo graeca graeca which is Taxonomically referred as "the" Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise. The other more commonly encountered Greek tortoise is Testudo graeca ibera which is correctly referred to as the Asia Minor tortoise.

 

[nicoleashby90]

Looks like a Greek spur thigh to me I have two that are females xx

 

[Zaffy]

Thanks everyone. After fifty years, Boris has an identity.

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks everyone. After fifty years, Boris has an identity.

Hello and welcome to a cousin of our Joe who is equally old. It's nice to see another TGG on the forum from the UK

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Love all the Greeks from the UK!
Yay Boris! We now know who you be (sic)!!!
HermaniiChris, you are soooo The Man. The ID Man, man.
We are so lucky we have you!

 

[Zaffy]

Hello and welcome to a cousin of our Joe who is equally old. It's nice to see another TGG on the forum from the UK

What is the main part of Joe's diet?

 

[JoesMum]

What is the main part of Joe's diet?

Garden. He has the free run of it. He enjoys all the lawn weeds - I've given up with bedding plants as he gets to enjoy them more than I do. We also have fuschia that he chomps.

I supplement with dandelions picked from a neighbour's garden and a patch of vacant land that I know to be untreated and some supermarket greens.

We live in Kent and, with the aid of a basking lamp in a dog kennel for a morning jumpstart and a coldframe in the spot that gets sun in the mornings, he's out pretty much 24/7 when he's not hibernating (that was mid Dec to late March last winter)

 

[Lincoln Michal]

That is a male north african greek tortoise probably Testudo graeca graeca. A lot of them were imported to the UK in the past. They called them the common garden tortoise. Your brother must be doing something right. The tortoise looks in good health. Linc

 

[dmmj]

it's nice to see an old tortoise